Self-Concept and Related Concepts

Who Are You?

• Self-Concept:
  • Definition: Your self-concept reflects your stable ideas about who you are.
  • Identity: Your self-concept is fundamentally your identity.

Self-Esteem

• Self-Esteem Definition:
  • A subjective evaluation of your value and worth as a person.
• Influences on Self-Esteem:
  • Can influence social behavior, including how we perceive ourselves and others.
  • Affects performance in school and work.
• Factors Affecting Self-Esteem:
  • Culture: Different cultures have varying standards and values that influence self-esteem.
  • Sex: Gender differences can also impact self-esteem levels.

Self-Disclosure

• Definition of Self-Disclosure:
  • The act of intentionally giving others information about ourselves that we believe to be true, but which we think they do not already know.

Image Management

• Image Management Definition:
  • The process of adjusting our behavior to project a desired image to others.
• Nature of Image Management:
  • Collaborative: Image management involves interactions with others to shape perceptions.
  • Multidimensional: We manage multiple identities, adapting our image based on context and audience.
  • Complexity: The desire to be perceived in a certain way involves careful consideration of our self-image.

Self-Concept and Self-Fulfilling Prophecies

• Concept of Self-Fulfilling Prophecies:
  • Our self-fulfilling prophecies can reinforce our self-concept.
  • We have expectations based on our perceptions of ourselves and others.
  • These expectations prompt us to act in specific ways, which lead to outcomes that validate those expectations.
  • As a result, our self-concepts are reinforced through these actions and outcomes.