4 TEST QUESTIONS NEED IN A HOUR
Lotus
Chapter4.pptxThe Self
Social Psychology
Chapter 4
The Self-Concept
Nonhuman animals and self-concept
Primates (chimpanzees, orangutans)
Dolphins
Human children
Dots at 18 months
Gender by 2 years old
Self-descriptions based on physical features around age 4
Understanding of basic emotions, concepts of traits by age 6
Understanding of being a unique individual by grade school
Development of Self-Concept
Throughout childhood
Over time, it becomes more abstract and complex
Self-schemas (progress in school, appearance, skills, etc…)
By adulthood we can analyze our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and recognize that other people have different thoughts than we do.
Ability to analyze our behavior and self-concept can be unpleasant at times (failures, our mortality), but it allows us to modify our behaviors and plan for the future.
Learning About Others’ Self-Concept
Self-report measures
Twenty Statements Test
Designed to measure the most accessible (and thus most important) parts of a person’s self-concept
Everyone’s is different but there are common themes
Physical characteristics (I am pretty, I am tall)
Important because others judge us by our physical characteristics
Social groups (I am a therapist, I am Jewish)
Provide us with our social identity, sense of self involving membership in social groups
Personality traits (I am friendly, I am shy)
Self-Complexity as a Buffer
Self-concept includes who we are right now, but also:
Our past
Our future
Hopes
Goals
Plans
Thoughts about our relationships with others
Self-complexity: The extent to which we have many different and independent ways of thinking about ourselves
Ex: I am a teacher, a wife, a daughter, an employee, a mother, etc…
Positive and negative thoughts about one self-aspect do not spill over into thoughts about the other aspects.
More complex = more resilient (BUFFERS)
Caveats
Studying Self-Concept
Neuroimaging
Self stored in same place information about other people is stored (PFC)
How we attend to and remember information about the self
Value = accessibility
Self Reference Effect
Information processed in relationship to the self is more well-remembered
Self-Awareness
How much we are currently fixing our attention on our self-concept.
Self-consciousness
When our self-concept becomes highly accessible because of our concerns about being observed/judged by others
What are the most accessible aspects of your self-concept?
More accessible aspects = more self aware of these aspects
More long-term accessibility = more important to you!
Priming
More self aware when in front of a mirror, speaking in front of a group, etc…
Why Do We Care About Self-Awareness?
Very important impact on our behavior
More likely to violate social norms when we lose self-awareness
Masks at Halloween
Activities that hide our identities (Ex: KKK)
Loss of individual accountability in groups
Self-Consciousness
We don’t focus on our self-concept any more than we do on the other things and people around us
We vastly overestimate how much attention others are paying us
Teenagers even more so
Self-Esteem
Positive or negative feelings we have about ourselves
We are also a product of our emotions
Comprised of how we view:
Our own performance
Our appearance
Our satisfaction with our relationships
Stable over time
But varies daily, hourly
People TEND to view themselves positively
But we also try to make ourselves look like we have high self-esteem
Social Status
Extent to which we are viewed positively and are esteemed by others
We want to be seen as competent and productive
We try to present ourselves as positively as possible
We try to convince others that we are good & worthy
Appearing attractive, strong, intelligent, likable
As a whole, we spend a lot of money on our presentation to others
Hair dye, makeup, clothing, shoes, teeth whiteners, accessories, cars
Collecting possessions to identify with high-status others
We gain social status by attempting to dominate/intimidate others in a social setting
Handshakes, talking louder/more than others,
Self Presentation: Gender Differences
Men
More likely to present themselves as assertive
Speaking and interrupting others
Visually focusing on the other person
Leaning body into the conversation
Women
More likely to be modest
Tend to create status by smiling and laughing
React more positively to others’ statements
Strategies
| Ingratiation | Create liking by using flattery, charm. |
| Intimidation | Create fear by showing aggressiveness. |
| Exemplification | Create guilt by showing you are a better person than the other. |
| Supplication | Create pity by indicating that you are helpless and needy. |
| Self-promotion | Create respect by persuading others that you are competent. |
Over-do any of these, they backfire!
Bring it Together
We use self-presentation to try to convince others that we are good and worthy people.
When we are successful in self-presentation and others view us positively, we have high social status.
When we perceive that we have high social status, we experience high self-esteem.
Separate variables with different meanings, but they are all related
Self-Presentation
Presenting ourselves favorably is natural!
Extent = Depends on the individual and the situation
Ex: Job interview
Self-monitoring has a major impact on our self-presentation
Regulating our behavior to meet the demands of a social situation
High = Good at reading emotions of others, able to fit in more
Behaving in ways that others find desirable.
Issues With Self-Esteem
Narcissism
“I know I am good because everyone always tells me in am”
“I can talk my way out of anything”
“I like to be the center of attention”
“I’m good at influencing people”
Likely to be arrogant, bullying, unfaithful in relationships
Social Comparison and the Self-Concept
We consistently evaluate ourselves in comparison to others, but more likely in dimensions where there is no objectively correct answer
“Should I wear that dress?”
“How good am I at bowling?”
Upward comparisons
Lowers our self-esteem
Provides us with information as to how to improve ourselves (HOPE!)
Downward comparisons
Make us feel better about ourselves
Increases our self-esteem
Groups and Social Identity
We use group memberships to create positive self-identity
Texans!
Fraternities/sororities
Veterans
