Movie review
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reflectrelate5e_lectureppt_ch02.pptxChapter 2
Considering Self
The Components of Self
The self: An evolving composite of three components that develop continually over time based on life experience
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Self-Awareness
Self-awareness: The ability to view yourself as a unique person and to reflect on your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
Social comparison (Mead): Observing and assigning meaning to others’ behavior and then comparing it with your own
Self-Concept (1 of 2)
Self-concept: Your overall perception of who you are, based on the beliefs, attitudes, and values you have about yourself
Looking-glass self: Your self-concept as shaped by what you believe others think of you
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Self-Concept (2 of 2)
Self-concept clarity: The degree which you have a clearly defined, consistent, and enduring sense of self
Self-fulfilling prophecies: Predictions about future interactions that lead us to behave in ways that ensure the interaction unfolds as we predicted
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Self-Esteem (1 of 2)
Self-esteem: The overall value, positive or negative, that we assign to ourselves
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Low Self-Esteem: A Vicious Cycle
figure 2.1
Self-Esteem (2 of 2)
Self-discrepancy theory: Your self-esteem is determined by how you compare to your ideal self and ought self.
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The Sources of Self
Our selves are shaped by the powerful outside forces of gender, family, and culture.
Gender and Self
Gender: The composite of social, psychological, and cultural attributes that characterize a person as male or female
Family and Self (1 of 2)
Interactions with caregivers shape two dimensions of our behavior.
Attachment anxiety
Attachment avoidance
Family and Self (2 of 2)
Four attachment styles
Secure attachment
Preoccupied attachment
Dismissive attachment
Fearful attachment
Culture and Self
Culture: An established, coherent set of beliefs, attitudes, values, and practices shared by a large group of people
Membership in individualistic vs. collectivistic culture shapes our views of self.
Communicating Your Self
People know and judge the “you” who communicates with them, not the “you” you keep inside.
Maintaining Your Public Self (1 of 2)
Face: The public self you want others to see and know (Goffman)
Maintaining Your Public Self (2 of 2)
Mask: A public self designed to conceal your private self
Example: Rick Welts
Losing face creates feelings of shame, humiliation, and sadness—embarrassment.
The Relational Self
We carefully craft the presentation of our self to create interpersonal relationships.
Disclosing Your Self to Others (1 of 3)
Self-disclosure: Revealing private information about your self to others
Interpersonal process model of intimacy: Closeness we feel toward others is created through self-disclosure and the responsiveness of listeners.
Disclosing Your Self to Others (2 of 3)
Self-disclosure:
Varies across and within cultures
Happens more quickly online
Promotes mental health
Occurs among men and women equally
Disclosing Your Self to Others (3 of 3)
Improve your self-disclosure skills
Know yourself.
Know your audience.
Don’t force others to self-disclose.
Don’t presume gender preferences.
Be sensitive to cultural differences.
Go slowly.
Opening Your Self to Others (1 of 2)
Social penetration theory: Revealing the self to others involves peeling back or penetrating layers.
Breadth: The number of different aspects of self revealed at each layer
Depth: How deeply into each other’s self the partners have penetrated
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The Layers of Self
figure 2.3
Opening Your Self to Others (2 of 2)
Intimacy: Feeling of closeness and “union” that exists between us and our partners
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Your Hidden and Revealed Self
Some “quadrants” of our selves are open to self-reflection and sharing with other people.
Others remain hidden.
The Johari Window: Each of us has a public area, a hidden area, a blind area, and an unknown area.
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The Johari Window
figure 2.4
The Online Self (1 of 2)
Interacting online gives us freedom to be flexible with our identities and to control how others perceive us.
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The Online Self (2 of 2)
Always consider the warranting value of information presented to you online.
Degree to which it is supported by other people and outside evidence
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Improving Your Online Self-Presentation
Three ways to improve online self-presentation
Be wary of information that contradicts your self-image.
Routinely conduct Web searches on yourself.
Keep the interview test in mind.
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