4: Self presentation

Question 1

What is the medieval view of the self?

Answer 1

They saw it as stable and fixed, including social class, location and family

Question 2

What is the modern view of the self?

Answer 2

Flexiable and re-negociable

Question 3

What are some reasons for the change in the view of the self between the medieval times and now?

Answer 3

Seculatisation
Industrialisation
Enlightenment
Psychoanalysis

Question 4

What is James’ definition of the self?

Answer 4

Two seperate aspects:

Me: The knowledge we have of ourselves

I: Our awarness (reflexively) of ourself

Question 5

According to Brewer and Gardner, what are the 3 types of self?

Answer 5

Individual self: Personal traits that differentiate the self from others

Relational self: Connections and role relationships with significant others

Collective self: Group memberships that differentiate ‘us from them’

Question 6

According to Brewer and Gardener, what is individual self?

Answer 6

Personal traits that differentiate ourselves from others

Eg: Being good at tennis

Question 7

According to Brewer and Gardener, what is relational self?

Answer 7

Connections and role relationship with others

Eg: Idea of what it means to be a mother

Question 8

According to Brewer and Gardener, what is collective self?

Answer 8

Group memberships that differentiate ‘us from them’

Question 9

What is the ‘me’ part of James’ definition of the self?

Answer 9

The knowledge we have about ourselves (Object)

Question 10

What is the ‘i’ part of James’ definition of the self?

Answer 10

Our reflexive awareness of ourselves (Subject)

We can reflect on who we are to others and can think about who we are

Question 11

When does self-awareness surface in our development

Answer 11

18 months to 2 years old

Question 12

What is a self-schema?

Answer 12

Our knowledge about our self-concept

It influences our processing and behaviour

Question 13

What is a social identity?

Answer 13

The self defined in terms of group memberships (Collective self)

Question 14

What is personal identity?

Answer 14

Defines the self in terms of traits and close personal relationships (Individual self)

Question 15

What are some self-comparison theories?

Answer 15

Self-awareness theory

Self-discrepancy theory

Regulatory focus theory

Self-perception theory

Question 16

Who came up with self-awareness theory?

Answer 16

Duval and Wicklund

Question 17

What is self-awareness theory?

Answer 17

When we become self-conscious, we compare our behaviour with internal standards and values.

If current behaviour is inconsistent with them, we change our behaviour or try to leavethe situation

Question 18

What are the two types of self described in self-awareness theory?

Answer 18

Private and public self

Question 19

What is individualization? (Self-awareness theory)

Answer 19

When people don’t have awareness of themselves as distinct individuals so fail to monitor their actions and act impulsively

Question 20

Who came up with self-discrepancy theory?

Answer 20

Higgins

Question 21

What is self-discrepancy theory?

Answer 21

We pick up on discrepancies between our actual self and our ideal/ought self and aim to reduce them through self-regulation

Question 22

According to self-discrepancy theory, what are the 3 types of self?

Answer 22

Actual self: What we actually are in the moment

Ideal self: Who we aim to be

Ought self: What we think others want us to be

Question 23

According to self-discrepancy theory, what is actual self?

Answer 23

What we actually are in the moment

Question 24

According to self-discrepancy theory, what ideal self?

Answer 24

Who we would like to be

Question 25

According to self-discrepancy theory, what ought self

Answer 25

Who we think we should be according to others

Question 26

According to self-discrepancy theory, what is self-regulation?

Answer 26

Stratergies we use to try and match our actual self with our ideal and ought self

Question 27

What do we feel when there is a discrepancy between our actual and ideal self?

Answer 27

Disappointed, dissatisfied, sad

Question 28

What do we feel when there is a discrepancy between our actual and ought self?

Answer 28

Anxious, threatened, fearful

Question 29

Who came up with regulatory focus theory?

Answer 29

Higgins

Question 30

What is regulatory process theory?

Answer 30

We have two seperate reglatory systems: The promotion system: This is the attainment of hopes and dreams, being sensitive to positive events and using approach strategic means to achieve our goals The prevention system: This is the fulfillment of duties and obligations, sensitive to negative events and using avoidance strategic means to achieve their goals such as avoiding certain types of failure

Question 31

According to regulatory focus theory, what is the promotion system?

Answer 31

This is the attainment of hopes and dreams, being sensitive to positive events and using approach strategic means to achieve our goals

Question 32

According to regulatory focus theory, what is the prevention system?

Answer 32

This is the fulfillment of duties and obligations, sensitive to negative events and using avoidance strategic means to achieve their goals such as avoiding certain types of failure

Question 33

Who came up with self-perception theory?

Answer 33

Bem

Question 34

What is self-perception theory?

Answer 34

When our attitudes are ambigious, we infer them by observing our own behaviour Role of external justification Overjustification

Question 35

What is the role of external justification in self-perception theory?

Answer 35

When extrinsic motivation is very strong, people discount the influence of intrinsic motivation

Question 36

What is the overjustification effect in self-perception theory? Linked to external justification

Answer 36

It can decrease the liklihood of behaviours occuring again if extrinsically motivated

Question 37

What is social comparison?

Answer 37

Where our self concept is shaped by others

Question 38

What is the theory of the 'looking glass self'?

Answer 38

We see ourselves and the social world through the eyes of other people and adopt these views We see ourselves the way we think others see us How you imagine you appear to others, how you imagine others wil judge you

Question 39

Who came up with the idea of the 'looking glass self'?

Answer 39

Cooley

Question 40

What is social comprehension theory?

Answer 40

We rely on others to define who we are. We compare ourselves to those around us

Question 41

What are upward social comparisons?

Answer 41

Comparing ourselves to someone who is better than we are in a particular trait - aspire to dream and be the best of the best

Question 42

What are downward social comparisons?

Answer 42

Comparing ourselves to someone who is worse at a trait - self protective and self enhancing to make ourselves feel better

Question 43

Who came up with the self-evaluation and maintance model?

Answer 43

Tesser

Question 44

What is the self-evaluation and maintance model?

Answer 44

How do people behave when they're constraied to only make upwards social comparisons?

Question 45

What is self-affirmation theory?

Answer 45

People reduce the impact of a threat to their self concept by affirming their competence in other areas

Question 46

What is social identity theory?

Answer 46

An individual's self concept comes from their knowledge of membership to a social group