4- Where does our Self Come From? Flashcards
What are the two groups of theories about the self?
Self-comparison and social-comparisons
What is self-comparison?
How we find out about ourselves using internal standards and information
What are social-comparisons?
Social sense of self- how we find out and develop a sense of self based on other people and groups
What 3 theories are associated with self-comparison?
Self-perception theory, self-awareness theory, and self-discrepancy theory
Who came up with the self-perception theory?
Bem, 1965
What is the key idea of self-perception theory?
When attitudes or feelings are ambiguous then we infer them by observing our own behaviour
What do we do if we keep doing things?
Assume that we like it and incorporate it into our self-concept
What are some examples of things decided by self-perception theory?
Liking certain foods or activities
Does self-perception theory happen consciously or unconsciously?
Automatically, not at the conscious level
When does self-perception theory happen?
When there isn’t an external justification for behaviour
What do people do when extrinsic motivation is strong?
People discount the influence of intrinsic motivation
Who came up with self-awareness theory?
Duval and Wicklund, 1972
What is the key idea behind self-awareness theory?
We aren’t always constantly paying attention to our behaviours
What happens when we become self-conscious or self-aware?
We become objective observers of our own behaviour
How do we compare our present behaviour?
To internal standards and values
How do we become self-aware?
Certain triggers activate self-awareness
How does self-awareness vary between people?
One person’s trigger may not trigger self-awareness in someone else
Who came up with self-discrepancy theory?
Higgins, 1987
What is self-discrepancy?
The size of mismatch there is between the actual self and ideal/ought self
What is self-regulation?
Strategies to match behaviour to ideal or ought self