6.1 Self-Concept and Identity

Question 1

self concept

Answer 1

how someone thinks about, perceives, or evaluates themselves

to have a self concept is to be self aware

Question 2

2 parts of a self concept

Answer 2

existential self (developed first)

categorical self (developed second)

Question 3

existential self

Answer 3

the sense of being separate and distinct from others

awareness that the self is constant throughout life (being tired is no a self concept)

Question 4

Categorical self

Answer 4

the realization that you exist as an individual object in the world, with distinct properties, such as your age, hair color, and gender

as we grow older, this component also begins to include psychological traits

Question 5

3 components of self concept (Carl Rogers)

Answer 5

Self-image: what we believe we are

Self-esteem: how much value we place on ourselves

Ideal-self: what we aspire to be

Question 6

a positive self-concept

Answer 6

when the ideal self and real self are similar

Question 7

incongruity

Answer 7

when the ideal self does not match the real self

Question 8

2 groups of social identity theory

Answer 8

personal identity

social identity

Question 9

2 steps in social identity theory: 3 steps in self categorization

Answer 9

step 1: we categorize ourselves and others without really realizing it ex. (race/job/etc) and then make pre-judgements based on category

step 2: identification; once we adopt identity of group, we behave and act like the category we belong to

step 3: social comparison; compare ourselves with other groups

Question 10

self-schema

Answer 10

a self-given label that carries with it a set of qualities

Question 11

identity

Answer 11

the individual components of our self-concept related to the groups in which we belong

Question 12

androgyny

Answer 12

the state of been simultaneously very masculine and very feminine

Question 13

ethnic identity

Answer 13

the ethnic group which one is born into; members typically share a common ancestry, cultural heritage, and language

Question 14

nationality

Answer 14

based on political borders; the result of shared history, media, cuisine, and national symbols

Question 15

hierarchy of salience

Answer 15

the organization of an individual’s identities in order of how frequently they are used and how likely they are to be used in a particular situation

Question 16

self-discrepancy theory

Answer 16

each of us has 3 selves: our actual self, our ideal self, and our ought self

the closer these 2 are to one another, the higher out self-esteem

Question 17

actual self

Answer 17

the way we see ourselves as we currently are

Question 18

idea self

Answer 18

the person we would like to be

Question 19

ought self

Answer 19

our representation of the way others think we should be

Question 20

self esteem

Answer 20

the measure of how we feel about ourselves

Question 21

self-efficacy

Answer 21

our belief in our ability to succeed

Question 22

learned helplessness

Answer 22

a state that occurs after a person has experienced a stressful situation repeatedly

they come to believe that they are unable to control or change the situation, so they do not try — even when opportunities for change become available

Question 23

locus of control

Answer 23

an individual’s perception about the underlying main causes of events in his/her life (internal vs external)