6.1 Self-Concept and Identity Flashcards
self concept
how someone thinks about, perceives, or evaluates themselves
to have a self concept is to be self aware
2 parts of a self concept
existential self (developed first)
categorical self (developed second)
existential self
the sense of being separate and distinct from others
awareness that the self is constant throughout life (being tired is no a self concept)
Categorical self
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
3 components of self concept (Carl Rogers)
Self-image: what we believe we are
Self-esteem: how much value we place on ourselves
Ideal-self: what we aspire to be
a positive self-concept
when the ideal self and real self are similar
incongruity
when the ideal self does not match the real self
2 groups of social identity theory
personal identity
social identity
2 steps in social identity theory: 3 steps in self categorization
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
self-schema
a self-given label that carries with it a set of qualities
identity
the individual components of our self-concept related to the groups in which we belong
androgyny
the state of been simultaneously very masculine and very feminine
ethnic identity
the ethnic group which one is born into; members typically share a common ancestry, cultural heritage, and language
nationality
based on political borders; the result of shared history, media, cuisine, and national symbols
hierarchy of salience
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
self-discrepancy theory
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
actual self
the way we see ourselves as we currently are
idea self
the person we would like to be
ought self
our representation of the way others think we should be
self esteem
the measure of how we feel about ourselves
self-efficacy
our belief in our ability to succeed
learned helplessness
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
locus of control
an individual’s perception about the underlying main causes of events in his/her life (internal vs external)
