CH.3: communication and personal identity Flashcards
the self
a process of internalizing and acting from social perspectives that we learn in the process of communication
direct definition
comm that explicitly tells us who we are by labeling us and our behaviors
identity scripts
rules for how we are supposed to live and who we are supposed to be (ex. we give back to the community and live by God’s word)
attachment styles
patterns of parenting that teach us who we and others are and how to relate to others (comm w/ family)
secure attachment
the primary caregiver interacts in a consistently attentive and loving way –> positive self-worth and view of others
fearful attachment
the primary caregiver communicates in negative, rejecting, or abusive ways –> negative self-worth and view of others
dismissive attachment
a caregiver who is disinterested, rejecting, or abusive –> positive view of self and negative view of others
anxious/ambivalent attachment
fostered by inconsistent and unpredictable treatment from the caregiver –> creates anxiety and inconsistency
social comparison
comparing ourselves to others to gauge our talents, attractiveness, abilities, skills, etc.
- compare if we are alike/different
- measure ourselves in relation
communication with society
learn how society views race, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class through media and institutions
self-fulfilling prophecy
one acts in ways consistent with how one has learned to perceive onself
self is…
- multidimensional: physical, cognitive, emotional, social (personality/roles), moral
- a process: the self develops over time and with experience
ego boundaries
where the self stops and the rest of the world begins
particular others
one source of social perspectives that people use to define themselves and guide how they think, act, and feel; people who are significant to us (ex. mother, father, siblings)
reflected appraisal
the process of seeing ourselves through others’ eyes
perspective of the generalized other
the rules, roles, values and attitudes endorsed by the specific culture in which we live
western culture’s identity categories
race, sex and gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class
self-disclosure
the revelation of information about ourselves that others are unlikely to discover on their own
self-sabotage
telling ourselves we are no good, we’ll never learn something, there’s no point in trying to change, etc. –> undermines belief in ourself
ways to enhance the self
- commit to improvement
- gain knowledge
- set realistic goals
- self-disclose when appropriate
- accept yourself
- create a supportive context (places and people)
social perspectives are…
- constructed: created in particular cultures at specific times + tend to reflect the views and values of those in power at the time
- changeable: can and do change if enough members of a society challenge them
