Chapter 2: The Self in a Social World Flashcards
Spotlight Effect
Putting ourselves in the spotlight, assuming others are paying attention to us
Illusion of Transparency
Our awareness of our feelings causes us to assume others will notice them
How our Social Surroundings Affect Our Awareness
We are keenly aware of differences between us and others
Self Interest & Social Judgement
We attribute negative events to others’ actions and positive events to our own
Self Concern and Social Behavior
We attempt to maintain a good image and adjust our behavior to match others’
Social Relationships and the Self
Since our actions depend partially on who we’re with, who we’re with affects our self-image
- Self and society is a 2-way street
Self-Schemas
Mental templates for organizing ourselves
Social Comparison
We base our self-image on our comparison to those around us
Charles Cooley’s Looking Glass Self
We reflect what we think other people think of us
- How do I appear
- What do others think of me
- Revise how we think about ourselves
- Can be based on correct or incorrect perceptions
Individualism
A way of seeing oneself apart from those around you - popular in Western cultures
Individualism: The Independent Self
The extent to which we see ourselves as independent from others
Individualism: Social Comparisons
People often compare upwards: they want to move up toward those that have more than them
Collectivism
Looking at oneself as part of a larger group
Collectivism: Interdependent Self
The extent to which we see ourselves as connected to those around us
Collectivism: Social Comparisons
People compare downwards: want to bring others up to their level
Individualism: Self & Culture
More individualistic words are being used worldwide
Self-Knowledge: Planning Fallacy
We tend to underestimate how long it will take us to do something
Self-Knowledge: Affective Forecasting
We are bad at predicting how we will feel
Self-Knowledge: Impact Bias
Overestimating how long we will feel a certain way
Self-Knowledge: Immune Neglect
The tendency to underestimate the speed of our “psychological immune system”
Self-Knowledge: Dual Attitude System
- IMPLICIT ATTITUDES: Change slowly with practices that form new habits
- EXPLICIT ATTITUDES: Can be changed with persuasion
Self-Knowledge: Practical Implications
- Self-reports are often untrustworthy
- Sincerity does not guarantee validity
Self-Esteem
- How one evaluates themselves or their worth
When is Self Esteem Motivating vs Harmful
- Comparing ourselves to others can harm our self-esteem
- The context dictates how our self-esteem is impacted (2nd vs 3rd place)
- We measure our self-esteem with the traits that we think matter to others
Self-Esteem: Setting Goals
- Pursuing self-esteem can lead to us having a bloated view of ourselves, less empathy, and pressure to succeed rather than enjoy
- Setting compassionate goals helps us to reframe where we get our self-esteem from
Terror Management Theory
- We have an innate fear of death which motivates our self-esteem
- This creates a desire for recognition, which can be social or personal goals
Trade Off: Low vs High Self-Esteem
- Low: anxiety, loneliness, negativity, leads to depression
- High: More initiative, doesn’t lead to higher achievement, less empathy and open mindedness
Narcissism
High self esteem with low empathy - care more about themselves than others
- Dangerous when challenged socially
- Children who get special treatment are more likely
- Product of extreme individualism
Personal Pros of High Self-Esteem
Value individual achievement and relationships, think they are worthy and good
Self-Efficacy
How competent we feel at a task
Benefits of Self-Efficacy
More persistent, healthy, successful, goal-oriented, less anxious and depressed
Efficacy vs Esteem
- Efficacy is based in competence beliefs
- Esteem is based in beliefs about worth
Self-Serving Bias
We are all biased to maintain our ego wherever that is
Self-Serving Attributions
We attribute success to us, and failure to external forces
Explanatory Style
A person’s habitual way of explaining life events. Can be depressive or optimistic
Can We All be Better Than Average?
No, but most people rate themselves higher than others on many scales, especially subjective behaviors
Unrealistic Optimism
- We are predisposed to be optimistic about future events (especially compared to others)
- This optimism increases vulnerability
- It also increases feelings of efficacy
Defensive Pessimism
The adaptive value of anticipating problems and harnessing one’s anxiety to motivate effective action
False Consensus Effect
The tendency to overestimate how much people agree with you, especially when considering bad behaviors
False Uniqueness Effect
The tendency to underestimate how common your abilities and successes are
Temporal Comparisons
People tend to think they’re better than they used to be
Self-Presentation: Handicapping
- Using excuses and behaviors to account for potential failures
- Attributing failure to external forces
Handicapping Behaviors
- Reduced preparedness
- Giving opponents an advantage
- Poor initial performance
- Decreased Effort
Impression Management: Self-Presentation
We express ourselves the way we want to be perceived
Impression Management: Self-Monitoring
How we monitor our behavior and adjust according to the image we want
Self-Presentation Theory
- We want to present the “good side” of ourselves
- We have anxiety when we are motivated to impress others
- Anxiety leads to “overpersonalizing” situations
- We use things that reduce anxieties
Perceived Self Control: Learned Helplessness
- Occurs when you feel that you have no control over repeated negative events
- Leads to passivity
Perceived Self Control: Too Much Choice
Too much self-determination can make us feel bad when we realise we have less choice than we thought
