Chapter 3: The Social Self Flashcards
Self-Concept
The sum total of an individual’s beliefs about his or her own personal attributes. May consist of multiple self-schemas
Self-Schema
A belief people hold about themselves that guides the processing of self-relevant information
Affective Forecasting
The process of predicting how one would feel in response to future emotional events
Self-Perception Theory
The theory that when internal cues are difficult to interpret, people gain self-insight by observing their own behavior
Facial Feedback Hypothesis
The hypothesis that changes in facial expression can lead to corresponding changes in emotion
Overjustification Effect
The tendency for intrinsic motivation to diminish for activities that have become associated with reward or other extrinsic factors
Social Comparison Theory
The theory that people evaluate their own abilities and opinions by comparing themselves to others
Two-Factor Theory of Emotion
The theory that the experience of emotion is based on two factors: physiological arousal and a cognitive interpretation of that arousal
Autobiographical Memories
Recollections of the sequences of events that have touched your life. Responsible for self-concept according to James Mill. More recent events are recalled more often than events from further in the past. People tend to distort their past in order to inflate their own sense of importance and achievement.
Individualism
Values the virtues of independence, autonomy, and self-reliance. Predominantly seen in the United States, Australia, Great Britain, Canada, and the Netherlands. Strive for personal achievement and tend to overestimate their own contributions to a team effort. Seize credit for success and blame other for failure.
Collectivism
Values the virtues of interdependence, cooperation, and social harmony. Predominantly seen in Venezuela, Colombia, Pakistan, Peru, Taiwan, and China. Derive more satisfaction from the status of a value group underestimate their own role in a team effort. Present themselves in more modest self-effacing terms in relation to other members of the group
Dialecticism
An Eastern system of thought that accepts the coexistence of contradictory characteristics within a single person
Self-Esteem
An affective component of the self, consisting of a person’s positive and negative self-evaluations. People with higher self images tend to be more successful, productive, confident, happy, and healthy.
Sociometer Theory
The theory that self-esteem is a gauge that monitors our social interactions and sends us signals as to whether our behavior is acceptable to others
Terror Management Theory
The theory that humans cope with the fear of their own death by constructing worldviews that help to preserve their self-esteem
Self-Discrepancy Theory
The difference between a person’s personal view of themselves versus how they are seen by others around them
Self-Awareness Theory
The theory that self-focused attention leads people to notice self-discrepancies, thereby motivating either an escape from self-awareness or a change in behavior. Most people are not self-focused, so a sudden look at themselves causes comparisons to high standards and a subsequent decrease in overall mood and self image. But people who are self-focused seem to be more likely to behave in ways that are consistent with their own personal values or with socially accepted ideals
Private Self-Conscious
A personality characteristic of individuals who are introspective, often attending to their own inner states. Tend to introspect about their inner thought and feelings.
Public Self-Conscious
A personality characteristic of individuals who focus on themselves as social objects, as seen by others. Tend to focus on outer public image
Self-Regulation
The process by which people control their thoughts, feelings, or behavior in order to achieve a personal or social goal. Self control is a limited resource that can be temporarily be depleted by usage
Ironic Processes
The harder you try to inhibit a thought, feeling, or behavior, the less likely you are to succeed. Every conscious effort at maintaining control is met by a concern about failing to do so.
The Better-Than-Average Effect
The tendency for a person to see positive traits as more self-descriptive than negative traits, rate themselves more highly than they do others, rate themselves more highly than they are rated by others, exaggerate their control over life events, and predict that they have a bright future.
Implicit Egotism
A nonconscious form of self-enhancement. People are quicker to associate “self” words with positive traits than with negative traits.
Self-Serving Beliefs
People tend to take credit for their own success and blame others for their failure
Self-Handicapping
Behaviors designed to sabotage one’s own performance in order to provide a subsequent excuse for failure. Purposely setting ourselves up for failure to preserve our self-esteem
Bask in Reflected Glory (BIRG)
To increase self-esteem by associating with other who are successful
Downward Social Comparison
The defensive tendency to compare ourselves with others who are worse off than we are. Helps us put ourselves above another in order to boost our self-esteem
Self-Presentation
Strategies people use to shape what others think of them.
Strategic Self-Presentation
Our efforts to shape others’ impressions in specific ways in order to gain influence, power, sympathy, or approval
Self-Verification
The desire to have others perceive us as we truly perceive ourselves. Verifying our existing self-concept in the eyes of others
Self-Monitoring
The tendency to change behavior in response to the self-presentation concerns of the situation
High in Self-Monitoring
Have a repertoire of selves from which to draw. Sensitive to strategic self-presentation concerns, they are poised, ready and able to modify their behavior as they move from one setting to another
Low in Self-Monitoring
Self-verifiers by nature, appearing less concerned about the social acceptability of their behavior. Express themselves in a constant manner from one situation to the next, exhibiting what they believe to be their true and honest self
