Chapter 4: The Self Flashcards
self-concept
All of an individual’s knowledge about his or her personal qualities.
self-perception theory
A motive for choosing behaviors intended to create in observers a desired impression of the self.
social comparison theory
The theory that people learn about and evaluate their personal qualities by comparing themselves to others
contrast effect
An effect of a comparison standard or prime that makes the perceiver’s judgment more different from the standard.
assmiliation effect
An effect of a comparison standard or prime that makes the perceiver’s judgment more similar to the standard.
actor-observer effect
The idea that we attribute our own behaviors to situational causes while seeing others’ acts as due to their inner characteristics.
self-aspects
Summaries of a person’s beliefs about the self in specific domains, roles, or activities.
self-schema
Core characteristics that a person believes characterizes him or her across situations.
self-esteem
An individual’s positive or negative evaluation of himself or herself.
self-enhancing bias
Any tendency to gather or interpret information concerning the self in a way that leads to overly positive evaluations
self-complexity
The extent to which a person possesses many and diverse self-aspects.
self-evaluation maintenence
A theory outlining the conditions under which people’s self-esteem will be maintained or will suffer based on social comparisons to close or distant others.
self-regulation
Efforts to control one’s behavior in line with internal standards (self-guides) or external standards
appraisal
An individual’s interpretation of a self-relevant event or situation that directs emotional responses and behavior.
self-expression
A motive for choosing behaviors that are intended to reflect and express the self-concept.
self-presentation
A motive for choosing behaviors intended to create in observers a desired impression of self
self-monitoring
A personality characteristic defined as the degree to which people are sensitive to the demands of social situations and shape their behaviors accordingly
ideal self
A person’s sense of what he or she would ideally like to be.
ought self
A person’s sense of what he or she is obligated to be, or should be.
regulatory focus theory
A theory that people typically have either a promotion or prevention focus, shaping the ways they self-regulate to attain positive outcomes versus avoiding negative outcomes.
self-affirmation
Any action or event that enhances or highlights one’s own sense of personal integrity, such as affirming one’s most important values.
self-awareness
A state of heightened awareness of the self, including our internal standards and whether we measure up to them.
emotion focus coping
Dealing with the negative emotions aroused by threats or stressors, often by suppressing emotions or distraction.
terror management theory
A theory stating that reminders of one’s own mortality lead individuals to reaffirm basic cultural worldviews, which can have both positive and negative effects.
problem focused coping
Dealing with threats or stressors directly, often by reappraising the situation or by directly removing the threat.
self-handicapping
Seeking to avoid blame for an expected poor performance, either by claiming an excuse in advance or by actively sabotaging one’s own performance (for example, by failing to practice).
