Chapter 4: The Self

Question 1

self-concept

Answer 1

All of an individual’s knowledge about his or her personal qualities.

Question 2

self-perception theory

Answer 2

A motive for choosing behaviors intended to create in observers a desired impression of the self.

Question 3

social comparison theory

Answer 3

The theory that people learn about and evaluate their personal qualities by comparing themselves to others

Question 4

contrast effect

Answer 4

An effect of a comparison standard or prime that makes the perceiver’s judgment more different from the standard.

Question 5

assmiliation effect

Answer 5

An effect of a comparison standard or prime that makes the perceiver’s judgment more similar to the standard.

Question 6

actor-observer effect

Answer 6

The idea that we attribute our own behaviors to situational causes while seeing others’ acts as due to their inner characteristics.

Question 7

self-aspects

Answer 7

Summaries of a person’s beliefs about the self in specific domains, roles, or activities.

Question 8

self-schema

Answer 8

Core characteristics that a person believes characterizes him or her across situations.

Question 9

self-esteem

Answer 9

An individual’s positive or negative evaluation of himself or herself.

Question 10

self-enhancing bias

Answer 10

Any tendency to gather or interpret information concerning the self in a way that leads to overly positive evaluations

Question 11

self-complexity

Answer 11

The extent to which a person possesses many and diverse self-aspects.

Question 12

self-evaluation maintenence

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

self-regulation

Answer 13

Efforts to control one’s behavior in line with internal standards (self-guides) or external standards

Question 14

appraisal

Answer 14

An individual’s interpretation of a self-relevant event or situation that directs emotional responses and behavior.

Question 15

self-expression

Answer 15

A motive for choosing behaviors that are intended to reflect and express the self-concept.

Question 16

self-presentation

Answer 16

A motive for choosing behaviors intended to create in observers a desired impression of self

Question 17

self-monitoring

Answer 17

A personality characteristic defined as the degree to which people are sensitive to the demands of social situations and shape their behaviors accordingly

Question 18

ideal self

Answer 18

A person’s sense of what he or she would ideally like to be.

Question 19

ought self

Answer 19

A person’s sense of what he or she is obligated to be, or should be.

Question 20

regulatory focus theory

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

self-affirmation

Answer 21

Any action or event that enhances or highlights one’s own sense of personal integrity, such as affirming one’s most important values.

Question 22

self-awareness

Answer 22

A state of heightened awareness of the self, including our internal standards and whether we measure up to them.

Question 23

emotion focus coping

Answer 23

Dealing with the negative emotions aroused by threats or stressors, often by suppressing emotions or distraction.

Question 24

terror management theory

Answer 24

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.

Question 25

problem focused coping

Answer 25

Dealing with threats or stressors directly, often by reappraising the situation or by directly removing the threat.

Question 26

self-handicapping

Answer 26

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).