chapter 5 self-concept Flashcards
role of the “self”
-must know that you are different from other people
-capacity for self-reflection is necessary for self-understanding
~private, “inner” self
~they don’t have access to my inner self
-self is heavily influenced by social factors
~public, “outer” self
~i.e. saying that I am a mother
the ABCs of the Self
• affect = how do we evaluate ourselves enhance our self-images, and defend against threats to our self-esteem?
o what emotions do you attach to yourself?
• behavior = how do we regulate our actions and present ourselves according to interpersonal demands?
o “you should be honest” ⎯ example
• cognition = how do we come to know ourselves, develop a self-concept, and maintain a stable sense of identity?
Self-Concept
• our memory is affected by
• self is an important object of our attention
o cocktail party effect = it is when you are at a party and you are listening to someone conversation when you sudden hear your name being called
• self-concept: the sum total of beliefs that people have about themselves
o when he asks us to take out a piece of paper and write down how we describe ourselves -» self-schema
• self-concept is made up of self-schemas: beliefs about oneself that guide processing of self-relevant information
i. it helps us communicate with other people
ii. guide behavior (it guides you to certain places in the bookstore)
Rudiments of the Self-Concept
• social neuroscience beginning to explore the brain in relation to self
o the self is basically the brain, you are your brain
o example _ when someone drinks, they are different
• except for human beings, only the great apes seem capable of self-recognition
o how do we know that animals can recognize itself? -> they put paint on its face and if it recognizes it in the mirror
• self-recognition is an important first step in the development of a self-concept
• social factors influence development of a self-concept
o “Looking-glass self” _ we use other people as a mirror and how they response to us is how we describe ourselves
o self as relational _ we find ourselves in terms of our relationship with other people
Source #1: Introspection
• self-knowledge through looking inward at one’s own thoughts and feelings
• but does introspection always lead to accurate self-knowledge?
o Wilson (2002): introspection can sometimes impart self-knowledge!
• other problems
o we have difficulty in predicting responses to future emotional events
• affective (emotion) forecasting _ we have problem predicting future emotional events
• we are pretty resilient to bad news
o we tend to overestimate the strength and duration of our emotional reactions
• for negative events, we don’t fully appreciate our psychological coping mechanisms
• we focus only on the emotional impact of a single event, overlooking the effects of other life experiences
Source #2: Perceptions of Our Own Behavior
• Daryl Bem (1972) -> people can learn about themselves simply by watching their own behavior
• self-perception theory: when internal cues are difficult to interpret, people gain insight by observing their own behavior
o but only in the absence of compelling situational pressures
• Bem’s theory might also extend to observing behavior of trusted other
o you typically hang around people that is like you
Source #3: Influences of Other People
• people tend to describe themselves in ways that set them apart from others in their immediate vicinity
• we have this thing called optimal distinctiveness _
o we want to be included, so we give out information that would be liked by the group
• the self is “relative”
o we define ourselves in part by using others as a benchmark
• Social Comparison Theory: the basic idea is that we learn about our own skills, attitudes, and knowledge by comparing ourselves to others
o Festinger (1954) -> when uncertain about our abilities or opinions, we evaluate self through comparisons with similar others
• if we are unsure about how to behave, we look to others to help us to get it
o key questions
• when do we turn to others for comparative information?
• with whom do we choose to compare ourselves?
o upward social comparison: are made with others who are better off/more skilled than you are
o downward social comparison: is when one compares himself/herself to those who have less ability/who are less fortunate than them
Source #4: Autobiographical Memories
• essential for a coherent self-concept
o the reason why we want to keep a stable self-concept =>
• typically report more events from the recent than the distant past
o what memories of the past has shaped how I have become?
• exceptions to this recency rule =>
o reminiscence peak
o tendency to remember transitional “firsts”
• like his “first job”
• flashbulb memories serve as prominent landmarks in our autobiographies
o it is very vivid, powerful memories
o some flashbulb memories can be very positive => memory of his wedding
o some flashbulb memories can be very negative => 911
o it remains high over time, but the accuracy diminishes
• autobiographical memory is a vital part of, and can be shaped by, our identity
o often motivated to distort the past in ways that are self-inflated
Source #5: Cultural Influences
• self-concept is also influenced by cultural factors
• contrasting cultural orientations
o individualism: one’s culture values the virtues of independence, autonomy, and self-reliance (“we don’t give handouts”) (social-loaf like hell, don’t care about the group as much)
o collectivism: one’s culture values the virtues of interdependence, cooperation, and social harmony (doesn’t social-loaf as much)
• influence of cultural orientation of self
o individualistic cultures: people strive for personal achievement
o collectivistic cultures: people derive more satisfaction from the status of the valued group
o dialecticism: Eastern system of thought that accepts the coexistence of contradictory characteristics within a single person
- there are cultures inside other cultures
- you can incorporate other cultures into your self-concept
- dialecticism: Eastern system of thought that accepts the coexistence of contradictory characteristics within a single person. Example => “beware of your friends, not your enemies”, Eastern are more tolerant of this quote than Western culture (they look at what is similar)
