Chapter 5- The Self Flashcards
Self-Concept
the overall set of beliefs that people have about their personal attributes
Self-Schemas
an organized body of knowledge about the self (e.g., attitudes, preferences, traits) that influences what people notice, think and remember about themselves
Self-Concept Clarity
the extent to which knowledge about the self is stable and clearly, consistently defined
Independent View of the Self
defining oneself in terms of your own internal thoughts, feelings, and actions, and not in terms of the thoughts, feelings, and actions of other people
Interdependent View of the Self
defining oneself in terms of one’s relationships to other people; recognizing that one’s behaviour is often determined by the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others
Relational interdependence
focus is more on their close relationships
-ex. how they feel about their romantic partner, a friend, or their child
-typically women
Collective interdependence
meaning that they tend to define themselves in terms of social groups
-ex. such as the sports teams to which they belong
-typically men
Introspection
the process whereby people look inward and examine their own thoughts, feelings, and motives
Self-Awareness Theory
the idea that when people focus their attention on themselves, they evaluate and compare their behaviour with their internal standards and values
Causal Theories
about the causes of one’s own feelings and behaviours; typically, we learn such theories from our culture
Self-Perception Theory
the theory that when our attitudes and feelings are uncertain or ambiguous, we conclude these states by observing our behaviour and the situation in which it occurs
Intrinsic Motivation
the desire to engage in an activity because we enjoy it or find it interesting, not because of external rewards or pressures
Extrinsic Motivation
the desire to engage in an activity because of external rewards or pressures, not because we enjoy the task or find it interesting
Overjustification Effect
the case whereby people view their behaviour as caused by compelling extrinsic reasons, making them underestimate the extent to which their behaviour was caused by intrinsic reasons
Task-Contingent Rewards
rewards that are given for performing a task, regardless of how well the task is done
Performance-Contingent Rewards
rewards that are based on how well we perform a task
Looking-Glass Self
the idea that we see ourselves through the eyes of other people and incorporate their views into our self-concept
Social Comparison Theory
the idea that we learn about our own abilities and attitudes by comparing ourselves with other people
Self-Control
the ability to postpone immediate desires to achieve long-term goals
Implementation Intentions
people’s specific plans about where, when, and how they will fulfill a goal and avoid the temptation
Downward Social Comparison
the process whereby we compare ourselves with people who are worse than we are in a particular trait or ability
Upward Social Comparison
the process whereby we compare ourselves with people who are better than we are in a particular trait or ability
Sociometer Theory
the theory that self-esteem is a gauge that monitors the extent to which we are accepted or rejected by others
Self-Enhancement
an unrealistically positive view of oneself
Self-Verification Theory
a theory suggesting that people have a need to seek confirmation of their self-concept, whether the self-concept is positive or negative; in some circumstances, this tendency can conflict with the desire to uphold a favourable view of oneself
Fluctuating Image of the Self
-the image of our self we have, is the part of our self that is active
-we have an awareness of ourselves based on whatever is active at the moment
Ex. being in a room full of men, you realize that you are a woman
The phenomenal self, or the working self-concept
image of self that is currently active in the person’s thoughts
