Chapter 6: Self and Personality

Question 1

Ma and Schoeneman researched the twenty statement task differences between American and Kenyan people, what did he find?

Answer 1

That Americans tend to describe themselves using mainly attributes while those in Kenya (except those in college) describe themselves using mainly social roles.

Question 2

What is an independent self-concept?

Answer 2

Distinct entity separated from social relationships and defined by inner attributes.

Question 3

What is the interdependent self-concept?

Answer 3

Relational entity fundamentally embedded in social relationships.

Question 4

Describe the structure of an independent self-concept.

Answer 4

Bounded, stable.

Question 5

Describe the structure of an interdependent self-concept.

Answer 5

Flexible, variable.

Question 6

Describe the tasks associated with an independent self-concept (2).

Answer 6

1. Be unique. 2. Express on’es own unique attributes.

Question 7

Describe the tasks associated with an interdependent self-concept (2).

Answer 7

1. Belong; fit-in. 2. Occupy one’s proper place.

Question 8

Where are independent self-concepts more prevalent?

Answer 8

In individualistic cultures.

Question 9

Where are interdependent self-concepts more prevalent?

Answer 9

In collectivist cultures.

Question 10

Why do self-concepts matter? (2)

Answer 10

1. Self-concepts shape how people think in general. 2. Whenever a task or a situation is self-relevant, self-concepts are used to evaluate, organize, and regulate one’s experience and action.

Question 11

Describe the study conducted by Suh.

Answer 11

Correlational studying how American and Korean undergrads differed in self-description (such as consistency). Then he questioned informants of the participants in the first part.

Question 12

What were the dependent variables in Suh’s first study? (2)

Answer 12

1. Self consistency index. 2. Rating of one’s subjective well-being.

Question 13

What were the dependent variables in Suh’s second study? (2)

Answer 13

1. Rating of participants social skills. 2. Rating of participants likability.

Question 14

What were the results of Suh’s first study? (3)

Answer 14

1. Americans showed higher consistency then Koreans. 2. Those with higher consistency were happier. 3. The association was stronger in the United States.

Question 15

What were the results of Suh’s second study? (2)

Answer 15

1. Those in the United States with greater consistency had greater social skills and were more likable. 2. No relation between those variables in Korea.

Question 16

Describe the study conducted by Hoshino-Browne et al. (2005) on dissonance reduction.

Answer 16

Studied rationalization (dissonance reduction) in Canadian and Japanese undergrads.

Question 17

What were the independent variables in the study conducted by Hoshino-Browne et al. (2005) on dissonance reduction? (2)

Answer 17

1. Choice for self. 2. Choice for others.

Question 18

What was the dependent variable in the study conducted by Hoshino-Browne et al. (2005) on dissonance reduction?

Answer 18

Spreading of Alternatives or the changes in ratings of chosen and unchosen menus before and after the decision.

Question 19

What were the result of the study conducted by Hoshino-Browne et al. (2005) on dissonance reduction?

Answer 19

Dissonance between the two groups differed by context. Japanese undergrads had greater spreading of alternatives when choosing for others while Canadian undergrounds had greater spreading of alternatives when choosing for self.

Question 20

What is the foot-in-the-door technique?

Answer 20

The influencer starts with a small request in order to gain eventual compliance with a related larger request.

Question 21

Why does the foot-in-the-door technique work?

Answer 21

Once we make a commitment, we experience internal and external pressures to behave consistently with that commitment.

Question 22

Describe the study conducted by Cialdini et al. (1999).

Answer 22

Studied American and Polish undergrads and their willingness to comply depending on being given information about previous compliance or one’s peer’s compliance.

Question 23

What were the independent variables of the study conducted by Cialdini et al. (1999)? (2)

Answer 23

1. Information about one’s own prior compliance. 2. One’s peer’s compliance.

Question 24

What were the results of the study conducted by Cialdini et al. (1999)? (4)

Answer 24

1. Americans are more likely to comply if told about prior compliance than Polish people. 2. They care more about being consistent with self. 3. Polish people were more likely to comply if told about peer compliance. 4. Polish people care more about being consistent with the surrounding context.

Question 25

Describe the study conducted by (Zhu, et al. 2007) studying the different brain patterns of Chinese and Western people when asked about to consider how well some traits characterized themselves or their mother. (2)

Answer 25

1. Western people showed different regions of brain activity, suggesting that they represent themselves and their mother in distinct ways. 2. Chinese people showed activation in the same regions when considering themselves or their mother.

Question 26

A study conducted by Yamagishi and Colleagues researching trust among Japanese and American people found what?

Answer 26

Americans tend to have higher levels of general trust toward strangers than Japanese people do. Likely because of strong in-group bonds.

Question 27

Do richer people tend to be more individualistic or collectivist?

Answer 27

Individualistic.

Question 28

What is the incremental theory of self?

Answer 28

The belief that we can easily change, and are expected to change.

Question 29

What is the entity theory of self?

Answer 29

The aspects of the self are largely resistant to change.

Question 30

What kind of perspective do people with an independent view of self tend to have?

Answer 30

An “Insider Perspective.” They tend to project their own view to others. “Inside-Out” tendency.

Question 31

What kind of perspective do people with an interdependent view of self tend to have?

Answer 31

An “Outsider Perspective.” They tend to view oneself from others perspectives. “Outside-In Perspective.

Question 32

Describe Cohen and Gunz study on perspective and memory.

Answer 32

Ps: European Canadian and Asian Canadian Undergrads were asked to rate whether their memories were in third or first person when told two different conditions: at center of attention and not at center of attention.

Question 33

Describe the results of Cohen and Gunz’ study on perspective and memory.

Answer 33

They found that Asian-Canadians had more third person memory when they were the center of attention.

Question 34

What is Egocentric projection?

Answer 34

The emotions felt by the self become projected onto another.

Question 35

What is complementary projection?

Answer 35

The emotions that the others would feel in looking at the self become projected onto another.

Question 36

What is an example of complementary projection?

Answer 36

When one is feeling sad, one assumes that others feel sympathy.

Question 37

Describe the second study done by Cohen and Gunz on emotion projection.

Answer 37

Ps were asked to give a egocentric and complementary projection score in response to seeing certain emotions.

Question 38

What were the results of the second study done by Cohen and Gunz?

Answer 38

Euro-Canadians had more egocentric projections where Asian-Canadians had more complementary projections.

Question 39

Describe the study done by Cohen and Hoshino-Browne on tap the song activity.

Answer 39

Ps were in a pair. One was given a list of the songs being played. Another was the listener.

Question 40

What were the results of the study done by Cohen and Hoshino-Browne on tap the song activity?

Answer 40

Asian Canadians were more accurate than European-Canadians in guessing how well the listener can identify the song.

Question 41

What is subjective self-awareness?

Answer 41

“Environmental Awareness” The state of experiencing oneself from the perspective of the subject. One’s attention is focused outwardly towards the environment.

Question 42

What is objective self-awareness?

Answer 42

“Self-conscious” The state of being aware of oneself as an object of our own and others’ attention.

Question 43

What type of self awareness is associated with an independent view of self?

Answer 43

Subjective self-awareness.

Question 44

What are situations that trigger subjective self-awareness?

Answer 44

Watching tv, engaging in physical exercise.

Question 45

What are situations that trigger object self-awareness?

Answer 45

Mirror, camera, hearing one’s own voice.

Question 46

Describe Diener’s Halloween study.

Answer 46

Ps: Trick-or-treaters were left alone with a bowl of candy placed either by a mirror or no mirror and they measured how much candy was taken in both situations.

Question 47

Describe the results of Diener’s Halloween study.

Answer 47

Children took more than 1 candy when there was no mirror.

Question 48

What tends to happen when people become objectively self-aware? (3) What do they do as a result of it? (2)

Answer 48

1. Compare themselves to standards. 2. Perceive discrepancies between themselves and the standards. 3. Become self-critical. 1. They try to minimize discrepancies or 2. avoid self awareness.

Question 49

Describe the study done by Heine and his colleagues on culture and self-awareness.

Answer 49

Ps: American and Japanese undergrads filled out an actual-ideal self-discrepancies measure either when a mirror was present or when it was absent.

Question 50

What were the results of the study done by Heine and his colleagues on culture and self-awareness?

Answer 50

Americans have more discrepancy when a mirror is present. Japanese were self-critical in both cases. As self-critical as Americans are when a mirror is present.