Constructing The Self-concept

Question 1

What is the self-perception theory

Answer 1

The theory that we make inferences about our personal characteristics on the basis of our overt behaviours when internal cues are weak or ambiguous

Question 2

How can thoughts and feelings be reflective of who we are

Answer 2

• gaps between our feelings and behaviour show that you may feel a certain way about someone but not act in that way
• who we are is also a result of the interpretation of our own thoughts and feelings

Question 3

Sources of the self-concept

Answer 3

Learning who we are through our interactions with others = ‘looking glass effect’

Question 4

Miller, Brickman & Bowen 1975 study on self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer 4

Self-fulfilling prophecy = an observer’s reactions that influence someone else’s behaviour and self-concept

Found: those who were told they were tidy were more likely to keep their stuff tidy as being labelled this influenced self-concept and subsequent behaviour

Question 5

What is the social comparison theory

Answer 5

Theory that people about and evaluate their personal qualities by comparing themselves to others
Festinger 1954

Question 6

Actor- observer differences in attribution

Answer 6

Tend to see personality as cause of other’s behaviours, situation as cause of ones own

Question 7

What is fundamental error

Answer 7

Under emphasise situational explanations while over emphasising dispositional explanations for others but not own behaviour

Question 8

How do we construct a coherent self-concept

Answer 8

1. Self knowledge is assembled from diverse info
2. We develop self-schema
3. Once we develop schema we look for info that confirms our view
4. Our sense of who we are can also be created and maintained through selective memory

Question 9

Cultural differences in the self-concept : independent and interdependent cultures

Answer 9

1. Independent cultures: gain coherence through seeing self as independent
2. Interdependent: coherence through social connections with others

Question 10

What is self-esteem

Answer 10

A person’s +ve or -ve evaluation of themselves

Question 11

What are self-enhancing biases

Answer 11

Any tendency to gather or interpret info concerning the self in a way that leads to overly +ve evaluations

Question 12

How can we increase our self-esteem

Answer 12

By making comparisons with others

Question 13

What is self-knowledge

Answer 13

A framework for perceiving others and influences what types of social info we will look for

Question 14

What is self-regulation

Answer 14

Once self concept is formed we become less open to new info and interpretation new info about the self in bias ways to maintain a stable sense of identity

Question 15

How can we regulate emotions and behaviour

Answer 15

We communicate who we believe we are by:
Self-expression and self-presentation

Question 16

What is self-expression

Answer 16

Actions/motives that publicly demonstrate our self-concept

Question 17

What is self-presentation

Answer 17

Trying to shape other’s impressions of us in a +ve way in order to gain approval

Question 18

What is self-monitoring

Answer 18

Self reflection/behaviour management so that we can control the image we present to others

Question 19

What are low self-monitors

Answer 19

Behave in ways that express internal attitudes and act more consistently across situations

Question 20

What are high self monitors

Answer 20

Shape behaviours to project what they think their current audience or situation demands

Question 21

How do we defend the self

Answer 21

Coping strategies

Question 22

What are coping strategies

Answer 22

Efforts undertaken to reduce -ve consequences of self-threatening events

Question 23

What are emotion focused coping strategies

Answer 23

Try to deal with emotional response to threat not the threat itself, escape from the threatening situation, distraction, downplay importance of threat by affirming positives

Question 24

What are problem focused coping strategies

Answer 24

Addresses the source of the stress, change the event or reinterpret it as non-threatening, take control over situation

Question 25

What is self-awareness

Answer 25

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

Question 26

What is appraisal

Answer 26

One’s interpretation of a self-relevant event or situation that directs emotional responses and behaviour

Question 27

What is priming

Answer 27

Exposure to stimuli that activate a mental representation of a particular concept or goal

Question 28

What is the self-discrepancy theory

Answer 28

Focuses on peoples perspectives of the discrepancies between their actual selves and their perceived and ought selves

Question 29

What are the 3 aspects of the self-concept

Answer 29

1. Actual self: how one sees self at that moment
2. Ideal self: how one would like to see the self
3. Ought self: how a person thinks they should be

Question 30

What is the regulatory focus theory

Answer 30

Says people have 2 distinct self-regulatory systems which are:
1. Promotion: makes people more approachable orientated in constructing the self
2. Prevention: makes people more cautious and avoidant of constructing the self

Question 31

How can upward social comparison impact self-esteem

Answer 31

-ve impact on self esteem, however envy and admiration of those above them can motivate people to improve themselves

Question 32

How can downward social comparison impact self-esteem

Answer 32

Positive effects on self-esteem and self-concept

Question 33

What is the self-evaluation maintenance model

Answer 33

• explains how people are able to maintain their self-esteem in situations where they engage in upward social comparisons
• people adopt specific strategies to deal with situations so that they can maintain a +ve sense of self which are: exaggerate the ability of the better person, engage in downward social comparison, avoid the comparison person, devalue the dimension on which the other person is better

Question 34

How can a child’s self esteem be as an impact from a parent’s discipline

Answer 34

• authoritarian: parents too strict so child has lower self esteem as they feel less confident in their abilities
• permissive: parents re demanding and more responsive so children have lower levels of self-esteem
• authoritative: right balance between strictness and punishment when a child does something wrong so these children have high esteem

Question 35

What is the sociometer theory

Answer 35

Argues people are motivated to maintaining high levels of self-esteem and do this by ensuring they are socially included

Question 36

What are the motives that drive self-presentation

Answer 36

1. To be seen as competent in the eyes of others
2. In attempt to be liked by others
3. To make people believe we are dangerous in order to keep them away
4. To be seen as morally respectable
5. To be seen as helpless in order to gain sympathy from others

Question 37

What are the 4 motivations that influence social cognition

Answer 37

1. To find out more about a topic to increase our ability to understand, predict and control the world we live in
2. To protect and enhance our self-esteem
3. To ensure cognitive consistency
4. To feel that we are in control of the world we live in

Question 38

What is self enhancement

Answer 38

The motivation that allows us to seek out info that allows to see one’s self as +ve

Question 39

What is self-serving attribution bias

Answer 39

Where people make internal attributions for +ve aspects of the self but external attributions -ve parts of the self