Illusions about the Self Part 1

Question 1

Self-Assessment Motive

Answer 1

Motive to see ourselves accurately

Question 2

Leads to people seeking

Answer 2

objective feedback about their abilities and characteristics in order to reduce uncertainty about the self- concept

Question 3

WHAT TYPE OF function because allows us to develop accurate and realistic goals for ourselves

Answer 3

Pragmatic

Question 4

Define Self-Enhancement Motive

Answer 4

Motive to maximize how positively we see ourselves

Question 5

Self-Enhancement Motive - Functions to attain or maintain

Answer 5

self-esteem
*Guides people toward situations in which they believe they will excel or can promote
their positive qualities which will help them increase their self-esteem

Question 6

Leads us to seek self-knowledge that is

Answer 6

enhancing and therefore often biased and unrealistic

Question 7

Illusions About the Self - Most people have

Answer 7

illusions about the self

Question 8

Define Overly Positive Self-Evaluations

Answer 8

People use more positive traits to describe themselves than negative traits

Question 9

People use a lot more

Answer 9

positive traits to describe themselves than negative traits

Question 10

We’re more likely to forget

Answer 10

negative feedback about ourselves than positive feedback

Question 11

Remember successes

Answer 11

more easily

Question 12

Tendency to engage in

Answer 12

downward (vs. upward) social comparisons

Question 13

Self-serving attributional bias:

Answer 13

We claim credit for successes but blame failures on the situation

Question 14

See our talents as

Answer 14

unique, weaknesses as common

Question 15

Direct Evidence for Illusory Self-Evaluations
1. Better-than-average-effect

Answer 15

Most people rate their abilities as better than the average person even though it is statistically impossible for most people to be above average

USA> Swedish - better drivers

Question 16

People tend to rate themselves as better-than-average in:

Answer 16

• Intelligence
• Attractiveness
• Reliability
• Loyalty
• Kindness
• Wisdom
• Interesting

Question 17

The more desirable a trait, the more people see themselves as

Answer 17

better than average on this trait (r = 0.77)

Question 18

The more desirable a trait, the more likely people see this trait as

Answer 18

descriptive of themselves (r = 0.92)

Question 19

Direct Evidence for Illusory Self-Evaluations
2. We rate ourselves better than objectively warranted

Answer 19

People consistently over-estimate their ability in various domains, especially those that are below average in a domain

Question 20

STUDY: Is Self-Enhancement Individualistic? RESULTS: Western VS Japanese self esteem

Answer 20

Western samples report higher self-esteem than Japanese samples

Question 21

Exposure to american culture, how does it affect self esteem?

Answer 21

self esteem increases, better than average

Question 22

Pancultural Self-Enhancement

Answer 22

Fundamental need for positive self-views so self-enhancement is universal, just looks different in different cultures

Question 23

STUDY: Enhance on individualistic VS collectivist cultures

Answer 23

• Americans self-enhanced more on individualistic traits, and Japanese self- enhanced more on collectivistic traits
• Evidence for self-enhancement across cultures

Question 24

Two Self-Enhancement Strategies
1. Self-advancement:

Answer 24

Increasing how positively you see yourself

Question 25

Two Self-Enhancement Strategies 2. Self-protection

Answer 25

Limiting how negatively you see yourself by avoiding or deflecting threats to self-esteem * Attributing failures to external circumstances * Avoiding situations that might lead to failure * Downplaying the importance of negative events

Question 26

Self-handicapping

Answer 26

creating obstacles that can later be blamed for failure

Question 27

Self-enhancement is universal, just looks different depending on a person’s

Answer 27

self-esteem

Question 28

Self-Esteem as a

Answer 28

Moderator

Question 29

High self-esteem: More likely to use

Answer 29

self-advancement

Question 30

Low self-esteem: More likely to use

Answer 30

self-protection

Question 31

Illusions of Personal Control

Answer 31

The idea that we have control over our lives is central to most theories of self-esteem and well-being

Question 32

BUT, personal control beliefs tend to be greater than

Answer 32

what’s justified (i.e., illusory):

Question 33

People believe they have more control over outcome of dice if they’re allowed to throw them than

Answer 33

if someone else throws them

Question 34

People believe that choosing own lottery tickets will lead to

Answer 34

better outcome

Question 35

Illusions of Personal Control - neurons firing

Answer 35

* Neurons in motor area begin firing ~1500ms before decision to move(W) * Based on neural firing in motor area, able to predict a person’s decision to move with 80% accuracy 700 ms before they were consciously aware of deciding to move * Suggests that decisions to move are not made consciously even though it feels that way

Question 36

Unrealistic Optimism Bias

Answer 36

People tend to think that they are less likely than others to experience negative events and more likely to experience positive events

Question 37

Compared to others, people believe that they are less likely to:

Answer 37

* Get into a car accident * Be a victim of a crime * Experience severe illness * Experience depression * Get divorced

Question 38

Compared to others, people believe that they are more likely to:

Answer 38

* Like their first job * Have a good starting salary * Have a gifted child * Live past 80

Question 39

Smokers underestimate their risk of lung cancer compared to

Answer 39

non- smokers but also compared to the average smoker

Question 40

Thinking about own risk factors for developing a drinking problem did

Answer 40

not decrease optimism bias

Question 41

STUDY: Do individual differences in self-esteem, beliefs about control, and optimism about the future predict adjustment to college? Outcomes: * Psychological adjustment: mood and perceived stress * Productive work: GPA Assessed positive illusions RESULTS

Answer 41

Adjustment * Higher self-esteem and more optimism led to better adjustment GPA * Higher self-esteem led to higher cumulative GPA

Question 42

Suggests that positive illusions lead to

Answer 42

better outcomes

Question 43

STUDY: Are illusions still adaptive and helpful in more challenging circumstances? HIV+ and HIV- men + Measured AIDS-specific optimism RESULTS:

Answer 43

HIV+ men showed more AIDS-specific optimism than HIV – men

Question 44

More AIDS-specific optimism associated with:

Answer 44

* Higher perceived control * More active coping * More healthy behaviour: More likely to practice safe sex and exercise regularly

Question 45

Follow-up study in men who didn’t know HIV status showed

Answer 45

no differences in AIDS-specific optimism between HIV + and HIV – groups

Question 46

Suggests that unrealistic optimism is an

Answer 46

adaptive response and does not compromise health behavior

Question 47

STUDY: Expectations & AIDS Course Men diagnosed with AIDS for 1 year + Assessed realistic acceptance RESULTS

Answer 47

Estimated survival time 9 months shorter for individuals showing a high degree of acceptance

Question 48

Illusions appear to positively impact our adjustment to the

Answer 48

ups and downs of life as well as challenging major life events

Question 49

Illusions are

Answer 49

adaptive and appear to be fairly pervasive

Question 50

When informed of illusions and biases, people think they are

Answer 50

Less prone to them... which is itself self-enhancing! Follow up: people show biases