Key Concept 5: Influence of others on the self

Question 1

Self-concept

Answer 1

How we see ourselves, how we think about ourselves.

Question 2

Self-image

Answer 2

A person’s awareness of their mental and physical characteristics.

Question 3

Self-esteem

Answer 3

How far we value ourselves and the extent to which we like and accept ourselves.

Question 4

Argyle

Answer 4

Argyle argues that others affect our self-concept/esteem in 3 ways:

1. How they react to us - the things they say and do when we are around, whether they include us, laugh at our jokes etc.
2. We compare ourselves to them - how well they are doing in their jobs.
3. We play social roles - some roles have high status and respect and others have stigma for example, if someone was a doctor and someone was a cleaner, or if someone was a mother and someone else was a drug addict.

Question 5

Self-efficacy

Answer 5

This is the extent to which we are confident that we can achieve successful outcomes. For example, how far we are confident we can complete a task or how far we believe we have the ability to reach our goals.

Question 6

Social modelling

Answer 6

We observe others be successful so we believe that we can be too. People act as role models. They complete the task so we believe that we can. For example they got into the university that we want to, a woman becomes a general in the army so a girl believes that she can.

Question 7

Social persuasion

Answer 7

Through verbal feedback they can encourage or discourage us from believing that we can complete a task. For example, a teacher supports your application to a top university or a teacher suggests you apply somewhere else.