lecture 3 Flashcards
dual nature of self
william james distinguished between:
- the “known”
- the “knower”
how are we both the book and the reader of the book?
book=self-concept
reader=self-awareness
three general components of the self
- individual self
- relational self
- collective self
schemas
mental structures that organize information
networks of associations
organizational function:
- self-schemas
- influence what we notice, think about, remember, etc.
what is in a self-schema?
- generalizations
- specific facts
- specific events
what are self-schemas?
are cognitive representations about the self (derived from past experience), and they organize and guide the processing of self-related information
self-concept
is the sum total of the self-schemas
self-complexity theory
-the tendency to define the self in terms of multiple domains that are relatively distinct from one another
(implications for self-esteem)
cocktail party effect
we pay more attention to self-relevant information
self-reverence effect
information relevant to the self is processed quicker and remembered better
why are autobiographical memories important?
essential for a coherent self-concept
what is the significance of flashbulb memories?
they serve as prominent landmarks in our autobiographies
problems with flashbulb memories?
may distort the past in ways that are self-inflating or consistent with self-schema
another function of the self:
an executive function
self-regulation
cultural differences in self-concept:
independent view of the self vs. interdependent view of self
independent view of self
-emphasis on own internal thoughts, feelings, actions, etc.
Western culture
interdependent view of self:
-emphasis on one’s relationships with other people, recognition that thoughts, actions, feeling are often dependent on other people
(Asian, parts of Mediterranean, Africa,Central and South America)
relational interdependence
focus on close relationships
collective interdependence
focus on memberships in larger groups
what gender differences occurred when men and women were asked to describe an important emotional event in their lives?
women more often mentioned relational events and men more often reported collective events
