Module 5: Self, Identity & Biculturism

Question 1

the self

Answer 1

the cognitive representations, ideas, and images a person has about themselves and how/why they behave constitutes the self

Question 2

self-concept

Answer 2

is dynamic, contextual, multifaceted, and interrelated
- helps our needs of affiliation and uniqueness, and it mediates the values of our culture

Question 3

different contexts of the self

Answer 3

• at home with family
• at a restaurant with friends
• in public with strangers
• etc.

Question 4

different domains of the self

Answer 4

• physical
• moral
• personal
• family
• social
• work
• academic

Question 5

Matsumoto (1996)

Answer 5

conducted research on Japanese and American students
- one would expect Japanese students to be primarily collectivist, but the opposite appears to be true
- more than 70% reported being individualistic
- self-concept is contextual and multidimensional

Question 6

twenty-statement test

Answer 6

used to measure independent vs interdependent self-construals in Matsumoto (1996)
- participants wrote down 20 statements beginning with ‘I am …’
- answers coded as idiocentric, large group, small group, or allocentric
- little empirical evidence for the distinction made

Question 7

self-esteem

Answer 7

the cognitive and affective evaluations of yourself
- individuals from individualistic cultures have more self-esteem than individuals from collectivistic cultures

Question 8

self-enhancement

Answer 8

the psychological processes by which you try to increase your self-esteem

Question 9

state self-esteem scale

Answer 9

contains 3 types of self-esteem
- performance
- social
- appearance

Question 10

reasons for differences in self-esteem among individualistic vs collectivistic cultures

Answer 10

• self-efface
• better-than-average effect

Question 11

self-efface

Answer 11

to downplay or minimize ones own importance, abilities, or achievements

Question 12

better-than-average effect

Answer 12

people often overestimate their abilities
- mainly a Western phenomenon

Question 13

Becker (1971, 1973)

Answer 13

developed the terror management theory about the roots of self-esteem

Question 14

terror management theory

Answer 14

with humans being an intelligent species, aware of their own mortality and somewhat afraid of it, we have developed psychological phenomena (such as self-esteem) in order to deal with our fear of dying

Question 15

tactical self-enhancement

Answer 15

the various ways people try to improve their self-image or self-esteem

Question 16

mutual self-enhancement

Answer 16

the phenomenon where people give someone else a compliment with the intention of receiving one back themselves

Question 17

personal identity

Answer 17

qualities and attributes that set you apart from other people
- e.g. playing basketball

Question 18

relational identity

Answer 18

how we see ourselves in relation to others
- e.g. i am someone’s sibling

Question 19

collective identity

Answer 19

ties to the social categories that we belong to
- e.g I am white

Question 20

4 sub-components of collective identity

Answer 20

• cultural identity
• racial identity
• ethnic identity
• national identity

Question 21

Tajfel (1978)

Answer 21

described social identity as part of the self-concept, which stems from conscious membership in a social group and its value

Question 22

identity

Answer 22

a fluid and dynamic concept that can change over time and is often context-dependent

Question 23

biculturalism

Answer 23

if one belongs to different cultures

Question 24

identity denial

Answer 24

when an individual is not recognized as part of a group with which they identify

Question 25

cultural frame switching

Answer 25

depending on the situation, a person may activate knowledge from different cultural networks
- allows the person to flexibly switch between cultural perspectives in different situations

Question 26

Morris and Peng (1994)

Answer 26

a study conducted on the interpretation of an individual’s behavior toward a group
- Americans are more likely to attribute behavior to dispositions and are more likely to look at the individual (dispositional attribution)
- Chinese participants are more likely to attribute it to the social context and are more likely to look at the group (situational attribution)

Question 27

dispositional attribution

Answer 27

the tendency to explain someone’s behavior as being caused by their personal traits, character, or internal factors, rather than by external circumstances or situations

Question 28

situational attribution

Answer 28

the tendency to explain someone’s behavior as being caused by external factors or circumstances, rather than by their personal traits or character