Problem 2 The self

Question 1

Real self

Answer 1

The real self describes our actual self

Question 2

Ideal self

Answer 2

The self we would like to be

Question 3

ought self

Answer 3

The self that we should be

Question 4

Symbolic interaction

Answer 4

Theory about how self emerges from social interaction that involves people people trading symbols (through gesture/language) which are often similar to our’s and represent more abstract properties than concrete objects

Question 5

Self-enhancing trait

Answer 5

overestimate their good characteristics and their control over events (unrealistic optimistic)

Question 6

Self-perception theory

Answer 6

Bem’s idea that we only gain self-knowledge through self-attributions (internal attributions)

Question 7

Attribution

Answer 7

The process of assigning a cause to our own behaviour and that of other

Question 8

Social comparison

Answer 8

comparing behaviour and opinions with others to find the social approved way of thinking and behaving

Question 9

Self-assessment

Answer 9

The motivation to gain new knowledge about ourselves to find out what sort of person we really are

Question 10

Self-verification

Answer 10

Seeking out information that confirms and verifies what we know about ourselves

Question 11

Self-enhancement

Answer 11

The motivation to develop and promote a favourable image of ourselves

Question 12

Self-affirmation theory

Answer 12

The theory that people try to reduce the threat on their self by focusing on positive characteristics or affirming their competence in some area

Question 13

Collective self

Answer 13

Based on group memberships

1. Collective phenomena could not be explained in terms of individual psychology
2. Grounded in group life

Question 14

Individual-self

Answer 14

based on private thoughts and behaviour

Question 15

Relational-self

Answer 15

based on connections and role relationships with others

Question 16

Independent-self

Answer 16

revealed trough inner thoughts and feelings (Autonomous)(western countries)

Question 17

Interdependent-self

Answer 17

grounded in one’s connection to and relationship with other people (Asian countries)

Question 18

Self-reference effect

Answer 18

When we get information that is related to our self-schemas we process and remember it better

Question 19

Social-identity

Answer 19

defines self in terms of group membership

Question 20

Personal identity

Answer 20

defines self in terms of of idiosyncratic traits and close personal relationships

Question 21

Self-esteem

Answer 21

Feelings about and evaluations of oneself
Race and ethnicity can influence your self-esteem
only varies between moderate and high, when its low you are depressed

Question 22

Self-concept confusion

Answer 22

people with high self-esteem tend to have more consistent and stable stock of self-knowledge

Question 23

Motivational orientation

Answer 23

People with high self-esteem have a self-enhancing orientation in which they capitalise on their positive features and pursue success, whereas low self-esteem people have self-protective orientation in which they try to remedy their shortcomings and avoid failure and setbacks

Question 24

self-handicapping

Answer 24

Publicly making in advance external factors responsible for our expected failure or poor performance. (going out the day before exams and than blaming the hangover to ruin your results)

Question 25

Why do we have self-esteem?

Answer 25

•To protect ourselves
•Helps us identifying with a group, that group’s prestige and status in society attaches to one’s self-concept
•Helps us to escape from the thought of the inevitability of our own death (terror management theory)
→makes us feel immortal, positive and excited about our life
•Reliable index of social acceptance and belonging (sociometer)
• Helps us to conquer the threat of loneliness and social rejection.

Question 26

Psychodynamic self

Answer 26

unsocialised and selfish libidinal impulses are repressed, kept in check by internalised societal norms but from time to time they surface

Question 27

Objective self-awareness

Answer 27

make comparison between how you would like to be and how you actually are

Question 28

Private self-awareness

Answer 28

try to match our standard

Question 29

Public self-awareness

Answer 29

Being aware of how we should behave in public (oriented towards presenting yourself to others in a positive light)

Question 30

Reduced self-awareness can lead to

Answer 30

antisocial/impulsive behaviour

Question 31

Self regulation

Answer 31

strategies that we use to match or behaviour to an ideal ought or standard

Question 32

Promotion system

regulatory focus theory

Answer 32

concerned with the attainment of ones hopes and aspirations ones ideals. Creates sensitivity to the presence or absence of positive events (seeking challenges)→ strengthens more positive emotion related bias and behavioural tendencies towards the ingroup

Question 33

Prevention system

regulatory focus theory

Answer 33

concerned with fulfilment of ones duties and obligations- ones ought. Creates sensitivity to the presence or absence of negative events (avoiding challenges) →strengthens more negative emotion-related bias and behavioural tendencies against the outgroup

Question 34

Overjustification theory

Answer 34

when no obvious external determinants we assume that we do something because we enjoy it (leads to increased motivation for the task)

Question 35

Self-evaluation maintenance model

Answer 35

People who are constrained to make self-esteem damaging upward comparisons can underplay or deny similarity to the target, or they can withdraw from their relationship with the target
(states that a person will try to maintain or increase their own self-evaluation, and self-evaluation is influenced by relationships with others.) People are more threatened by close persons

Question 36

Terror management theory

Answer 36

The notion that the most important human motivation is to reduce terror of the inevitability of death
→fear of dying is the most powerful motivating factor
→humility can buffer the fear of death
-might be unfalsifiable
-overcome uncertainty existential or who we are rather than the fear of death

Question 37

Impression management

Answer 37

People use various strategies to let them be seen in a positive light by others

Question 38

Self-monitoring (low and high)

Answer 38

carefully controlling how we present ourselves. (situational and individual differences in self-monitoring)
→high self-monitoring shape their behaviour to the demands of the audience
→low self-monitoring adopt expressive self-presentation strategies because they are less likely to respond to changing contextual demands

Question 39

Self-promotion

Strategic self-presentation

Answer 39

trying to persuade others that you are competent

Question 40

Ingratiation

Strategic self-presentation

Answer 40

trying to get others to like you

Question 41

Intimidation

Strategic self-presentation

Answer 41

Trying to get other to think that you are dangerous

Question 42

Exemplification

Strategic self-presentation

Answer 42

trying to regard you as a morally respectable individual

Question 43

Supplication

Answer 43

trying to get others to take pity on you as helpless and needy

Question 44

Self-presentation

Answer 44

try to act in ways that create a mostly favourable impression of ourselves

Question 45

social validation

Answer 45

Identity or self-concept is worthless unless it is recognised by others