PSY 372 Exam 2 Flashcards
what is self-regulation
the process by which people control their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors in order to achieve a personal of social goal
Is it easy to engage in self-regulation
we are constantly engaging in self-regulation, however, cognitively we have limited resources (results in self-regulation fatigue)
what is self-regulation fatigue
seeing self-control as a limited inner resource that can be temporarily depleted by usage
what are the two ways that we present ourselves to others
self-presentation and self-verification
self-presentation is
behaviors that we engage in to present our sense of self to people so that they can see us how we see ourselves
spotlight effect…
tendency to believe that the social spotlight shines more brightly on us that it really does
self-verification is
the desire to have others perceive us the way we truly perceive ourselves
why is surrounding ourselves with others like us a form of self-verification?
when you look to others for a reference you look to your peers so what you think/do is right and confirms who you are
what is self-monitoring
regulating one’s behavior to meet the demands of social situations (personality trait)
Pros of being a high self-monitor (repertoire of selves depending on social circumstances)
can pick things up better, have good social relationships, are able to fit in very well, good at being appropriate things depending on the social situation
Cons of being a high self-monitor
can be seen as not authentic since they can change so quickly, it is difficult for people to perceive your authentic self, may overthink things, can cause anxiety if feel like you need to fit in a certain way, fatigues self-regulation
Pros of being a low self-monitor
not worrying about how you should be, people know what they are getting (authenticity), friendships and realtionships feel like they are more genuine
cons of being a low self-monitor
who you are can be inappropriate depending on the situation
first impressions…
are often subtly influenced by different aspects of a person’s appearance
what did the Willis & Todorov study conclude about first impressions
it takes us 1/10 of a second to form judgments on people based on first impressions
what is a script?
a special kind of schema that tells you how certain situations are supposed to unfold
how do scripts help us form first impressions?
if a person does exactly as expected it is seen as good, however, when someone does not follow a script we make better impressions and are able to learn more about them
how do scripts influence social perception
we sometimes see what we expect to see in a particular situation
people use what they know about social situations to explain the causes of human behavior
behavioral cues are used to…
identify a person’s inner states, as well as their actions
nonverbal cures people use
facial expressions, body language (turning to someone, fidgeting, hand gestures, nodding head), eye contact, physical space (proximity), physical touch
why do most judgments happen unconsciously
it is too much (cognitively) to do so consciously
attribution theories
describe how people explain the causes of behaviors
Heider spilts the explanations into two categories
personal attributions and situational attributions
personal attributions
when you see someone behave, they behave they way that they did because of someone that is internal or personal to them
