Role Models Flashcards
Role Model
Comparison target
- mostly superior to the population
- wants to support specific attitudes/behaviors
Role Models as Behavioural Models
- show skills and behavior that is desired
- Observation and comparison lead to behavioral change
Role Models as possible self
- Show possible states of life
Role Model as Inspiration
Excite us for behavior
Principles of Role Models
- Relevance
- Attainability
- Positive or negative?
Relevance
Identification leads to influence
Age, gender, ethnicity, background
Attainability and what it leads to?
Yes = Goal setting, increases competence and self-efficacy
No = Discouragement, negative influence
Regulatory Focus
- Promotion focused
- the eager pursuit of gains or success
- high motivation and persistence on tasks that are framed in terms of promotion - Prevention focused
- avoidance of losses or failure
- security, safety focus
Depends on stable (e.g. traits like = self-esteem) and situational factors (e.g. risk and reward)
Information sensitivity & regulatory focus
Sensitivity high for prefered regulatory focus
Obama effect
Role Model’s success buffer stereotype threats of a population
Social Mimicry
Influences our own behavior by observing others
Principles/Types of Social Comparison
- Self-evaluation
- Self-improvement
- Self-enhancement
Self-knowledge (related to social comparison)
To evaluate our:
1. skills, feelings, goals
Understanding which social norms we belong to
Obstacles to Self-knowledge
- often need to be self-protective or self-serving
- explicit & implicit processes just give us information partly
Social Comparison Theory
Self-evaluation
The need for accurate self-evaluation with others
- grading in class
Self-improvement
Information to develop one’s self through others
- role models in sport
Self-enhancement
Need to increase self-worth and positive self-image
- comparing with people doing worse than me
Upward Comparison
Comparison with someone doing subjectively better
-Self-evaluation and self-improvement
Downwards Comparison
Comparison with someone doing subjectively worse
- Self-enhancement
When is which target for comparison chosen?
self-evaluation & self-improvement motive:
acquiring accurate evaluations of your abilities & opinions -> slightly better off other because these are the ones that will provide us with the most info about ourselves
Self-enhancement motive:
to boost your self-esteem -> worse-off other
Self-Evaluation Model
- Relevance
- components of comparison target are relevant to us - Closeness
- primary or secondary group
Consequences of Upward Social Comparison
- can be positive, lead to inspiration
- can be negative, leading to envy & jealousy
Attainability is important for the effects
Consequences of Downward Comparison
- can be positive for the reduction of anxiety
- can be negative with high closeness and leads to fear of future self