Self and Identity Flashcards
reflexive thought
ability to reflect on the way in which we think
self
symbolic construct which reflects an awareness of our own identity
Self Awareness
a psychological state in which people are aware of their traits etc
OR
realisation of oneself as an individual entity
Development of self-awareness
Lewis and Brooks- rouge spot on babies nose
- 9-12 months = thought baby was another child
- 18months + =looked curiously and touched spot on nose
Neurological basis for self-awareness
At 18months dvelop self-awareness because:
rapid growth of:
-spindle cells(specialised neurones in anterior cingulate)
-frontal lobe in cerebral cortex(responsible for monitoring and controlling intentional behaviour)
(this part of the brain active in adults when they’re self-aware)
[anterior cingulate = important role in self-awareness]
Temporary differences in self-awareness
- private self awaress (and the 3 consequences)
- public self-awareness
Private self-awareness= an individual temporarily becomes aware of private,personal aspects of the self(eg.looking in a mirror)
3 important consequences:
1- results in intensified emotional response
2- likely to experience clarification of knowledge due to focusing on internal events
3- more likely to adhere to personal standards of behaviour (more aware of beliefs)
Public self-awareness= person is aware of public aspects of themsleves that can be seen and evaluated by others (eg. being watched)
–> associated with evaluation apprehension = fear of negative evaluation = nervousness
-leads to adherence to social standards of behaviour
Chronic differences in self-awareness
personality trait?
self-consciousness
postivie and negatives of being self-conscious?
people with chronic self-awareness can be described as having ‘self-awareness’ as a personality trait
-people can be both privately and publicly self-conscious (high in private self-consciousness = experience chronically heightened self-awareness)
=have more intense emotions and more accurate representation of self
positive of being self-conscious= less likely to suffer from ill health(eg. stress) as pay more attention to physiological state
negative = tendency to suffer from depression and neuroticism
People high in public self-consciousness are concerned with how they are perceived by those around them, so:
adhere to group norms
more concerned with physical appearance
Organisation of self-knowledge
Self-Schematic?
Self-Aschematic?
knowledge we have of world = in schemas(cog. structures that represent knowledge we have on a concept
self-schema = reflects how we expect ourselves to think,feel, behave in a situation
each one consists of our perception of our self and incorporates our experience on this dimension
- if schema = v extreme dimesnsion (eg. v high or low) person can be described as ‘self-schematic’ in that dimension. If schema not v important = ‘self-aschematic’
Markus and Sentis suggested we have a future self-schema too
-self-schemas being complex and varied = beneficial
-How organisation of selfschemas affect thoughts:
-self schemas become active in certain situations and provide info on how to respond -> dimesions where were self-schematic = more likely to be activated in relevant domains
(ps much faster at pressing button in study when trait shown was self-schematic)
Control theory of self-regulation
(Theory of self-concept maintenance)
cognitive feedback loop - 4 stages?
carver and scheier- through self regulation we can judge whether we’re meeting our goals
-central element to the theory is the cognitive feedback loop which shows 4 steps of self-regulation:
1- test - compare self against 1 of 2 standards(private or public)
2- operate - change in behaviour to meet standard
3- Re-test - compare self with own(priavte) or others(public) views –fall short= feedback to start–
4- exit - if self and standard are now in line
Self-Discrepancy theory (higgins)
(Theory of self-concept maintenance)
3 types of self-schema?
2types of self-discrepancy? what emotional responses are caused?
focuses not only on awareness of discrepancies between actual and ideal but also emotional responses
3 types of self-schema:
1- actual self
2- ideal self
3- ought self
people motivated to make 1 and 2 same
bigger discrepancy between 1 and 2 =more psychological discomfort
(2+3 = self-guide)
2 types of self-discrepancy lead to different emotional responses:
1) actual-ideal discrepancy = absence of positive outcomes, which results in dejection-related emotions eg. sad/disappointed
2)actual-ought discrepancy = associated with presence of negative outcomes = agitation -related emotions
Self-discrepancy theory suggest: by generating negative arousal, discrepancies will motivate people to reduce discomfort they’re experiencing
BUT, negative emotions can hinder self-regulation = make impulse decisions= short term happiness and long term goal more distant
Social comparison theory
theory of individual comparison
we learn to define the self by comparing ourself with others. It argues: beliefs, feelings and behaviours are subjective (no external benchmark)
But, with external validation = there is a benchmark and it provides sense of validation
-upward comparisons= with someone perceived as better
-downward comparisons= someone perceived as lower
motivation = desire for an accurate self-evaluation
Self-evaluation maintenance model
how we maintain a postive self-esteem when comparing self to others
2 ways we respond
social reflection = when we derive our self-esteem from the success of those close to us: (need 2 conditions):
1)domain in which our friend is successful is irrelevant to us
2) we must be certain of our own abilites
without these causes upward comparison = bad for SE
4 strategies for maintaining positive self-concept:
1- exaggerate others ability- in different league
2- switch comparison to someone less successful
3- down play similarities or emotionally/physically distance self
4- devalue dimension of comparison
Social Identity Approach
(Theory of group comparison)
aspects of the self can be divided into those that: (2 options)
aspects of the self can be divided into those that:
reflect personal identity(idiosyncratic aspects)
reflect social identity(social groups)
some of the self depends on which identity is most prominent at that time
Brewer and Gardner (1996) 3 types of self
Theory of group comparison
1) individual self- traits that make us different to others
2) relational self- relationships with significant others
3) collective self- membership in social groups
Self-categorisation Theory
(Theory of group comparison)
meta-contrast principle?
focuses on the set of group norms that define collective identites
-when persons soical identity becomes salient, their perception of self becomes depersonalised= may cause ‘meta-contrast principle’= exaggerate similarities within groups and differences with outgroup
