Self and Social Cognition Flashcards
What is social cognition?
The views that we have of ourselves and what we think other people think of us
What is involved in the cognitive constructs of self and identity?
- how we think about ourselves
how we are, how we would like to be
- how we think (and would like) others to see us
How is self-view determined?
It is determined by an individual and collective view
It is self-determined and socially determined (how you think others see you)
How can self-identity be linked to self-esteem?
Self-esteem involves the amount of self-liking, regard and respect
Self-identity can be described through self-esteem
What is self-esteem?
The degree to which an individual holds themselves in reserve
Why does self-esteem have a multi-domain approach?
Individuals have many identities and several competencies
e.g. behaviour around family is different than strangers
What is involved in the low self-esteem cycle?
- low self-esteem
- negative expectations
- low effort, high anxiety
- failure
- self-blame
cycle continually repeats itself
How can low self-esteem have effects on patients taking medication?
They have less treatment compliance
They are less likely to turn up to a first appointment and follow through with treatment
What is meant by people with low self-esteem having ‘low self-efficacy’?
This means that they perceive that they have very little control over events
How could the self-esteem cycle be explained?
- person has negative expectations about what they can do and what will happen to them
- they are anxious about outcomes
- they put in less effort so failure is more likely
- they then blame themselves and self-esteem becomes even lower
How do domains of competence influence self-esteem?
The perceived competence in the domains judged important by a particular individual influences overall self-esteem
What are the domains of competence for a child/young adolescent?
- school work
- social acceptance
- sports/athletic ability
- physical appearance
- general behaviour
What are the additional domains of competence for a adolescent/young adult?
- job competence
- romantic appeal
- close friendship
If a sub-domain of competence is deemed less important, how does this impact self-esteem?
Overall self-esteem is not compromised
e.g. if you are not good at sport but do not value sporting ability to be important
What is meant by the ‘looking glass self’ when determining self-esteem?
This involves looking at yourself through a social mirror
You imagine how others perceive you and look at how other people respond to you
Who suggested the social comparison theory?
Festinger
What is the backbone of Festinger’s social comparison theory?
There is an innate drive for self-evaluation
We use social and relationship info to compare ourselves with others
Why does the drive for self-evaluation have an important function?
It validates our own attitudes
We pick a reference group that is very similar or very different to our own attitudes to confirm that they are correct
According to Festinger, why do people compare themselves to others?
We need to make sense of ourselves by comparing ourselves with others
We are selective in those we choose
According to Festinger, what types of people do people chose to compare themselves to?
A reference group is chosen to compare ourselves to
We choose those who are salient, meaningful or regularly encountered (in public eye)
What is the function of the social comparison theory?
- validates own attitudes and behaviours
2. maintains self-esteem
What is meant by a ‘self-serving bias’ in the social comparison theory?
Unrealistic optimism and unrealistic positive self views
This is brought about by having a selective reference group
What is meant by the Lake Wobegon effect?
It is our tendency to overestimate our achievements and capabilities, especially in relation to others
What was involved in Weinstein’s unrealistic optimism study?
Asked students the likelihood of experiencing future events
What was the results of Weinstein’s unrealistic optimism study?
The students had unrealistic optimism about what would happen in the future
They said they were likely to experience desirable events (e.g. job after graduation)
They were unlikely to experience undesirable events (e.g. divorce, losing job)
In what ways is unrealistic optimism less apparent in people with depression?
People with depression are more clued in to what really happens in life
They are more aware of the likelihood of both bad and good things happening to them
What is meant by upwards vs downward comparison in the social comparison theory?
Selecting the reference group means the groups are chosen based on whether we want to make upward or downward comparisons
This influences self-esteem maintenance
How does the media influence self-esteem?
The media invites social comparisons, which can be positive and negative
Mainly comparing yourself to people who look ‘desirable’
What are the benefits of social media?
It can be used for communication/contact, information and liberation
What are the losses of social media?
It can affect sleep, mental health and cause cyberbullying
How is social media linked to social comparisons?
People choose which media to engage in, depending if they want to feel better about their circumstances or worse
How does self-concept develop in young children before the age of 2?
They develop visual self-concept by 2 years
They can self-categorise by age, gender and appearance
How do children between the ages of 2 and 5 describe themselves?
Through self-categorisation
age, gender, appearance, etc.
How does self-concept develop in older children?
They begin to include internal attributes, such as the things they like and their feelings
How does self-concept develop in adolescents?
It tends to be more subtle, abstract and complex
What is theory of mind and at what age does it develop?
Children learn that other people’s world views are not the same as their own
It develops around age 4
In what condition is theory of mind absent?
Autism
Before the age of 4, what term is used to describe a child’s concept of others?
Egocentrism
They cannot take the perspective of others
How does the ability of children to create mechanical, behavioural and mentalistic stories vary?
Most children aged 4 - 5 can make mechanical and behavioural stories
80% of children aged 4 can complete a mentalistic story
Children with autism cannot make a mentalistic story
What can cause theory of mind to develop more quickly in children?
Their social experience
Children with older siblings will develop theory of mind more quickly than those without
What are the most important factors in impression formation of an individual?
- their physical appearance
age, gender, ethnicity, dress
- first and last impressions
this involves the primacy and recency effects
What is meant by stereotyping?
Having fixed, over-generalised beliefs about a particular group or class of people
What are the 3 stages involved in stereotyping?
- identify the category or group
- assign features to people in that group
- generalise features to all people in that group
When identifying groups in stereotyping, what must the group be?
it must be different to other groups
they must share something that is basic or very noticeable
Why is stereotyping an example of a ‘cognitive miser’?
It involves the way we use our experiences to make very quick judgements about people
Why is stereotyping often used as a ‘useful’ tool?
It can be used to assimilate large amounts of social information
What are the dangers of stereotyping?
Negative stereotyping can lead to prejudice, which can lead to discrimination
What is the difference between prejudice and discrimination in negative stereotyping?
Prejudice is the expectations you have of members of a stereotyped group
Discrimination is the behaviour that follows the prejudice
Why is it difficult to change people’s stereotyped views?
They are slow to change due to a negative memory bias
Behaviour is changed based on how we think people will behave, meaning facts that support the stereotype are remembered
What type of processing is stereotyping?
Top-down processing
Past expectations shape future behaviour
In terms of interpersonal attraction, how is physical attractiveness ranked in determinants of liking?
It is ranked low by individuals, but is the most predictive of liking
Why is physical attractiveness the most predictive factor of liking someone?
Due to the Halo effect
What is the Halo effect?
The tendency to associate physical beauty will an aggregation of positive qualities
How is proximity a determinant of liking someone?
The early stages of friendship are influences by accessibility
Sustained friendships are the ones who are closer together
How is familiarity a determinant of liking someone?
It breeds liking and overcomes fear of the new
What is meant by similarity being a determinant of liking someone?
We like people with similar attitudes, appearances and social backgrounds
What is meant by assortative mating?
Individuals with similar phenotypes are more likely to mate with one another, than a random mating pattern
