Self & Gender Identity

Question 1

What is the self-concept?

Answer 1

The sum total of beliefs that people have about themselves.

Question 2

What are self-schemas?

Answer 2

Depending on who you are, you generate beliefs about yourself that guide the processing of self-relevant information.

Question 3

How can researchers test the working self-concept?

Answer 3

By having people engage in an I am statement task. Researchers then code the task for patterns about the individual.

Question 4

What is self-perception?

Answer 4

It is how we come to know ourselves by observing our own behaviour and make attributions for why we are engaging in that behaviour.

Question 5

What is self-perception according to Bem (1972)?

Answer 5

When internal cues are weak, we look at our behaviour and consider the situation.

When the situation cannot explain our behaviour, we infer a corresponding internal state.

Question 6

How does self-perception influence motivation?

Answer 6

The way we think about our behaviour and wether external factors can explain it effects either intrinsic or extrinsic motivation.

Question 7

What is intrinsic motivation?

Answer 7

The motivation to do something out of interest, enjoyment or challenge.

Question 8

extrinsic motivation?

Answer 8

Doing something for money, marks, recognition, obligation and punishment.

Question 9

Over-justification effect?

Answer 9

This is where something that is initially intrinsically motivated becomes extrinsically motivated.

Question 10

How can you create an over-justification effect?

Answer 10

Through the introduction of rewards on someones intrinsic behaviour, the reward signifies an extrinsic motive to continue receiving the rewards.

Question 11

What study explains the over-justification effect?

Answer 11

The children and markers study. Where children were given a no-reward, expected reward or unexpected reward.

Question 12

How do verbal rewards effect people?

Answer 12

If a positive verbal reward is given for behaviour, this can influence someones importance. If it tells your something about your competence this will maintain intrinsic motivation.

Question 13

What is Festinger’s (1954) social-comparison theory?

Answer 13

When we are uncertain about our own abilities or opinions, we evaluate ourself through comparisons with similar others.

Question 14

What is an upward comparison?

Answer 14

When we compare ourselves to someone who is better on some dimension.

Question 15

What is a downward comparison?

Answer 15

When we compare ourselves to someone who is worse on some dimension.

Question 16

What study manipulates the upward and downward comparison?

Answer 16

The Mr Clean vs. Mr Dirty study. Participants had to fill out a job application in the presence of a confederate who was either wearing a suit or was dressed in dirty clothes. This was to assess trait self-esteem before and after the manipulation.

Question 17

What is the independent view of culture?

Answer 17

you value independence and define yourself by your own thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Typical in western cultures.

Question 18

What is the interdependent view of culture?

Answer 18

You are not a separate entity, but thoughts, feelings and behaviours are defined in relation to others.

Question 19

What is the flow on effect of cultural views of the self?

Answer 19

This will impact your inner world, which effects social world, which effects institutions, which effects ideas. This is an ever looping system that feeds in and out of itself.

Question 20

How does cultural connectives influence self-esteem?

Answer 20

In the Chinese vs. American study. Those in the independent cultures reported to have a higher self-esteem (as people are independent entities). Whereas those in interdependent adopt a critical self-view to better adapt to the group.

Question 21

What is self-esteem?

Answer 21

The evaluation of the self. Which varies in level and stability, generally people are motivated to protect their self-esteem.

Question 22

What does the sociometer Theory (Leary & Baumeister, 200) say about self-esteem?

Answer 22

It is driven by a need for connection and approval, it is signaling something beyond how we feel about ourselves.

Question 23

What does the Terror management theory (Greenberg et al., 1997) say about self-esteem?

Answer 23

It is driven by self-preservation, we construct and adhere to a cultural worldview that provides meaning and purpose, acting as a buffer against thoughts of death.