Self & Gender Identity Flashcards
What is the self-concept?
The sum total of beliefs that people have about themselves.
What are self-schemas?
Depending on who you are, you generate beliefs about yourself that guide the processing of self-relevant information.
How can researchers test the working self-concept?
By having people engage in an I am statement task. Researchers then code the task for patterns about the individual.
What is self-perception?
It is how we come to know ourselves by observing our own behaviour and make attributions for why we are engaging in that behaviour.
What is self-perception according to Bem (1972)?
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.
How does self-perception influence motivation?
The way we think about our behaviour and wether external factors can explain it effects either intrinsic or extrinsic motivation.
What is intrinsic motivation?
The motivation to do something out of interest, enjoyment or challenge.
extrinsic motivation?
Doing something for money, marks, recognition, obligation and punishment.
Over-justification effect?
This is where something that is initially intrinsically motivated becomes extrinsically motivated.
How can you create an over-justification effect?
Through the introduction of rewards on someones intrinsic behaviour, the reward signifies an extrinsic motive to continue receiving the rewards.
What study explains the over-justification effect?
The children and markers study. Where children were given a no-reward, expected reward or unexpected reward.
How do verbal rewards effect people?
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.
What is Festinger’s (1954) social-comparison theory?
When we are uncertain about our own abilities or opinions, we evaluate ourself through comparisons with similar others.
What is an upward comparison?
When we compare ourselves to someone who is better on some dimension.
What is a downward comparison?
When we compare ourselves to someone who is worse on some dimension.
What study manipulates the upward and downward comparison?
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.
What is the independent view of culture?
you value independence and define yourself by your own thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Typical in western cultures.
What is the interdependent view of culture?
You are not a separate entity, but thoughts, feelings and behaviours are defined in relation to others.
What is the flow on effect of cultural views of the self?
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.
How does cultural connectives influence self-esteem?
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.
What is self-esteem?
The evaluation of the self. Which varies in level and stability, generally people are motivated to protect their self-esteem.
What does the sociometer Theory (Leary & Baumeister, 200) say about self-esteem?
It is driven by a need for connection and approval, it is signaling something beyond how we feel about ourselves.
What does the Terror management theory (Greenberg et al., 1997) say about self-esteem?
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.
