Self & Identity Flashcards
What is the self?
How we perceive, understand and evaluate ourselves.
What is the ‘I’?
The self as the knower. Your internal, subjective experience.
- Feeling, thinking, being.
What is the ‘Me’?
The self as the known. The social, materials and psychological self.
- The self we observe when we reflect upon ourselves.
What is identity?
Roles, group memberships and labels that society assigns to a person.
What is self concept?
What we know about ourselves.
What is self esteem?
How we feel about ourselves.
How we evaluate and percieve our own worth.
What did Mead (1912) believe about the social self?
The social self is the perceived self that emerges from social interactions where we then embed other people’s opinions into how we perceive and feel about ourselves.
What is self-identity?
The narratives or roles that we tell ourselves and how we define ourselves.
What is the social self?
How the individual thinks other people perceive themselves.
What is social identity?
The story society says about you.
What does the Social Identity Theory (SIT) suggest? (Tajfel, 1981)
- How one identifies with a social group impacts attitudes and behaviour.
- Changes are then made to fit the group identity.
What does the Self-Categorisation Theory suggest? (Turner, 1985)
We divide ourselves into ‘us’ and ‘them’.
- This is automatic rather than a motivated act.
What does the Self-Perception Theory suggest? (Bem, 1972)
We undergo a process of self-reflection and evaluation. As a result, we learn to know about ourselves.
- Explains how individuals develop attitudes and beliefs about themselves based on their behaviour.
- We often observe our own actions and then form beliefs based on them.
What does the Social Comparison Theory suggest? (Festinger, 1954)
We compare ourselves to others to evaluate our abilities, opinions, values, etc.
- Use others as a benchmark.
- This is likely an automatic process.
- Can serve as motivational purposes.
What are upward comparisons (Social Comparison Theory - Festinger, 1954)?
Comparing ourselves with those or someone who is better off.
What are downward comparisons (Social Comparison Theory - Festinger, 1954)?
Comparing ourselves with those or someone who is worse off.
What is a positive effect (Social Comparison Theory - Festinger, 1954)?
- Upward comparisons can inspire improvement.
- Downward comparisons can increase confidence.
What is a negative effect (Social Comparison Theory - Festinger, 1954)?
- Constant upward comparisons can lead to low self-esteem.
- Excessive downward comparisons may lead to complacency.
How does the social self develop?
It is shaped through social interaction within personal socio-cultural history and biology.
What does the looking glass theory suggest? (Cooley, 1902)
Individuals self-concept develops through social interactions and perceptions of how others see them.
Our self concept is not based solely on reality, but on perceived judgements of others.
- Can lead to positive/negative perceptions (confidence/self-doubt).
What is Mead’s (1912) theory of the construction of the social self?
Focuses on how individuals develop a sense of self through social interaction and communication.
The self is not inherent at birth but is socially constructed through interactions with others.
Explains how individuals learn to understand social roles.
What are the key stages of Mead’s (1912) construction of the social self?
- The preparatory stage.
- The play stage.
- The game stage.
What is Mead’s interpretation of the ‘I’ and the ‘Me’?
- ‘I’ - The spontaneous, creative, and individualistic part of the self.
- ‘Me’ - The socialised self that follows norms, rules, and expectations.
What is identity salience?
Some identities are more important than others, influencing behaviour in different contexts.
- E.g., people have multiple identities, but some are prioritized over others.
How does our internal social self develop?
- The roles we play.
- Temperament.
- Comparison with others.
- Our successes and failure.
- True/real self or embodied self.
- Our narrative or self-schema.
How does our external social self develop?
- Expectations from others.
- Expectations from social groups/norms.
- Other’s judgements of us.
- Social interactions.
- Culture.
- Parents, teachers, peers and friends.
How do the roles we play shape our social self?
Defines identity through experience in social positions.
How does temperament shape the social self?
Infleuences social preference and interactions.
How does social comparison shape the social self?
Affects self-esteem and motivation.
How does success and failure shape the social self?
Builds or damages confidence and self-concept.
How does our true/embodied self shape the social self?
Determines authenticity in social behaviour.
How do self-schemas shape the social self?
Organises personal identity and self-perception.
How do expectations from others shape the social self?
Shapes self-concept base don approval or criticism.
How do social norms shape the social self?
Defines appropriate behaviour and belonging.
How do others’ judgements shape the social self?
Affects confidence and self-worth.
How do social interactions shape the social self?
Helps refine social roles and identity.
How does culture shape the social self?
Shapes independence or interdependence.
How do parents, teachers, peers and friends shape the social self?
Influence values, self-esteem, and behaviour.
What are self-schemas?
Long lasting stable set of cognitive generalisations about ourself.
Holding negative self-schemas increases vulnerability to…? (Beck, 1967)
Depression
Independent identity is…? (Myers, 2005)
Personal.
- Defined by individual goals and traits.
Interdependent identity is…? (Myers, 2005)
Social.
- Defined by connections with others.
What is impression management?
(Self-presentation)
- The process by which individuals attempt to control the impressions others form for them.
- How people consciously or unconsciously control how others perceive them in social interactions.
What is front stage behaviour?
Where we perform and manage our public image.
What is back stage behaviour?
Where we relax and drop the social mask.
What are examples of tactics of impression management?
- Self-promotion.
- Ingratiation (using flattery or charm).
- Supplication (appearing weak to gain sympathy).
- Exemplification (demonstrating committment).
- Intimidation (creating authority to gain control).
What is automatic impression management?
When someone genuinely presents themselevs as they are.
What is strategic impression management?
When someone manipulates their image for personal gain.
When does narcissistic injury occur?
When narcissists believe their self-image has been criticised or insulted.
What are the common reactions to narcissistic injury?
- Rage or aggression.
- Denial or blame-shifting.
- Withdrawal or avoidance.
- Depression or shame.
What are the characteristics of high self esteem?
- Confidence.
- Resilience.
- Positive perception.
What are the characteristics of low self esteem?
- Self doubt.
- Insecurity.
- Vulnerability to criticism.
What impact self esteem?
- Social comparison.
- Looking glass self (Cooley, 1902).
- Social feedback and validation.
- Success and failure.
What is the social reference effect?
When information is relevant to our self-concepts, we proces sit quickly and remember it well.
