Self-Schemata

Question 1

What is a self-schemata?

Answer 1

Cognitive generalizations about the self, derived from past experience, that organize and guide the processing of self-related information contained in the individual’s social experiences

Question 2

What is being schematic versus aschematic?

Answer 2

Schematic: you identify strongly with a core trait
Aschematic: you do not identify strongly with a core trait
- usually in Me/Not-Me studies

Question 3

What is the phenomenal self?

Answer 3

A summary statement of self relevant information currently accessible

Question 4

What is the spontaneous self-concept?

Answer 4

It pops up and comes to mind during a certain context

Question 5

What is distinctiveness theory?

Answer 5

A person notices her or his distinctive traits and personal characteristics more readily because of their greater informational richness and value for discriminating self from others
- more likely to identify with traits that make you distinct/stand out within your environment
- ex: having an atypical trait, you are more likely to describe yourself by that atypical trait

Question 6

What is stereotype distinctiveness?

Answer 6

Distinctiveness from the stereotype of the group
- distinct features: more schematic for that characteristic
- standing out from people’s stereotype of you

Question 7

What is contextual activation?

Answer 7

Depending on the context, certain self-aspects will be activated
- ex: being asked a question that has ‘introvert-connotations’, you are more likely to rate yourself as an introvert

Question 8

What is the barnum effect?

Answer 8

Writing a statement in such a way that is true of pretty much everyone
- ex: horoscopes

Question 9

What is the dynamic self-concept?

Answer 9

It is the working self and is composed of three components:
- Core self (high cognitive accessibility)
- Environment/Context
- Other self-concepts (triggered by environment/context)

Question 10

What influences accessibility?

Answer 10

Frequency (highly interconnected) and recency (residual activation)
- the more they’re activated, the more accessible they’ll be

Question 11

What do prime associations do in accord with accessibility?

Answer 11

A prime brought the inconsistent (of a core value) up to the same level as those that were consistent (of the core value)