THE DESIRE FOR A CONSISTENT SELF Flashcards
A group of students is preparing for an advanced physics exam. One student, who struggles with the material, assumes that they understand it less well than the rest of the class. What can explain this?
Base rate fallacy (and anchoring bias)
What is Self-Verification?
*Motive to confirm our existing self-views
*Leads to wanting others to view us the way we see ourselves
What are the two functions of Self-Verification?
- Epistemic: Fulfills need for coherence
*Stable self-views provide people with a powerful sense of predictability and control to experience- Ex. religious people, when leave religion, feel lost cuz no more world view
- Pragmatic: Ensures smooth social interactions
*Stable self-views foster consistent and predictable behaviour
*Predictable behaviour allows others to know what to expect from one another, thus fostering smooth social interaction
How do people self verify?
- Creating social environments
- Cognitive Biases
(Creating social environments)
What is Displaying Identity Cues?
The use of symbols, appearance, or communication styles to signal to one’s self-concept to others
*Increases the likelihood of getting feedback consistent with our self-view
(Ex. I think i’m goth, so I dress typically goth)
(Creating social environments)
What is Selective Interaction?
People prefer to interact with others that see them in a way that is consistent with the way they see themselves
*Even if it’s negative
Ex. I see myself as thoughtful, so I will hang out with ppl who see me as thoughtful (will avoid those that see me as rude)
(Creating social environments)
Do people prefer to interact with people that like them or that see them the way they see themselves? (STUDY: SELECTIVE INTERATION)
Getting acquainted study
*Participants had to choose an interaction partner for 2-3 hour
conversation
*Allowed to see evaluations of them made by two potential interaction partner
Low and High self esteem ppl recruited
High self-esteem:
*Self-enhancement and self-verification motives align
*Low self-esteem: Self-enhancement (being seen positively) and self-verification (being seen negatively- as they seem themselves) motives are in conflict
FOUND:
people prefer to interact with others that verify their self-views (Self-verification) vs. (people that like them, but see them differently than they see themselves)
(Creating social environments)
What happened in a real word study on selective interaction? (Spouces)
Spouses report greatest relationship intimacy when their partner shares their self-views, even if these self-views are negative
*People tend to withdraw from relationships where their partner doesn’t verify their self-view
Roommates also prefer roommates that share their self-views, even if negative
(Creating social environments)
What is Interpersonal Prompts?
People behave in ways that elicits self-verifying feedback
*Explicitly asking confirmation of self-view
*Guiding conversations that elicits self-verifying responses
*Behaviours often lead to self-fulfilling prophecies
E.g. socially awkward ->avoiding social situations -> reinforces view of self as awkward
How do we react when Receiving feedback inconsistent with self-view?
Intensifying Behaviours
Becoming more confident in one’s self-view
Explain the study on Intensifying Behaviours ( dominance vs. submission)?
Participants rated themselves on dominance vs. submission
*Played a game with a confederate
Got told:
1. Consistent feedback: e.g dominants received feedback that they’re quite dominant
- Discrepant feedback: e.g. dominants received feedback that they’re quite submissive
People responded to feedback that challenged their self-view by amplifying behaviour consistent with self-view
- we try to prove to others that we are a certain way rather than accept their feedback
What happened in Becoming more confident in one’s self-view study?
Recruited heterosexual male journalism students
*Experimental manipulation:
*Confirm: “You fit the ideal profile of being a journalist.”
*Threat: “You don’t fit the ideal profile of being a journalist
Hot debbie: Told she likes modest or guys who think they’re great
FOUND:
Ppl who fit ideal tended to cater to debbies preference to try get a date
Those who were threatened boasted either way (showing their confidence)
(Cognitive Biases)
What is Selective attention?
We pay more attention to feedback that confirms our self-views
(Cognitive Biases)
What is Selective memory?
We tend to have a better memory for feedback that confirms self-views
*Likeable people more likely to remember feedback that they were likeable
*Dislikeable people more likely to remember feedback that they were dislikeable
(Cognitive Biases)
What is Selective interpretation?
We are likely to interpret ambiguous feedback as consistent with self-views
*High self-esteem people tend to remember feedback as more positive than it was and low self-esteem people tend to remember feedback as more negative than it was
Do men and women self verify?
Yes
Is self verification cross cultural?
Self-verification appears to be present cross-culturally, but the specific ways in which it manifests may be different
*E.g. East Asians are more likely to seek verification on contextualized self-views (i.e., self-views specific to one situation or relationship) and less inclined to seek verification of more global attributes
Which of the three motives do people prioritize?
- Self enhancement
- Self verification
- Self-assessment
When is Self-assessment prioritized?
Self-assessment is only prioritized when the stakes are low or when accurate information is critical for decision-making *e.g. career-aptitude test
What are the three circumstances self-verification vs. self-enhancement is preferred depends on?
1.The kind of information that is accessible
2.Centrality of self-view
3.Length of relationship
Explain: 1. The Kind of Info that is Accessible
Self-verification: relies on controlled, cognitive processing
*Self-enhancement: relies on more automatic, emotional processing
*Thus, people prefer self-enhancement:
*Under conditions of cognitive load
*When in a hurry
*Sometimes results in a cognitive-affective crossfire
What is Cognitive-Affective Crossfire?
Conflict between cognition and emotion
*Cognitively, people seek self-verifying feedback to maintain a consistent sense of self
*Emotionally, people seek self-enhancing feedback to boost mood and self-esteem
Generally, people will try to avoid this crossfire, but when it happens, will tend to choose self-verification
Explain: 2. Centrality of Self-View?
For central, firmly held self-views, people tend to reject feedback that contradicts self-view, even if the feedback is positive
*E.g. Low self-esteem people choosing negative evaluator
*E.g. Journalism studentsstudy
*For less central, uncertain self-views, people are more accepting of feedback from others that is in contrast with self-view
Explain 3. Importance of Relationship?
People tend to seek more self-verifying (vs. self-enhancing) feedback in long term relationships
*In short-term social interactions, people tend to prefer self-enhancement
BUT:
Even people with negative self-views seek more positive feedback on relationship relevant qualities (e.g. attractiveness)
*But tend to seek self-verifying information on non-relationship relevant qualities (e.g. intelligence, artistic ability)
