The Key Self Motives

Question 1

what are the 4 self-related motives that guide human behaviour?

Answer 1

1. we want to view ourselves as a coherent whole
2. we want to control how others perceive us
3. we want to see ourselves in positive light
4. we want to grow, learn, and improve

Question 2

what is the cognitive dissonance theory?

Answer 2

People so dislike inconsistencies in their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours that they will bias their attitude and beliefs to deny the inconsistency

Question 3

what are the three primary ways to reduce dissonance?

Answer 3

• change one of the cognitions
• add a third cognition that makes the original two cognitions seem less inconsistent with each other
• trivialize the cognitions that are inconsistent

Question 4

what is the free choice paradigm?

Answer 4

a labratory situation in which people make a choice between two alternatives, after which attraction to the alternatives is assessed

Question 5

what is spreading the alternatives

Answer 5

after a choice is made, people emphasize the positive characteristics of the chosen alternative and the negative aspect of the rejected alternative

Question 6

what is the induced compliance paradigm?

Answer 6

a laboratory situation in which participants are induced to engage in a behaviour that runs counter to their true attitudes

Question 7

what five factors explain the aroused dissonance level?

Answer 7

• weak external justification
• perceived choice
• commitment
• foreseeable aversive consequence
• cultural influences

Question 8

what is the induced hypocrisy paradigm?

Answer 8

Participants are asked to advocate an opinion they already believe in, but then are reminded about a time when their actions ran counter to that opinion, thereby arousing dissonance.

Question 9

what are examples of induced hypocrisy paradigm?

Answer 9

• used to promote
• water and resource conservation
• safe driving
• exercising: other health-protecting behaviours
• volunteering

Question 10

what is the effort of justification?

Answer 10

the phenomenon whereby reduce dissonance by convincing themselves that what they suffered for is actually valuable

Question 11

what is minimal deterrence?

Answer 11

use of minimal level of external justification necessary to deter unwanted behaviour

Question 12

what is self-verification?

Answer 12

Seeking out other people and social situations that support the way one views oneself in order to sustain a consistent and clear self-concept.

Question 13

what is self complexity?

Answer 13

The extent to which an individual’s self-concept consists of many different aspects.

Question 14

what is self-concept clarity?

Answer 14

A clearly defined, internally consistent, and temporally stable self-concept

Question 15

what is the clear self-narrative over time ?

Answer 15

-enhances well-being
- provides a basis for effective action
- aids in the prediction of future challenges

Question 16

what are possible selves?

Answer 16

vivid images of what the self might become in the future

Question 17

what are the sources of self-esteem?

Answer 17

• genetics
• inherited traits
• reflected appraisals
• social comparisons
• cultural-based standards

Question 18

what is a self-serving attributions?

Answer 18

Taking credit for successes and blaming situations for failures

Question 19

what is self-handicapping?

Answer 19

Placing obstacles in way of personal success to protect from future failure

Question 20

what is a better-than-average effect?

Answer 20

Believing that personal shortcomings are common and strengths are unique

Question 21

what is the self-affirmation theory?

Answer 21

Responding less defensively to threats to an aspect of oneself if one thinks

Question 22

what is basking in reflected glory?

Answer 22

affiliating with successful others to bolster self esteem

Question 23

what is the self-evaluation maintenance model?

Answer 23

People adjust their perceived similarity to successful others to minimize threatening comparisons and maximize self-esteem-supporting identifications.

Question 24

what is the self-evaluation maitenance model?

Answer 24

People adjust their perceived similarity to successful others to minimize threatening comparisons and maximize self-esteem-supporting identifications.

Question 25

why do people need self-esteem?

Answer 25

• Serves as anxiety buffer that allows people to face threats with minimized anxiety over course of development
• Maximizes social status and indicates how much one is accepted by other people

Question 26

how is self-esteem described in individualistic cultures?

Answer 26

proving superior skills and abilities

Question 27

how is self-esteem described in collectivistic culture?

Answer 27

sustaining honor, gracefully performing cultural rituals, and group harmony promotion

Question 28

what is self-compassion?

Answer 28

Self-compassion involves approaching one’s suffering, hardships, or failures with:
- Self-kindness as opposed to harsh judgement or self-criticism
-A focus on identifying common humanity
Mindful awareness marked by emotional engagement with rather than avoidance of suffering without overidentifying with the failure or hardship

Question 29

what is self monitoring?

Answer 29

individual difference in peoples desire and ability to adjust their self-presentations for different audiences

Question 30

what is high self monitors?

Answer 30

better at cynical performances

Question 31

what is low self-monitors?

Answer 31

more consistent in self-presentations

Question 32

what is audience monitoring errors

Answer 32

people often have difficulty getting beyond their own subjective experience when judging how others view them

Question 33

what is the spotlight effect?

Answer 33

the belief that others are more focused on us than they actually are

Question 34

what is the illusion of transparency?

Answer 34

the tendency to overestimate anothers ability to know our internal thoughts and feelings

Question 35

what are cynical performances?

Answer 35

conscious attempts to perform in a certain way to make a particular impression

Question 36

why is self-presentation so prevalent and important?

Answer 36

-Conveys and protects self-image
-Supports meaningfulness of social interactions by enacting cultural scripts and roles
-Serves self-improvement and personal growth

Question 37

what is the self-determination theory?

Answer 37

People function best when they feel that their actions stem from their own desires rather than from external forces

Question 38

what are the three basic psychological needs?

Answer 38

autonomy
competence
relatedness

Question 39

what is autonomous motivation?

Answer 39

Involves behaving out of personal choice and offers the platform for people to express their authentic

Question 40

what is controlled motivation

Answer 40

Drives behaviours that are performed out of external or internal pressures and are experienced as constraining.

Question 41

what is amotivation

Answer 41

Complete absence of intention and motivation to behave

Question 42

what is intrinsic motivation?

Answer 42

is consistently positively associated with higher academic performance, student engagement and achievement (e.g., higher GPA, higher completion rates)

Question 43

what is the self-determination consequences

Answer 43

Self-determined people are more creative, happier, and more satisfied across a wide variety of domains.

Question 44

what is the overjustification effect

Answer 44

• The tendency for salient rewards or threats to lead people to attribute the reason, or justification, for engaging in an activity to an external factor, which thereby undermines their intrinsic motivation for and enjoyment of the activity
• Occurs only if external incentive viewed as reason for behaviour

Question 45

how can you maximize self-growth

Answer 45

• get into the zone
• foster a positive mood
• act mindfully
• expand your mind and explore the world