The Role of Self-Awareness and Self-Evaluation in Dysfunctional Patterns of Thought, Emotion, and Behavior Flashcards
Explain terror management theory. Explain sociometer theory. Be sure to make clear the role of self-esteem in each.
Terror Management Theory is when people seek self-esteem because it helps buffer them against existential anxiety. Awareness of mortality creates paralyzing terror unless people construct beliefs about themselves and their worlds indicating they are important and valuable. They believe they are living up to important values, and are aroused that they will achieve literally immortality.
Sociometer theory says that self esteem is part of the psychological system that monitors peoples relational value. People’s well being requires that they be valued and accepted by others, people monitor their social worlds for indications that other people may not value them as social interactants, group members and relationship partners. Failure, rejection, humiliating events lower self-esteem because events may result in their devaluation. People aren’t motivated to enhance self-esteem for own sake, rather to behave in ways that help them avoid rejection
What is imposterism? Explain how imposterism might be self-serving.
Imposters live in fear that their personal deficiencies will eventually be discovered, yet they are quite vocal in asserting that they are not as good as others believe.
Demonstrating biases that reflect well upon them, people can often be quite self-critical, sometimes evaluating themselves far more negatively than the objective evidence seems to warrant
