The Self

Question 1

self-shema

Answer 1

• knowlege about the self
• influences what we notice, think about and remember about ourselves
• make up our self concept - stable traits, rather than based on others

Question 2

introspection

Answer 2

• process whereby people look inward and examine their own thoughts, feelings and motives
• not used often (when used, reasons for feelings and behaviours can be hidden from unconscious)

Question 3

self-awareness theory

Answer 3

• when people focus attention on themselves, they evaluate and compare their B to internal standards and values
• can be uncomfortable when confronted with disagreeable feedback
• when uncomfortable, people resort to + or - strategies to escape self awareness

Question 4

concept clarity

Answer 4

• about our traits
• add on to this

Question 5

cultural differences and self-awareness

Answer 5

collectivist
- more likely to have outsider perspective
- view themselves through eyes of other people
individualistic
- more likely to have insider perspective
- focus on private experiences without considering how others see them
refer to example on powerpoint, slide 11

Question 6

even though we engage in self-awareness, it may still be difficult to ______

Answer 6

know why we feel the way we do

Question 7

self-perception theory

Answer 7

• when we are unsure about our attitudes or feelings toward something
• we look to our relevant B for answers

Question 8

intrinsic motivation

Answer 8

desire to engage in an activity because we enjoy it/find it interesting

Question 9

extrinsic motivation

Answer 9

desire to engage in an activity because of external rewards or pressures

Question 10

overjustification effect

Answer 10

• replacing intrinsic with extrinsic makes people lose interest in the activity they initially enjoyed
• people view their B as caused by extrinsic factors

Question 11

preserving intrinsic interest

Answer 11

1. performance-contingent rewards
   - rewarding for performing well on a task
2. task-contingent rewards
   - rewarding for simply performing a task
   PCR is less likely to decrease intrinsic interest than TCR

Question 12

social comparison theory

Answer 12

• we learn about our own abilities and attitudes by comparing ourselves to others
• we compare ourselves to similar others when we experience some uncertainty about ourselves in a particular area

Question 13

upward social comparison

Answer 13

• we compare ourselves to people who are better than we are in a particular trait/ability
• usually threatening to self-esteem
• can be source of inspo if we can imagine achieving the same

Question 14

downward social comparison

Answer 14

• we compare ourselves to people who are worse than we are in a particular trait/ability
• compare current performance to past performance
• self-protective, self-enhancing strategy
• positive effect occurs only if we don’t feel vulnerable to the other’s negative outcome

Question 15

social comparison and culture

Answer 15

Western cultures
- usually motivated by + successful role models
- individualistic cultures more driven by achieving success
East Asian cultures
- usually motivated by - successful role models
- collectivist cultures more driven by fear of failure

Question 16

sociometer theory

Answer 16

• monitors environment for cues about the extent to which we are accepted/rejected by others
• self-esteem = tied to quality of relationships with others
• people with high self-esteem more likely to seek out social connection than those with low self-esteem

Question 17

self-verification theory

Answer 17

• suggest people NEED to seek confirmation of their self-concept
• can conflict with desire to uphold favourable view of oneself
• desire for accurate feedback depends on dimension being assessed and person evaluating us