The self and identity (B) Flashcards
Name the traditional social psychological theories of the self and identity
Focus on ourselves:
Self awareness theory
Self perception theory
Focus on others
social comparison theory
Social identity theory
What is the self awareness theory
Introspection = The process of looking inwards to scrutinise their thoughts, feelings, and motives
Negative state outcome: avoid things that lead to internal self-awareness, i.e., not looking at images of self
Positive state outcome: self-focus can be pleasant, e.g., getting a promotion-highlights personal successes
What is the self perception theory
Looking at own behaviour to infer something about yourself
- Distinguish whether it is a self or a response to the situation
What is the study for the self awareness theory
Participants completed a cipher task, with some seeing their reflection in a mirror (experimental group) and others not (control group).
They were told they could reduce another participant’s workload by completing more ciphers.
Those in the mirror condition completed more, suggesting that self-awareness increases pro-social behavior.
What is the study for the self perception theory
Participants ran while wearing heart rate monitors and observed avatars exercising.
Those watching their own avatar in sportswear experienced an increased heart rate
while those watching a stranger’s avatar in formal wear had a decreased heart rate.
The study suggests self-perception, influenced by avatar similarity, strongly impacts behavior.
What is social comparison theory
- We learn about ourselves through comparison others
Acts as a means to validate thoughts, feelings and actions
Upward comparison = comparison for future
What is a study for the social comparison theory
The study found that class average achievement influenced academic skills
while specific peer groups had no significant effect.
This suggests that generalized peers, rather than specific subsets, drive social comparisons in academic contexts.
Name the critical social psychological theories of the self and identity
Identity as performative
The self as a construct
The self as a plural
Describe identity as performative
“People do not have a real identity within themselves” (Foucault, 1979)
- Goffmans Dramaturgical theory
What is goffmans Dramaturgical theory
- Used theatrical metaphor to explain his theory
- How a person communicates to another about who they are
- Reliant on shared social values, norms and beliefs
- Contingent on time,place and audience
- If successful the audience will view the person/ actor in the way they want
What is Goffman’s theory of front stage and back stage
Front stage
What you present to others
Masks and prompts
Back stage
Where people can shed their public self
But not necessarily a “true” self
What is impression management
Goffman,(1959)
- Extension of Dramaturgical theory
- attempt to get others to see them as they want via strategic self presentations
What is a study of Goffman’s Dramaturgical theory
deceptive impression management in job interviews found most lies are to aid impression management
What is a limitation of Goffman’s Dramaturgical
Overly impressionistic
Lacked consideration of the reproduction of social structures
What is the self as a construct?
The self as embedded in society and social forces, e.g. family, gender, age
Different types of “self” are expected within each different social relationship
The self is socially constructed
What is the self as a plural
We live in a postmodern world, there is no way of being, no one overarching narrative, no one realty
- Pluralism, the role of personhood
