The Slipperiness of the Self

Question 1

What general area of the self did George Herbert Mead study?

Answer 1

The aspects of the self in adulthood

Question 2

What general area of the self did Vygotsky study?

Answer 2

The aspects of the self in childhood

Question 3

What is a similarity between the studies of Vygotsky and Mead?

Answer 3

Both studied a sense of self.

The source of our individuality is sociality.

Question 4

Explain what it means by “the source of our individuality is sociality”

Answer 4

Humans need social contact, without social contact humans wouldn’t be themselves, with no connection you lose a sense of self

Question 5

What are 3 of Vygotsky’s theories?

Answer 5

1. We participate in our culture before we understand we engage socially and publicly
2. How we talk to children can influence how they participate and develop in a culture
3. Language mediates a development of higher mental function, words are psychological tools

Question 6

What is an indifferent label?

Answer 6

What you call a thing does not change what the fundamental thing is.
ex) if you call lemonade beer it is still lemonade, but labelling people can influence their sense of self

Question 7

Explain the looping effect

Answer 7

When labelling a person causes them to act a certain way. They can reject label and act opposite way or they can lean into label and act more like they are labelled.