Week 24: Relationships and Self-Identity Flashcards
What is the central psychological question of selfhood?
How does a person apprehend and understand who he or she is?
List the three central metaphors for the self.
- Social actor
- Motivated agent
- Autobiographical author
At what age does the sense of self as a social actor begin to emerge?
Around the age of 18 months
What is reflexivity in human selfhood?
The process by which the ‘I’ encounters and makes sense of itself (the ‘Me’)
Define narrative identity.
The internalized story of the self that integrates past, present, and future experiences.
True or False: The self as a motivated agent acts solely based on external influences.
False
What developmental milestone occurs by age 4 regarding self-perception?
Children begin to recognize themselves in mirrors and use terms like ‘me’ and ‘mine’.
What are the Big Five personality traits?
- Extraversion
- Neuroticism
- Agreeableness
- Conscientiousness
- Openness to experience
What role do social emotions play in the development of the self as a social actor?
They inform the social actor about their performance in the group.
Fill in the blank: The self as a social actor is primarily concerned with _______.
[traits and roles]
What does being a motivated agent entail?
Acting with direction and purpose to pursue self-chosen goals.
At what age do most children acquire a theory of mind?
By the age of 4
What is the significance of the ‘age 5-to-7 shift’ in child development?
Children begin to construct the self as a motivated agent.
How do children express their self-conceptions by the time they reach fifth grade?
They attribute complex traits to themselves and recognize important social roles.
True or False: Broad traits are easily changed through psychotherapy.
False
What influences the development of the self as a motivated agent?
The understanding that behavior is often motivated by inner desires and goals.
What psychological categories do people generally focus on when working on self-improvement?
- Social actor
- Motivated agent
- Autobiographical author
What do traits and roles represent in the context of the self as a social actor?
Traits represent perceived consistencies in social performance, while roles capture important structured relationships.
Fill in the blank: The philosopher _______ described the self as a reflexive project.
[Charles Taylor]
How does the self as an autobiographical author contribute to self-understanding?
By creating a narrative that integrates past experiences and future aspirations.
What is the relationship between social acceptance and evolutionary survival?
Individuals who do not get along well in social groups typically face challenges in survival and reproduction.
What is theory of mind and at what age does it typically develop?
The understanding that other people’s behavior is often motivated by inner desires and goals, typically develops by age 4.
What is the age 5-to-7 shift in child development?
A developmental period where children become more planful, intentional, and systematic in their pursuit of valued goals.
How does schooling impact children during the age 5-to-7 shift?
Schooling reinforces the shift by placing demands on students to work hard, adhere to schedules, focus on goals, and achieve success.