Week 3

Question 1

What is upward comparison and downwards comparison?

Answer 1

Comparing ourselves to people above us and below us in status.

Question 2

What is the difference between learning about the self and others?

Answer 2

See ourselves in a wider range of situations and for more time. And we have access to our private thoughts and feelings.

Question 3

Coherence of independent cultures

Answer 3

Through seeing self as independent, seperate from others, expressed in inner thoughts and feelings.

Question 4

Coherence of interdependent cultures

Answer 4

Through web of social connections with others.

Question 5

What helps protect our emotional and physical wellbeing?

Answer 5

Viewing the self as both good and in control.

Question 6

What does self-enhancing bias’ mean?

Answer 6

• usually, we choose situations where we can succeed.
• recall successes more than failures.

Question 7

Ways to bolster self-esteem through social comparison?

Answer 7

• Compare on domain that are central or important to our self-concept.
• Avoid comparisons that make us unhappy.
• Seek out downward comparisons.

Question 8

Why self-enhance?

Answer 8

• Give confidence to manage life’s difficulties.
• Promote efforts at self-improvement.
• Bolster efforts at self-regulation.

Question 9

What happens once self-concept is formed?

Answer 9

• become less open to new information (conservation)
• interpret new information about self in biased ways
• want to maintain a stable sense of identity

Question 10

What are the individual differences in self-monitoring?

Answer 10

Low self monitors - behave in ways that express their internal attitudes and dispositions. Behave more consistently across situations.
High self monitors - shape their behaviours to project what they think their current audience or situation demands.

Question 11

What can threaten our sense of self?

Answer 11

• Major failures and disasters.
• Daily hassles and daily stressors.

Question 12

3 coping strategies to deal with emotional response to threat?

Answer 12

• physical avoidance from bad situation
• distraction
• downplay importance of threat by affirming positives

Question 13

3 coping strategies to deal with threat

Answer 13

• change the event or reinterpret a threat as non threatening.
• make excuses
• self-handicapping - lining up an excuse in advance

Question 14

When are qualitative research methods most important?

Answer 14

• gaining an in-depth understanding.
• want to explore little known phenomena.
• generate new and interesting research questions and hyotheses.

Question 15

4 sources of qualitative data

Answer 15

• focus groups
• diaries, letters, personal documents
• qualitative surveys
• mass media texts and documents

Question 16

3 important considerations with qualitative data?

Answer 16

• social desirability
• ethical considerations
• reflection