Week 3 - Social Self

Question 1

Components of self?

Answer 1

ABC: Affect, behaviour and cognition

Question 2

Self Concept

Answer 2

How we view ourselves

Question 3

5 sources of our self-concept

Answer 3

1) Introspection 2)Perceptions of our own behavior
3) Influences of other people
Social comparison
Two-factor theory of emotion
4) Autobiographical memories
5) Our culture

Question 4

Gallup (1977) Self-recognition test

Answer 4

Apes -> recognise selves in young adolescence

Children -> recognise selves 18 - 24 months

Question 5

Introspection

Answer 5

Examining one’s own inner thoughts and feelings

Question 6

Why might introspection be inaccurate?

Answer 6

1) Confusion 2) Overestimation of positives 3) Inability to anticipate future emotions (affective forecasting)

Question 7

Self-perception theory

Answer 7

Bem (1972) - When internal cues are difficult to interpret, people look to their behaviour

Question 8

Facial feedback hypothesis

Answer 8

Changing facial expressions can trigger a corresponding change in mood

Question 9

Over-justification Effect

Answer 9

Impact of intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation -> Intrinsic motivation decreases when external reward introduced and then taken away

Question 10

Social comparison theory

Answer 10

People evaluate their own abilities and opinions by comparing themselves to others (Festinger, 1954)

Question 11

Two-factor theory of emotion

Answer 11

The experience of emotion is based on two factors: (a) Physiological arousal (b) A cognitive interpretation of that arousal (Schachter, 1959)

Question 12

Schachter & Singer (1962) Results

Answer 12

Epinephrine and no side effects -> reported similar mood to confederate

Question 13

Influence of Autobiographical memories

Answer 13

Past memories (however inaccurate) influence how we see ourselves in the present

Question 14

2 Cultural influences on view of self due to individualist/collectivist nature of society

Answer 14

1) independent self -> Western -> Distinct, autonomous, self-reliant 2) Interdependent self -> China, North Korea etc -> Part of a larger social network, connected to others

Question 15

Self-esteem

Answer 15

The affective component of the self, consisting of a person’s positive and negative self-evaluations

Question 16

Benefits of high self-esteem

Answer 16

Happier, healthier
more productive, more successful
confident and motivated and persist longer on tasks
Sleep better and have fewer ulcers and colds
conform less to peer pressure

Question 17

Those with low self-esteem tend to…

Answer 17

• have higher rates of anxiety, depression and illness
• be pessimistic
• less task persistence, less confidence, less success
• more learned helplessness
• More self-blame for failure

Question 18

Self-discrepancy theory states

Answer 18

Our self-esteem is defined by the match or mismatched between how we see ourselves and how we want to see ourselves (Actual vs ought vs ideal selves mismatch or match) - Higgins

Question 19

Three factors impact how much discrepancy affects self-esteem:

Answer 19

1) Amount of discrepancy 2) Importance of discrepancy 3) Accessibility of the discrepancy

Question 20

Self-awareness Theory

Answer 20

Self-focused attention leads people to notice self-discrepancies

Question 21

Two responses to awareness of self-discrepancy

Answer 21

1) Improvement “Shape up” 2) Disengagement “Ship out”

Question 22

Ironic Processes

Answer 22

• The harder you try not to focus on a self-discrepancy-> the more you will focus on it
• This is exaggerated with cognitive load

Question 23

Self-serving cogntions

Answer 23

Beliefs about oneself that serve to enhance self-esteem

Question 24

Self-handicapping

Answer 24

Behaviours designed to sabotage one’s own performance in order to provide a subsequent excuse for failure

Question 25

Basking in Reflected Glory

Answer 25

Increase self-esteem by associating with others who are successful

Question 26

Cut off from Reflected Failure

Answer 26

Maintain self-esteem by distancing from others who failed

Question 27

Downward social comparison

Answer 27

Defensive tendency to compare to others who are worse off than we are

Question 28

Are positive self-illusions adaptive?

Answer 28

yes; associated with healthiness and happiness

Question 29

Self-presentation

Answer 29

Strategies people use to shape what they think of themselves and what others think of them

Question 30

Two faces of self-presentation

Answer 30

1) strategic 2) self-verification

Question 31

Strategic Self-Presentation

Answer 31

Shape others’ impressions in specific ways in order to gain influence, power, sympathy or approval

(gen. used by those with high self-esteem)

Question 32

Self presentation goals (2)

Answer 32

1) Ingratiation -> get along 2) Self-promotion -> get ahead

Question 33

Self verification

Answer 33

The desire to have others perceive us as we truly perceive ourselves; to see our true selves

(gen. used by those with low self-esteem)

Question 34

Self-monitoring

Answer 34

The tendency to change our own behaviour to meet the demands of social situations

Question 35

High self-monitors

Answer 35

Behaviour is more likely to be context dependent

Question 36

Low self-monitors

Answer 36

Use internal cues & values to guide their behaviour