Week 4: The Social Self

Question 1

Self-concept

Answer 1

refers to one’s theory/beliefs about oneself (past, present, and future)

involves social roles
Involves group membership

Healthy self-concept garners positive self-esteem and motivation

Question 2

Our sense of self can be diverse depending on context:

Answer 2

academic self such as bright and motivated
Social self such as shy and friendly

Question 3

Self-schemas

Answer 3

are cognitive-affective structures that represent the self’s qualities in a given domain with clarity and certainty

Ex: friendly and loyal fits the schema
But if a person questions their generosity, then it does not fit the schema

Question 4

Possible selves

Answer 4

selves one believes they would like to become. Important in goal setting and motivation (looking ahead)

Ex: a student who wants to become a professor, would seek opportunities to supervise undergraduate research
Ex: new year’s resolution

Question 5

Feared selves

Answer 5

selves one fears they might become. Also influence goal setting and motivation (avoidance).

Ex: a student fearing being jobless would increase efforts to publish research articles

Question 6

Personality as an individual difference

Answer 6

trait approach: relatively stable ; differ between people ‘
Ex: outgoing = are you outgoing in all domains?

Question 7

Social cognitive as an individual difference

Answer 7

state approach: modifiable; differ depending on context

Question 8

Self-esteem

Answer 8

Evaluations we make about ourselves

The well known self-esteem scale is the Rosenberg.

Question 9

Intra-individual comparison

Answer 9

comparison about ourselves to ourselves. Like comparing how we used to be.

Can be now vs past: an adult looking back to when he graduated or
Now vs future: present self vs the ideal self in the future.

Question 10

Possible selves model

Answer 10

Self vs the ideal, the hoped-for self

Question 11

Incongruent possible selves

Answer 11

small overlap between self-image and ideal-self

Question 12

Congruent possible selves

Answer 12

big overlap between self-image and ideal-self. More closer to self-actualization
El salvador ftw

Question 13

Self-actualization

Answer 13

Complete realization of one’s potential

Question 14

Inter-individual comparison

Answer 14

• social comparison
• comparing self to others using a downward of social comparison. Seeing self as better off. “This isn’t great, but at least I’m not like that person who is worse than me”

Question 15

Optimistic social comparison study by Chipperfield et al.

Answer 15

IV: optimistic social comparisons (comparing yourself as better off/having better outlook)

DV: hospitalizations, death

Question 16

Self-enhancement

Answer 16

tendency to seek and maintain a favourable or at least improvable self-concept
important particularly to western societies

Question 17

Three types of positive perception in self-enhancement

Answer 17

1. See oneself more positively than is reality
2. Believe they have more control over events than reality
3. Unrealistic optimism about the future

Question 18

Pursuing self-esteem

Answer 18

the pursuit of self-esteem becomes a never-ending quest

Comes with a pre-occupation to avoid failure, leading to: excuse-making, self-handicapping, blaming others, missing the point of tasks

Question 19

James hypothesis of self-esteem

Answer 19

Self worth rises and falls with the outcome of a situation (success and failures in domain)

He predicted that:
- If we do not care about the domain, our self-esteem won’t take a hit when we fail
- Self-esteem changes in response to success/failure where we stake self-worth
- Ex: sport and academics, not music/videogames
Self-esteem can be contingent

Question 20

Self-esteem as both a trait and a state

Answer 20

Trait: stable over time

State: can change depending on context