Psychology Chapter: The Social Self and Self-Concept

The Social Self

• The development of the self begins during the second year of life.
• Self-knowledge is crucial in understanding how we perceive ourselves. Questions to consider include: How does self-knowledge affect behavior? How accurate are our perceptions of ourselves?
• We are preoccupied with ourselves, as demonstrated by the spotlight effect and illusion of transparency. How do these internal and social factors affect our interactions?

Self-Concept

• Self-concept (Who am I?) is influenced by schemas (mental frameworks for information), including self-schemas (cognitive generalizations about the self).
• It is also influenced by self-reference – connecting information to oneself.

Self-Concept: Different Aspects

• Actual self: How one genuinely sees oneself.
• Ought self: How one believes they should be.
• Ideal self: How one wants to be or aspire to be.

The Sense of Self

• Comprises individual, relational, collective, and potentially online aspects of identity.

Influences on Self-Concept

• Roles played.
• Social identities formed.
• Comparisons made with others.
• Surrounding culture.

Self and Culture

• Individualism (independence, uniqueness is valued)
• Collectivism (group harmony, interdependence are valued)

Independent vs. Interdependent View of Self

• Diagrams illustrate varying cultural and societal conceptions of the self. The independent view portrays the self as separate from others (with individuals around it)
• The interdependent view portrays the self as connected to others (with individuals overlapping into the self).

Self-Knowledge

• Includes explaining one's behavior, predicting future behavior and feelings, and remembering oneself.

Self-Esteem

• Self-esteem is defined (not described).
• Threats to self-esteem are not explained or described.

Dark Side of Self-Esteem

• Low and high self-esteem both have potential drawbacks.
• Maintaining self-image can be a significant motivator even when accuracy is questionable.

Self-Efficacy

• Self-efficacy is defined (not described).

Learned Helplessness

• Learned helplessness is defined (not described).

Self-Serving Bias

• Self-serving bias is defined (not described). Includes self-serving attributions (making favorable explanations for success, and unfavorable explanations for failure) and self-handicapping.

False Consensus Effect and False Uniqueness

• False consensus effect is defined (not described). It describes our tendency to overestimate the degree to which others share our opinions and behaviors.
• False uniqueness is defined (not described).

Self-Presentation & Impression Management

• Self-presentation: Influencing perceptions of others.
• Self-monitoring: Adjusting behavior to fit different social situations.

Summary of the Self

• Multiple factors influence how we view ourselves.
• We strive to maintain a positive self-image, which can be influenced more by factors than accuracy.