Self-Knowledge and Identity Concepts

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following is NOT a method of self-knowledge?

Temporal comparison

Self-perception theory (correct)

Social identity comparison

Social comparison

According to self-awareness theory, what can happen when our behavior doesn't match up with our standards and values?

We experience a heightened sense of self-esteem.

We become more self-conscious and may try to change our behavior. (correct)

We may feel more comfortable in social situations.

We become less aware of our surroundings and our own actions.

Which of the following concepts BEST describes the idea that our self-concept includes not only who we are but also who we aspire to be?

Self-esteem

Possible selves (correct)

Self-schema

Looking-glass self

If you were asked to fill in the blank 'I am ______' ten times, what would you be creating a representation of?

Self-concept Signup and view all the answers

What is the self-reference effect?

The tendency to remember information better if it is related to ourselves. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of an interdependent self?

Focus on personal achievement and fulfillment. Signup and view all the answers

When people engage in upward social comparison, what are they likely to do?

Compare themselves to people who are better off than them. Signup and view all the answers

What does the 'looking-glass self' refer to?

Our perception of how others view us. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of self-serving bias in performance evaluation?

Attributing failure to external circumstances Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes false modesty?

Downplaying achievements to fit societal norms Signup and view all the answers

What behavior is associated with self-handicapping?

Avoiding challenging tasks to maintain a self-image Signup and view all the answers

How does self-complexity affect an individual's self-concept?

It results in distinct and separate domains of self-identity. Signup and view all the answers

What role does unrealistic optimism play in self-perception?

It encourages individuals to underestimate personal risks. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main concept of self-perception theory?

Behavior is observed to infer feelings and attitudes. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement reflects false consensus regarding behavior?

Many individuals believe their opinions are shared by most others. Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential negative effect of self-esteem on an individual’s behavior?

Overconfidence leading to risky decisions. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The self is comprised of several components:
- Self-concept: Who am I?
- Self-knowledge: How can I explain and predict myself?
- Self-esteem: My sense of self-worth
- Social self: My roles (student, family member, friend), and group identity

Self-Concept Continued

Self-concept includes self-schemas and possible selves.
Self-esteem is an important idea related to self-concept.

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness depends on the amount of attention focused on oneself.
Seeing oneself in a mirror or on video can influence self-awareness.
The self-awareness theory (Duval & Wicklund, 1972) explains how observing one's own behavior influences thoughts and feelings.
Comparing one's behavior to standards and values can impact self-awareness.

Self-Knowledge

Self-knowledge encompasses social comparison (upward and downward), temporal comparison.
Understanding social identity versus personal identity.
Others' judgments of us (looking-glass self), explaining behavior, and predicting behavior and feelings.

Self and Culture

Individualism is characterized by an independent self, a stable self-concept, and personal self-esteem.
Collectivism features an interdependent self, a malleable self-concept, and relational self-esteem.
Cultural factors influence how we see ourselves in relation to others (Markus & Kitayama, 1991).

Self-Serving Bias

Self-serving bias: Attributing success to ability and effort, and failure to luck or external factors.
Explaining positive and negative events: People tend to attribute successes to internal reasons and failures to external reasons.
Situations combining skill and chance are most likely to reveal self-serving bias.
Most people exhibit self-serving bias.
Self-serving bias also occurs when people compare themselves to others, seeing themselves as better than average in subjective and desirable traits.

Self-Serving Bias II

Self-serving bias is evident in how people compare themselves to others.
People generally perceive themselves as better than average.
People often assign more importance to things they are good at and downplay things they are not good at.

Self-Serving Bias III

Unrealistic optimism is a form of self-serving bias.
False consensus and false uniqueness: Overestimating the commonality of our behaviors and underestimating the uniqueness of our positive traits.
Individuals often make themselves feel better by over- or underestimating the commonality of their behavior.

Self-Presentation

Do people always believe self-enhancing remarks?
False modesty
Examples include "I look awful today" – "no, you don't, you look great!"
Other examples of false modesty.

Self-Presentation II

Impression management: Continuously managing the impressions we create by self-presentation, self-monitoring, and self-handicapping.
Self-handicapping: Protecting one's self-image by creating excuses for potential failure.

Thinking About the Self

Self-complexity: Different ways of seeing oneself.
High complexity means important aspects are distinct; low complexity implies overlap.
Identity interference: Conflict between important social identities.

Inferring Who We Are From How We Behave: Self-Perception Theory

Self-perception theory (Bem, 1972): Inferring attitudes and feelings by observing one's own behavior.
Uncertain attitudes and feelings are inferred through observation of behaviors and situational contexts.

Self-Esteem

Self-esteem: What is it?
Measurement of self-esteem, including the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (most common).
Explicit measures versus subtle measures (e.g., implicit association test, IAT).

Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale

A scale to measure self-esteem.
Reverse-scored items are calculated to determine an average score.

Self-evaluation maintenance model (Tesser, 1988): Maintaining a positive self-view by distancing oneself from others who perform better.
Moving closer to others who fare comparably is a component of this model.

Social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979): Responding to our group identity.
When our group identity is salient, we tend to associate with positive in-group members while distancing ourselves from those who make our social identity negative.

Readings

Markus and Kitayama (1991) article on culture and the self.

Studying That Suits You

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Description

Test your understanding of self-knowledge and identity concepts. This quiz explores theories such as self-awareness, the looking-glass self, and the self-reference effect. Challenge yourself with questions designed to deepen your insights into self-concept and social comparison.