Social Psychology Outline

Chapter 4: What is the Self?

Presented to:
LLOYD SAJOL, MPsy

Presented by:
Albasin, Lee Anne Kristyl
Dotillos, Hannah Marie
Dultra, Ricardo Berlino
Fuertes, Julie Andrei
Gonzaga, Sheena Jay
Malintad, Jhoyry
Pillotes, Jan Marie
Salles, Quenie
Saniatan, Mayka
 Chapter 4 What is the Self?
Remarks Definition Terms
4.1 What Is The Self: The Self As Thinker And The Thought Knowing Oneself: The Self-Concept
Set of beliefs a person has about the characteristics
Self-Concept
she or he possesses
Cognitive structures that organize knowledge about
particular objects of thought, such as concepts, Schemas
experiences, or roles
Schema that organizes information about oneself
Self-Schema
with respect to specific domains of one’s life
4.1.1 Self-Discrepancy Theory and Possible Selves
Understanding of oneself and is closely tied up to
Actual Self
our self-concept
Image of a hypothetical self that possesses the
Ideal Self
qualities and features that a person’s wishes he had
Image of a hypothetical self who a person believes
Ought Self
important others think he or she should be
4.2 Knowing Who We Are: Introspection And Self-Perception
4.2.1 Introspection
Looking internally at the self to examine who one is,
Introspection
how one feels, and so forth
4.2.2 Self Perception
Idea that peoples sometimes infer their own
attitudes in the same way that a third party might Self-Perception Theory
infer their attitudes: by watching their behavior
Desire to engage in a behavior simply because it is
Intrinsic Motivation
interesting or enjoyable
 Desire to perform a behavior as a result of external
Extrinsic Motivation
rewards or pressures
4.2.3 How Facial Expression can Affect your Emotions
When one’s intrinsic motivation—such as enjoyment
experienced by simply enacting the behavior—is Overjustification Effect
weakened by the presence of extrinsic motivation
Idea that people infer their feelings from their facial Facial Feedback
expressions Hypothesis
4.3 Doing Research: Questioning Self-Reports and Surveys
Self-reports are often accurate and can be very
useful, particularly when the information sought is
Self- Reports
noncontroversial and the respondent is unlikely to
wish to hide his answers from the researcher
Unintended variations in question responses that
stem from procedural aspects or features of the
Response Effects
survey instrument, such as the wording of a
question or the order of the questions
Tendency to agree with or say “yes” to questions Acquiescence Bias
Tendency to provide answers that are at the
Extremity Bias
extremes of the response options
Variations in responding because of survey features
Context Effects
encountered prior to answering a question
Questionnaires that consist entirely of self-report
items that can be administered on paper, computer, Surveys
online, or in interviews
4.4 Evaluating How We Are Doing
4.4.1 Self- Esteem
 An overall positive or negative evaluation of oneself.
Self-esteem is a multifaceted construct, as you may
have different evaluations of yourself regarding
Self- Esteem
various elements of your personality, social skills,
and competencies, with more weight given to those
that are important to you
Idea that people have a psychological mechanism—
the sociometer—that assesses the strength and
Sociometer Hypothesis
importance of social relationships and that these
relationships strongly influence self-esteem
4.4.2 Self-Enhancement
Idea that people will evaluate how they are doing
Theory of Social
using subjective standards when objective
Comparison Processes
standards are not available
Monitoring how one is doing and adjusting one’s
behavior accordingly in an effort to be liked by Social Comparison
important others
Postulates that a person typically only makes social
Self-Evaluation
comparisons when this will improve her or his self-
Maintenance Model (SEM)
evaluation
4.4.3 Social Comparison: Looking Up and Looking Down
Efforts intended to maintain or defend one’s positive
Self-Protection
self-image
Efforts designed to enhance one’s self-image Self-Promotion
4.4.4 False Consensus and False Uniqueness
Believing that one’s opinions or behaviors are more
False Consensus Effect
common than they actually are
Holding incorrect beliefs about how different one is
False Uniqueness Effect
from others
Judging that one is above average on most Better-Than-Average
desirable characteristics Effect
4.5 Self-Presentation: Displaying Oneself

The extent to which people chronically think about

how they appear to others and, as a consequence,
change their appearance and behavior to fit the
circumstances

 Bias Blind Spot - believing that one is immune

to cognitive biases that affect others Self-Monitoring
 Interpersonal Self - way we present ourselves
to other people
 Impression Management - efforts to project the
image of the self that a person wants others to
have

Spotlight Effect - overestimation of the extent to

which other people are observing and noticing one The Spotlight Effect and
Illusion of Transparency - incorrect belief that the Illusion of
others can “read” our emotions or detect our lies Transparency
merely by looking at our facial expressions

Refers to attempts to get particular persons to like

us, and ingratiation tactics include flattery, providing Getting Them to Like Me:
favors and gifts, agreeing with them, emphasizing Ingratiation
that person’s positive qualities, and acting modestly
Getting Them to
Refers to efforts designed to convince others of
Appreciate Me: Self-
one’s competence
Promotion
Arranging events that may reduce one’s likelihood I Failed But I Am Still
of success but also protect one’s self-esteem by Competent! Self-
serving as excuses for possible failure Handicapping
4.6 Self-Regulation: Controlling Oneself
The capacity of the self to control our internal states
and responses, including thoughts, feelings, and Self-Regulation
behavior
 Mental energy needed to change the activities of the
Willpower
self to meet the desired standards

4.6.1 Self-Control Failure and Ironic Processes

Trying to control one’s thoughts or behavior in a way
Ironic Process of Mental
that produces the very thoughts or behavior that one
Control
is trying to avoid
4.7 Confirming the Self: Self-Verification
Seeking information that will confirm one’s self-
Self-Verification
concept
Feeling good about oneself was more important
than confirming the self, and obtaining accurate A Clash of Motives?
feedback was least important

The self presents a bit of a paradox: It is defined as

Final Thoughts: The
the experience of the self, suggesting that it is
Paradox of The Self
independent, stable, and coherent