Communication and Identity: Creating and Presenting the Self

1. Communication and Identity:Creating and Presenting the Self • Chapter Summary • Communication and the Self-Concept • Biological and Social Roots of the Self • Characteristics of the Self-Concept • Influences on Identity • Presenting the Self • Public and Private • Characteristics of Identity Management Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

2. Communication and theSelf-Concept • The Self-Concept • A relatively stable set of perceptions you hold about yourself • Not only your physical self but your emotional states, talents, likes, dislikes, values roles, etc. • Self-esteem • Part of your self-concept • Involves evaluation of self worth Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

3. Communication and theSelf-Concept • The Self-Concept • People who feel good about themselves will have positive expectations about how they communicate. FIGURE 2.1 The Relationship between Self-Esteem and Communication Behavior Page 43 Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

4. Communication and theSelf-Concept • Biology and the Self • Personality • Tends to be stable throughout your life • To a large degree is part of our genetic makeup • Biology accounts for: extroversion, shyness, assertiveness, verbal aggression and willingness to communicate. • Table 2.1 on page 44 shows five major personality traits. Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

5. Communication and theSelf-Concept • Socialization and the Self-Concept • Reflected Appraisal • Each of us develops a self-concept that reflects the way we believe others see us. • Children are not born with a sense of identity. • Positive and negative evaluations become the mirror by which we know ourselves. • Anyone whose opinion you value can leave an imprint. Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

6. Communication and theSelf-Concept • Socialization and the Self-Concept • Social Comparison • Evaluating ourselves in terms of how we compare to others • We decide if we are Superior or Inferior • “Attractive or Ugly,” “Success or Failure,” “Intelligent or Stupid” • These comparisons positively or negatively affect our self-concept. • Social comparison can be dangerous. • Reference groups play an important role. Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

7. Communication and theSelf-Concept • Characteristics of the Self-Concept • The self-concept can be subjective. • A distorted self-evaluation occurs for several reasons: • Obsolete Information • Distorted Feedback • Emphasis on Perfection • Social Expectations • Self-esteem may be based on inaccurate thinking. Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

8. Communication and theSelf-Concept • Characteristics of the Self-Concept • Cognitive Conservatism • The tendency to seek and attend information that conforms with an existing self-concept. • The self-concept is resistant to change. • Inaccurate self-concepts can lead to self-delusion and lack of growth. • Inaccuracies are hard to maintain and lead to defensiveness. • Communicators are reluctant to downgrade a favorable image. Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

9. Communication and theSelf-Concept • Culture, Gender and Identity • Culture • Individualistic vs. Collectivistic • Self-concept is influenced by culture. • Different culturally influenced self-concepts can clash. • In collective societies, there tends to be a higher degree of communication. Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

10. Communication and theSelf-Concept • Culture, Gender and Identity • Sex and gender • Being male or female shapes the way people communicate with you. • Pronouns with gender • Boys - focus is on size, strength and activity • Girls - focus is on beauty and sweetness • What happens when they switch? • Self-esteem is influenced by gender. Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

11. Communication and theSelf-Concept • The Self-fulfilling Prophecy The self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when a person’s expectation of an event, and their subsequent behavior based on those expectations, make the event more likely to occur. • The Four Stages • Holding an expectation • Behaving in accordance with that expectation • The expectation coming to pass • Reinforcing the original expectation Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

12. Communication and theSelf-Concept • Types of Self-fulfilling Prophecies • Self-imposed prophecies • Your own expectations influence your behavior. • Thinking that you will fail • “I’m going to screw this up.” or “It’s not going to work.” • Prophecies imposed by others • Others’ expectations influence your behavior. • All opinions you value can cause this prophecy. • Pygmalion in the Classroom Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

13. Communication and theSelf-Concept • Changing your Self-concept • Have a realistic perception of yourself. • Have realistic expectations. • Have the will to change. • Have the skill to change. Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

14. Communication as Identity Management • Public and Private Selves • Identity Management • Each of us has a multitude of identities. • Perceived Self (private self) • A reflection of the self-concept • Presenting Self (public self) • The way we want others to view us Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

15. Communication as Identity Management • Characteristics of Identity Management • We strive to create multiple identities: • “Helping friend,” “joking office mate,” “loving child” • Identity Management • Can be deliberate or unconscious • Is collaborative • Varies by situation • People differ in their degree of identity management. Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

16. Communication as Identity Management • Why we Manage Identities • To start and manage relationships • You may appear charming or confident even if you’re not. • To gain compliance of others • How do you dress when you go to work or to traffic court? • To save other’s face • You mask your discomfort to save another’s feelings. Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

17. Communication as Identity Management • How do we Manage Identities • Face-to-face impression management • Manner consists of words and non-verbal actions. • Doctors will change their impression management depending on which part of the examination they may be doing. • Appearance shapes impression: • Clothing, Tattoos, Jewelry, etc. • Setting also influences how others may view us. Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

18. Communication as Identity Management • Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) • Slight limitations over other communication channels • More control over managing your identity • CMC also gives individuals the ability to broadcast their identity in a way traditional communication can’t: • MySpace, FaceBook and Friendster Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

19. Communication as Identity Management • Identity Management and Honesty • Some manage identity dishonestly: • Misrepresenting yourself to date • Job applicants who lie about academic records • Salespeople who pretend to be dedicated to customer service • Managing identity does not make you a liar. • Although seemingly manipulative, it is authentic communication. • Can you imagine not managing your identities? Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition

20. Communication and Identity:Creating and Presenting the Self • Chapter Summary • Communication and the Self-Concept • Biological and Social Roots of the Self • Characteristics of the Self-Concept • Influences on Identity • Presenting the Self • Public and Private • Characteristics of Identity Management Looking Out, Looking In 12th Edition