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Basic Concepts. William James (1890) I – self as knower, experiencer, present tense, story teller Vs. Me – self as known, experienced, past tense, story. Me – Self Concept. Components of Me: Physical – awareness of appearance Social – awareness of others’ perceptions
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Basic Concepts • William James (1890) I – self as knower, experiencer, present tense, story teller Vs. Me – self as known, experienced, past tense, story
Me – Self Concept Components of Me: Physical – awareness of appearance Social – awareness of others’ perceptions Spiritual – awareness of qualities, attributes
Self-schema • Organized set of constructs pertaining to ones self • Research emphasis is on processing information Republicans masculine Jogs Fred Athletic No quiche Tennis beer Pizza
Personality and the Self Basic Issues and Processes
Self schema • Effects • Perceptions of others • Use central traits in perceiving others • Self memory • Recall schema-consistent behaviors • Depression • Enhanced memory negative self-relevant information
Self-schema and Depression • Derry & Kuiper – • Memory for depressed/neutral content Hospitalized Hospitalized Non- Depressed Non-depressed Depressed Depressed .41 .18 .08 Neutral .10 .36 .43 Cause or effect? Depressed biased or realistic?
Self-Esteem Different from self-concept? Evaluation of attributes multiplied by their importance. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale Mean = 29.7; Quartiles = 27/35
Self Esteem Issues • Stable or Unstable? • Individual Differences – Narcissism • Implicit – Explicit self esteem divergence • Self complexity – More facets – more stable • high self-complexity can be a buffer for the effects of stress (stress-illness correlation smaller for high self-complexity)
Self Esteem Issues • Does high self esteem have positive benefits? • California self esteem funding Academic?
High self esteem Crime? Risky behaviors (drugs, etc.)?
High self esteem Interpersonal relations? Job performance?
High Self esteem Subjective Well Being (Happiness) Depression Strong negative correlation Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) Median = 7. Mild: 15-20; Moderate: 21-32 SE – BDI correlation: r = -.5
Self Esteem and Depression Why SE – Depression relationship? Self esteem as buffer Adaptability of positive illusions (Taylor & Brown) self-appraisals match the appraisals of others fewer self-serving attributions for success or failures
Self-Esteem and Depression • Self-discrepancy theory (Higgins); relationship due to real-ideal discrepancy • Real Self • Ideal Self – who we would like to be (hopes, wishes, dreams) • Ought self – who we should be (duty, responsibility, obligation)
Self-discrepancy theory • failure to live up to: own - guilt oughts anxiety others - shame own - disappointment depression ideals others - lack of pride
Self and Culture • Major Cultural Dimension (transmitted): • Individualism – Individuals’ goals have priority • Vs. • Collectivism – Groups’ goals have priority
Self and Culture • Individualism = Independent self • Collectivism = interdependent self Mother Friend Friend Self Mother Self Friend Friend
Self and Culture • Cultural Differences in Self Reflected in Language: • Independent/individualist: • 1st person singular pronoun • Non pro-drop (pronouns usually required) • Family name last • Interdependent/collectivist: • Pronouns marked for relationship • Pro-drop (pronouns optional) • Family name first
Self and Culture • Selected Manifestations of Cultural Differences in Self: Imaging (Zhu et al.): MPFC activated for judgments of self/mother for Chinese Fundamental Attribution Error – Independent self focus on dispositions Locus of Control – Independent self and internal locus of control
Development of Self (Me) • How and When does Self-Concept Develop? • Awareness of Physical Self at 18-24 mos. • Development as Social Process (Mead) • Reciprocal Role-Taking • Imagine how perceived by others (social me) • Some feedback but misinterpretations possible • Generalized Other: Me = sense of how perceived by people in general • Self concept dependent on others
Development of Self (Me) • Evidence for Self as Social Construct • Humans/chimps raised in isolation • Myamoto & Dornbush • Collect ratings of: • Beliefs about how perceived by specific others (e.g. other frat. members) • Beliefs about how perceived by people in general • How one is actually perceived by others (other frat. members) • Self ratings
Development of Self (Me) • Evidence for Self as Social Construct • Mere presence (Morse & Gergen): • Male Ps apply for job • Complete application forms including self esteem measure • Another job applicant (confederate) enters • Mr. Clean: • self esteem drops Mr. Dirty: • self esteem increases • Social comparison and Instability
Development of Self • Entirely Dependent on Others? • Strategies for Lessening Influence of Others: • Choose with whom to interact • Prefer self-consistent or positive feedback? • Choose with whom to compare • Downward social comparison • Behavioral Confirmation • Swan study: • Dominant and submissive Ps given contradictory feedback • Act to confirm self view
Self Presentation • Ervin Goffman (self-presentation/impression management) • Act so as to convey desired image (Behavioral Confirmation) • Personality = performance (no internal traits) • “All the worlds a stage, • And all the men and women merely players” • Self influenced by others’ perceptions; but actively strive to influence others’ perceptions
Goffman’s Theory of Self Presentation Everything we do carries identity implications (can be used in impression formation) • Choices regarding personal appearance, room appearance, consumer products, etc. • Gosling and Music choices: • Blues, jazz, classical and folk: "reflective and complex" • Heavy metal and alternative: "intense and rebellious“ • rap/hip-hop, soul/funk: "energetic and rhythmic” • Cannot not communicate • Social media – Extreme self-presentation? • Image presented on Facebook real or ideal?
Goffman’s Theory of Self Presentation People take implications into account in order to convey a particular image • Habitual/automatic and Conscious/deliberate • Always self presenting? Exceptions? • Positive images only? • Braginsky, Braginsky, & Ring • Schizophrenia and self-presentation • Interview for release or backward