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Personality and the Self

Personality and the Self. Basic Issues and Processes. Basic Concepts. William James 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

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Personality and the Self

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  1. Personality and the Self Basic Issues and Processes

  2. Basic Concepts • William James I – self as knower, experiencer, present tense, story teller Vs. Me – self as known, experienced, past tense, story

  3. Me – Self Concept Components of Me: Physical – awareness of appearance Social – awareness of others’ perceptions Spiritual – awareness of qualities, attributes

  4. Elephant self awareness

  5. 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

  6. Self schema • Effects • Perceptions of others • Use central traits in perceiving others • Self memory • Recall schema-consistent behaviors

  7. Self-Esteem Different from self-concept? Evaluation Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale Mean = 29.2; Quartiles = 25/34

  8. Self Esteem Issues • Stable or Unstable? • Individual Differences • Self complexity

  9. Self Esteem Issues • Does high self esteem have positive benefits? • California self esteem funding Academic?

  10. High self esteem Crime? Risky behaviors (drugs, etc.)?

  11. High self esteem Interpersonal relations? Job performance?

  12. High Self esteem Subjective Well Being (Happiness) Depression

  13. Self Esteem and Depression Why SE – Depression relationship? Self esteem as buffer Self-discrepancy theory (Higgins); relationship due to real-ideal discrepancy Real Self Ideal Self Ought self

  14. Self and Culture • Major Cultural Dimension (transmitted): • Individualism – Individuals’ goals have priority • Vs. • Collectivism – Groups’ goals have priority

  15. Self and Culture • Individualism = Independent self • Collectivism = interdependent self Mother Friend Friend Self Mother Self Friend Friend

  16. 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

  17. Self and Culture • Selected Manifestations of Cultural Differences in Self: • Fundamental Attribution Error • Cognitive Dissonance • Locus of Control

  18. 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

  19. 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

  20. 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 • Mr. Dirty • Social comparison and Instability

  21. 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

  22. 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

  23. Goffman’s Theory of Self Presentation • 1. 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

  24. Goffman’s Theory of Self Presentation • 2. 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

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