5 2 2014 PSYC 2101 Notes Microsoft OneNote Web App The Self Ch 6 Sunday March 23 2014 7 06 PM Self Concept Self concept an organized collection of beliefs about the self Developed from past experiences Personality traits goals attributes features values goals social roles Distinct thoughts and feelings associated with each Different self concepts based on dimensions that are important to us Dimensions of self concept worth example Many actually disappear Neglecting other aspects Get information not living up to standard no buffer to understand Self Concept Possible selves conceptions about the type of person someone may become in the future Derived from past experiences current behavior future expectations Help one to envision and achieve life goals More attune to goal related information and practice relevant skills May represent things you wish to avoid fear happening Can be negative Self Discrepancies Mismatch between the self perceptions that make up the actual self ideal self and ought self Actual Self Qualities you believe you actually possess Ideal Self characteristics you would like to have Ought Self traits you believe you should possess Self esteem partially determined by degree that one is living up to their personal standards Difference between actual and ideal Dejection related emotions Sadness disappointment Hopelessness so distant from ideal self Difference between actual and ought Agitation Related emotions Anxiety guild irritability Coping with Self Discrepancies Everyone experiences them 3 important factors help determine the impact of discrepancies on self concept self esteem Amount of discrepancy Level of awareness Degree of importance Bring actual behavior more in line with idea self https onedrive live com edit aspx resid 7AF35F2B369F2BE4 1552 cid 7af35f2b369f2be4 app OneNote wdo 2 1 5 5 2 2014 PSYC 2101 Notes Microsoft OneNote Web App Make ideal more realistic by considering actual abilities These are adaptive strategies Social Comparison Theory Festinger 1954 Compare ourselves with others to assess their our abilities and opinions to improve skills and maintain self image Ego enhancing or ego depleting Upward social comparisons or downward social comparisons Can be self comparisons Reference Group set of people who are used as a gauge in making social comparisons Usually overly positive Usually see self in better light better than average effect Ex rate how sociable usually higher than actual Other Factors Shaping Self Concept Feedback from others Early in life parents and family members Adolescence peers Adults close friends and partners Michelangelo phenomenon Someone who cares about you sees you as your ideal self can bring out these qualities Feedback is always filtered through one s own self perception Don t see yourself exactly as others see you Usually reinforces self views Confirmation bias Social Context Do you act the same in all situations No Impression you want to make changes in each situation Portray different impressions of yourself in varied contexts Cultural Values Society helps shape what is desirable in personality and behavior Meeting cultural expectations increases in self esteem Ex Facebook Self Esteem Overall assessment of your worth as a person based on the many aspects of yourself A global evaluation High self esteem confident take credit for successes have a relatively stable identity Low self esteem tendency to be confused tentative Less complete sense of self More susceptible to fluctuations Trait Self esteem ongoing sense of confidence regarding abilities and characteristics Stable develop as a child https onedrive live com edit aspx resid 7AF35F2B369F2BE4 1552 cid 7af35f2b369f2be4 app OneNote wdo 2 2 5 5 2 2014 PSYC 2101 Notes Microsoft OneNote Web App State self esteem how you feel about yourself in the moment Dynamic and changeable Benefits of High Self Esteem Happier Perceive themselves to be more likable and attractive and to have better more trusting relationships More likely to speak in group settings Cope better with setbacks and failure Self Perpetuating Cycle Low Self Esteem Negative Expectations Low effort high anxiety Failure Self Blame Motives guiding Self Understanding Goal to understand ourselves Based on four motives Assessment Verification Improvement Enhancement 1 Assessment We seek feedback about personal qualities abilities physical features etc Accurate information about this helps to set goals and behave in appropriate ways Self assessment can be flawed unaware of this 2 Verification Self Verification Theory people are driven towards and prefer information that confirms their self view Impact on treatment progress Seek information that matches their self view 3 Improvement 4 Enhancement We seek to better ourselves Look to successful others for motivation Advertising plays on this motive e g before vs after photos Tendency to maintain positive feelings about oneself several methods Better than average Estimate your performance as above average Illusions of Control People overestimate their degree of control over outcomes Picking your lucky numbers on the lotto ticket Falsely believe can influence outcome of random events Unrealistic optimism about future events e g Health Methods of Self Enhancement Downward Social Comparison defensive tendency to compare oneself with someone whose troubles are more serious than one s own At least my situation is better an https onedrive live com edit aspx resid 7AF35F2B369F2BE4 1552 cid 7af35f2b369f2be4 app OneNote wdo 2 3 5 5 2 2014 PSYC 2101 Notes Microsoft OneNote Web App Self Serving Bias tendency to attribute one s success to personal factors and one s failure to situational factors Good grade on a test I m so smart Bad grade on a test That test was hard Basking in reflected glory enhancement of one s image announcing association with those who are successful Name Dropping bragging about friends team Flip side cutting off reflective failure Protect their self esteem by distancing themselves from those who are unsuccessful We Won vs They Lost Self Handicapping sabotaging one s performance to provide an excuse for potential failure Not preparing for an interview rejection is due to lack of preparation rather than ability Defensive Pessimism Self Regulation Defensive pessimism identifying the worst possible outcome and subsequently working to ensure it doesn t happen Essentially catastrophizing S R the process of directing and controlling one s behavior Important for