The Social Self

1
Chapter 3

• The Social Self

2
The Role of the Self

• Capacity for self-reflection is necessary for
  self-understanding
• Private, inner self
• Self is heavily influenced by social factors.
• Public, outer self

3
The ABCs of the Self

• Affect How do we evaluate ourselves, enhance our
  self-images, and defend against threats to our
  self-esteem?
• Behavior How do we regulate our actions and
  present ourselves according to interpersonal
  demands?
• Cognition How do we come to know ourselves,
  develop a self-concept, and maintain a stable
  sense of identity?

4
The Self-Concept

• Self is an important object of our attention.
• Cocktail party effect.
• Self-Concept The sum total of beliefs that
  people have about themselves.
• Self-concept is made up of self-schemas.
• Self-Schema Beliefs about oneself that guide
  processing of self-relevant information.

5
Introspection

• Self-knowledge through looking inward at ones
  own thoughts and feelings. Looking glass self.
• But does introspection always lead to accurate
  self-knowledge?
• Wilson (2002) Introspection can sometimes impair
  self-knowledge! How?
• We have difficulty in predicting responses to
  future emotional events.
• Affective Forecasting
• We tend to overestimate the strength and duration
  of our emotional reactions.
• For negative events, we do not fully appreciate
  our psychological coping mechanisms.
• We focus only on the emotional impact of a single
  event, overlooking the effects of other life
  experiences.

6
Perceptions of Our Own Behavior How do we know?

• Daryl Bem (1972) People can learn about
  themselves simply by watching their own behavior.
• Self-Perception Theory When internal cues are
  difficult to interpret, people gain insight by
  observing their own behavior.
• But only in the absence of compelling situational
  pressures.

7
Self-Perceptions of Emotion/ Affect

• Facial Feedback Hypothesis Changes in facial
  expression can lead to changes in the subjective
  experience of emotions.
• Laird (1974) Facial expressions affect emotion
  through process of self-perception.
• Alternative explanation Facial movements evoke
  physiological changes that produce an emotional
  experience.

8
Self-Perceptions of Motivation

• Intrinsic versus Extrinsic Motivation.
• Intrinsic Motivation Originates in factors
  within a person
• Extrinsic Motivation Originates in factors
  outside the person
• What happens to intrinsic motivation once a
  reward is no longer available?
• Overjustification effect
• Should rewards be offered?

9
Social Comparison Theory

• Festinger (1954) When uncertain about our
  abilities or opinions, we evaluate self through
  comparisons with similar others.
• Key Questions
• When do we turn to others for comparative
  information?
• With whom do we choose to compare ourselves?

10
Cultural Influences on the Self-Concept

• Self-concept is also influenced by cultural
  factors.
• Contrasting cultural orientations
• Individualism Ones culture values the virtues
  of independence, autonomy, and self-reliance.
• Collectivism Ones culture values the virtues of
  interdependence, cooperation, and social harmony.

11
Why Do We Havea Need for Self-Esteem?

• Self-esteem Affective component of self,
  consisting of a persons positive and negative
  self-evaluations
• Satisfying this need is critical to our entire
  outlook on life.
• Those with a positive self-image tend to be
  happy, healthy, productive, and successful.
• Those with a negative self-image tend to be more
  depressed, pessimistic about the future, and
  prone to failure.
• But does high self-esteem ensure desirable life
  outcomes?

12
Self-Regulation

• Self-regulation is the process by which we seek
  to control or alter our thoughts, feelings,
  behaviors, and urges.
• Is self-control a limited resource that can
  temporarily be depleted by usage?
• How much control do we
• have? Ironic self control

13
God Like a Camera in the Sky?

• For people of faith, thinking about God should
  trigger a state of self-focus in the way that
  cameras and microphones do.

14
Mechanisms of Self-Enhancement

• How does the average person cope with his or her
  faults, inadequacies, and uncertain future?
• We often exhibit implicit egotism, a tendency to
  hold ourselves in high regard.
• What methods do we use to rationalize or
  otherwise enhance our self-esteem?
• The Better-Than-Average Effect.

15
Self-Handicapping

• Why do we make excuses?
• Way of protecting self from seeing failure as due
  to a lack of ability.
• Self-Handicapping Behaviors designed to sabotage
  ones own performance in order to provide a
  subsequent excuse for failure.

16
Downward Social Comparison

• When self-esteem is at stake, we tend to make
  comparisons with others who are worse off.
• Will make temporal comparisons between past and
  present selves.
• If experiencing a tragic life event, we tend to
• Affiliate with others in same predicament who are
  adjusting well (possible role models).
• Compare ourselves with others who are worse off.

17
Are Positive Illusions Adaptive?

• Those with the most realistic view of themselves
  are those who are depressed or low in
  self-esteem.
• Positive illusions are health-protective
  psychological resources that help people cope
  with adversity.
• But, positive illusions can lead to chronic
  patterns of self-defeating behaviors.