Exam 2: Self

Question 1

Self-Reference Effect

Answer 1

-Idea that it’s easier to remember things that relate to yourself

Question 2

Historical Changes in Self

Answer 2

• Self has become more complex
• Increased importance of self
• Increased pressures on self

Question 3

Past (Historical Changes)

Answer 3

• Self defined by family & social position
• Marriage arranged by parents/family
• Divorce not possible
• Careers determined early in life
• Stayed in one place

Question 4

Present (Historical Changes)

Answer 4

• Not constrained by extended family
• Choose relationships & can change
• Choose careers & can change
• Mobility
• Social status can change

Question 5

Self-Concept

Answer 5

• Set of beliefs people have about their personal attributes/traits
• Private Self: how you understand yourself
• Public Self: how you are perceived by others
• Collective Self: membership in social groups
• Cultures vary in the emphasis of each

Question 6

Western/Independent (Self-Concept)

Answer 6

• Independent = individualistic
• Emphasis on private self
• Value independence & uniqueness
• Behavior defined by own thoughts & feelings
• Emphasize separateness & autonomy
• Value sincerity, congruence between public & private
• Being true to yourself

Question 7

Eastern/Interdependent (Self-Concept)

Answer 7

• Interdependent = collectivist
• Emphasize public & collective selves
• Focus on conforming to the group
• Define self in relation to others
• Behavior determined by others’ thoughts, feeling, & behaviors
• Emphasize interconnectedness
• Behave properly, regardless of personal thoughts
• Concerned with norms of the group

Question 8

How Do We Come to Know Ourselves? (4)

Answer 8

• Introspection: thinking about the self
• Self-Perception Theory: understand our behavior by understanding others’
• Mindset About Self: growth vs. fixed
• Social Interactions

Question 9

Introspection (Know Ourselves)

Answer 9

• Thinking about the self
• Not frequent activity

Self-Awareness Theory

• Focus and reflect on & think about self
• Compare self to internal standard (who we wish to be)
• Discrepancy may be positive or negative
• If negative, seek to reduce discrepancy by changing behavior
• Or, feel bad about self & seek to avoid self-awareness

Question 10

Trait Self-Awareness (Self-Awareness Theory, Introspection, Know Ourselves)

Answer 10

• Personality
• Private self-consciousness: tendency to introspect/ruminate about self
• Public self-consciousness: attend to others’ perceptions of self

Question 11

State Self-Awareness (Self-Awareness Theory, Introspection, Know Ourselves)

Answer 11

• Increases inhibitions
• Increases honest behavior
• Increases correspondence between attitude and behavior
• Can perpetuate depression

Question 12

Introspecting Reasons for Self: Problems (Introspection, Know Ourselves)

Answer 12

• Analyzing reasons for feelings/behaviors can lead to attitude change/questioning
• May bring to mind reasons that are not accurate but easy to verbalize
• Convince self into believing that attitude matches the reasons

Question 13

Self-Perception Theory (Know Ourselves)

Answer 13

• Used to understand own behavior just as we understand others’ behavior
• When uncertain about attitude, observe own behavior and infer attitude
• Can be used to explain overjustification effect

Question 14

Overjustification Effect (Self-Perception Theory, Know Ourselves)

Answer 14

• When extrinsic rewards undermine intrinsic motivation
• When you already love doing something & then someone rewards you for it, you think that you don’t actually like it intrinsically
• If someone already enjoys/loves doing something, don’t reward them!
• Rewards are acceptable when…
  a. there’s no intrinsic interest
  b. performance dependent rather than task dependent (But can increase stress)
• Can provide immunity to overjustification effect by focusing on intrinsic motivation

Question 15

Mindset About Self (Know Ourselves)

Answer 15

Entity Theory (Fixed)

• Ability is fixed, cannot be changed
• Goals are good performance outcomes
• Born with certain amount of ability
• If you don’t succeed, you believe you have no ability so you stop trying
• American culture/belief

Incremental Theory (Growth)

• Ability can be changed
• Goal is to learn
• Focus more on the process
• If you don’t succeed, you keep trying
• Asian culture/belief

Question 16

Implications/Conclusions of Mindset on Achievement (Mindset About Self, Know Ourselves)

Answer 16

• Attributions for success & failure (ability vs. effort)
• Persistence on a task (growth = more persistence)
• Coping with failure (growth = cope better)

Question 17

Social Interactions (Know Ourselves)

Answer 17

• Gain information from “reflected appraisals” (how others view you)
• Not how others actually view you but how you think others view you