What is the Independent View of Self ?
- Derives identity from inner attributes
- Inner essence
- Basis of an individual’s identity
- Stable across situations and lifespan
- Unique to the individual-come from the individual not interactions
- Significant in regulating behavior
- Obligation to present consistently
- Independent people experience their identity for the most part distinct from their relationships
- Aspects of identity lie within the individual
- The self is certain-does not change from situation to situation
- People can move from ingroup to outgroup relatively easy-still close to the in-group
- Key boundary between self and oneself (others)
What is the Interdependent View of Self?
- Relational-connected and sustained by a number of significant relationships
- Defined by social relationships, roles, behavior that depends on the perception of others’ thoughts feeling and actions
- How their behavior affects others
- Psychological experiences organized in response to others thoughts and doings
- Participants of a larger social unit
- Their identify is reflexive-position relative to others and their relationship with them
- Identity is closely connected with others-no experienced as distinct and unique
- Identities are grounded in their relationship with others
- Different forms of relationships and people are required to take on a role that would govern how we feel and behave towards the people we are in relationship with
- Indicates where a person belongs-group membership
- Internal characteristics are important but less central to their identity
- View of self is fluid and permeable
- Ingroup and outgroup distinct
What is the Purpose of Self- Concept
o Organize information about ourselves,
o Direct attention to what is considered relevant
o Shapes our concerns
o Impacts the relationships
o Interpretation of situations
o Emotional experiences we have about the situations * Brain activation study
o Why is this important? The activation of the Western: the mother and themselves are distinct. Whereas Chinese communities are shown to establish a more coherent
In the interdependent self concept, what is the relationship between Ingroup and Outgroup ?
o Relationships direct appropriate behaviour
o Several obligations towards the relationship
o Serious role-not easy to get in
o Rare to lose ingroup status
o Ingroup-outgroup boundaries are stable ( Ingroup (uchi) and outgroups (soto) )
In the independent self-concept, what is the relationship between Ingroup and Outgroup ?
o Functioning separately from social environment
o Easier to form new relationships
o Old ones can dissolve with not much impact
o Larger networks
o Less distress when old relationships fade
o Boundary of ingroup-outgroup not that important to self-construction
How are Trust and commitment seen in Interdependent self concept ?
trust should lie within the relationship.
commitment to ingroup- less willing to cooperate with members from the outgroup.
ingroup is an extension of themselves with distance from the outgroup.
How are Trust and commitment seen in Independent self concept ?
People with an independent view of self seem more comfortable talking to strangers.
Self is viewed as distinct from all others regardless of the relationship- research across cultures challenging
What is the difference between Individualistic and Collectivist Culture?
- Individualistic cultures
Thoughts and behaviors that foster their own independence
Distinct from others and promote self-sufficiency - Collectivistic Cultures
Thoughts and behaviors that foster interdependent aspects of self concept
Are there variations in the views of self when it comes to gender?
- Study on gender
Collectivism- “I am prepared to do things for my group at any time, even though I have to sacrifice my own interests.”
Agency- “I stick to my opinion even when others do not support me” oAssertiveness- “I assert my opinion when I disagree strongly with the members of my group”
Relatedness- “I feel like doing something for people in trouble because I can almost feel their pain.”
o Western participants scored higher on agency and assertiveness
o Eastern participants scored higher on collectivism and relatedness
o Gender difference: relatedness-women scored higher than men-no other difference
Are there cultural differences in the way people view gender equality?
Religion
Geographic location: (More northern countries were associated with egalitarian views whereas southern countries are associated with more traditional views. Urban cities are more likely to have egalitarian views.)
o Agriculture- shifting cultivation and plow cultivation : (the first is mostly done by women where they use a garden x with their children near by whereas the the latter is often used with animal that often require man strength to navigate )
What is Self Consistency?
Self concept shapes our psychology in how we think and behave in different situation
Do we act the same all the time?
Different aspect of identity can be expressed in certain situations more than others
Cultural variation in the motivation to be consistent across all situations
What is Cognitive Dissonance ?
The distressing feeling when we observe ourselves behaving inconsistently/ against our own sense of self-consistency.
o One way to achieve that is to make a decision and then view the positives of the chosen alternative as more important than the ones in the rejected choice.
o One study found that Japanese cultures do not engage in post-decision cognitive dissonance when it comes to a personal purchase, but when it comes to purchasing for others, they do because they want to meet the other’s expectations constantly. (East Asians)
What is Dissonance reduction?
change our attitude so we do not appear inconsistent. It is evident in the efforts people make to convince themselves of self-consistency.
* The North Americans are more likely to contribute to fundraisers they have given money to before to show consistency, whereas a more collectivist culture would act in a way that others similar to themselves have acted. (if peers have contributed they contribute)
* Consistency across situations is seen as higher feelings of authenticity in European Americans
* East Asians might feel differently about themselves across context ( friends vs family) but do show consistency within each these situations ( if I am with parents then I am diligent and eager to fullful his obligations
What is Self Awareness ?
Two different vintage points of the self
o Inside out-perspective of the subject “I”-observes and interacts with the world-subjective self-awareness-outside world is the concern- unaware of ourselves.
o Outside in-look at ourselves objectively, the “me”-observed and interacted with by others- objective self-awareness- conscious of how we are seen and evaluated by others
* How might culture affect self-awareness?
What are Theories on the Nature of Self
- Implicit theory:
- Incremental theory of self
- Entity theory of self-
Which one best describes your own self-view?
What is Implicit Theory ?
fundamental underlying beliefs that we hold about the nature of various aspects of the human condition-guides interpretation of what happens in the world
What is the Incremental Theory of Self?
we can easily change and we are expected to change
What is the Entry Theory of Self ?
aspects of the self are resistant to change
