Self-Concept

Self-ConceptSelf ConceptDefinition overall thoughts & feelings about ourselves.Fixed?Importance?How you perceive yourself greatly affects the way you perceive your world& behave in it.What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?Building our Self Concept (Continued)Who am I, really? Carl RogersExistential Angst Victor FranklAn onion Tony CampoloThoughts & ActionsCreating a Self ConceptReflected Appraisal evaluation (assumption) of how others see us.Significant others (George Herbert Mead) are valued for their opinion.Carl Rogers view of the phenomenal selfDefinition: Your perceived reality. It is your ever changing world of experiences, both internal and external.Self concept becomes filter for all experiencesReflected AppraisalI love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out. - Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Mad About YouAttention from ImitationI can tell you like it when I imitate you.I love it when you laugh when I hold this finger like this and curse! You look so proud!

Self-DiscrepanciesIndividuals have the following self-perceptions:An actual self (qualities people think they actually possess).An ideal self (qualities people would like to have).An ought self (qualities people think they should possess).7The Development of Self-EsteemMore on the role of Parents parenting styles.Two dimensions of parenting are importantParental acceptance.Parental control.Together, these dimensions yield four parenting styles (see Figure 6.11).The authoritative style is associated with the highest self-esteem scores.8Figure 6.11. Baumrinds four parenting styles. Four parenting styles result from the interactions of parental acceptance and parental control, as theorized by Diana Baumrind. Adapted from Baumrind, D. (1971). Current patterns of parental authority [Monograph]. Developmental Psychology, 4(1, Part 2), 1-103. American Psychological Association. Adapted by permission of the author.

9The Development of Self-Esteem, continuedOther sources:Teachers, classmates, and close friends

Those who feel competent, relative to others, have the highest self-esteem.10Factors Shaping the Self-ConceptFestingers (1954) social comparison theory states that we compare ourselves with others in order to assess and/or improve our abilities.A reference group.If we want to improve, we choose reference groups of superior quality, butIf we want to bolster self-esteem, we choose inferior groups.11Basic Principles of Self-PerceptionCognitive processes affect the ability to maintain a view of the self.Two different types of processes are at work:Automatic processing default mode Controlled processing active thinking required for important decision-making and analysis.MAKING THE AUTOMATIC CONTROLLED MINDFULNESSAwareness of Mental Distortions12

Basic Principles of Self-Perception, continuedSelf-attributions are inferences that people draw about the causes of their own behavior.Three key dimensions of attributions:Whether they are internal or external.Internal attributions ascribe the causes of behavior to personal dispositions, traits, abilities, and feelings.External attributions ascribe behavior to situational demands.15Basic Principles of Self-Perception, continuedDimensions of attributions, continuedWhether they are stable or unstable.Stable attributions the cause of behavior is unlikely to change over time.Unstable attributions the cause of behavior is variable, or subject to change.16

INSERT FIG 6.1217Basic Principles of Self-Perception, continuedDimensions of attributions, continuedWhether they are controllable or uncontrollable.This dimension simply considers whether or not the individual has any control over the behavior.18Basic Principles of Self-Perception, continuedExplanatory style refers to the tendency to use similar causal attributions for a wide variety of events in ones life.People who use an optimistic explanatory style attribute setbacks to external, unstable, and specific factors.People who use a pessimistic explanatory style attribute setbacks to internal, stable, and global factors (see Figure 6.13).19Figure 6.13. The effects of attributional style on expectations, emotions, and behavior. The pessimistic explanatory style is seen in the top row of boxes. This attributional style, which attributes setbacks to internal, stable and global causes, tends to result in an expectation of lack of control over future events, depressed feelings, and passive behavior. A more adaptive, optimistic attributional style is shown in the bottom row of boxes.

20Self-RegulationSelf-efficacy ones belief about ones ability can be learned and changed.increasing self-efficacy is beneficial to ones physical and mental health.21Self-Regulation, continuedMastery experiencesLearning new skills increases self-efficacy.Vicarious experiences Persuasion and encouragementInterpretation of emotional arousalWhen we try new things, we may become nervous.It is important to attribute this to normal arousal needed to do well, rather than fear. 22LOOKING AT AUTOMATIC THOUGHTSBasic Principles of Self-Perception, continuedFour motives guide self-understanding.Self-assessment desire for truthful information about oneself.Self-verification preference for feedback that matches our self-view.Self-improvement looking to successful others in order to improve ourselves.Self-enhancement desire to maintain positive feelings about oneself.24Basic Principles of Self-Perception, continuedMethods of self-enhancementDownward social comparison a defensive tendency to compare oneself with someone whose troubles are more serious than ones own.Self-serving bias tendency to attribute ones successes to personal factors and ones failures to situational factors.

25Basic Principles of Self-Perception, continuedMethods of self-enhancement, continuedBasking in reflected glory tendency to enhance ones image by publicly announcing ones association with those who are successful.Self-handicapping tendency to sabotage ones performance to provide an excuse for possible failure.26Humanist & Self Concept3 Primary needs in significant relationshipsGenuinenessEmpathyAcceptance: Unconditional positive regardThese promote Self ActualizationMaslows Need Heirarchy

Sources of Self-ConceptRelationshipsConscious ChoiceBehaviorist (Skinner) & Humanist (Rogers & Maslow) believe we consciously decide what information to incorporate.Answering the BIG questionsWho am I, really? Carl RogersWhy am I here? Existential Angst Victor FranklWhos the real me? An onion Tony Campolo

Self CongruenceAre you 2,3,4faced?If so, when?If so, is that a bad thing?Selves:Actual selfIdeal selfOught selvesPossible selvesSelf-Esteem & CongruenceSelf-Discrepancy different views are inconsistentCognitive DissonanceDiscrepancy between actual & ideal = depression (hopeless)Discrepancy between actual & ought = anxiety (guilt)Marcias 4 Statuses of IdentityCommitment & CrisesIdentity DiffusionNo commitment or crisesIdentity ForeclosureNo crises, inherited commitmentIdentity MoratoriumCrises without commitmentIdentity AchievementSources of Self-ConceptRelationshipsConscious ChoiceUnconscious SourcesFreud & Jung believed self concept was unconsciousJung believed in innate personality traits.The Myers-Briggs test is based on Jungs trait descriptions and help you understand your innate tendencies.Protecting our Self-ConceptSelf-consistency perceiving experiences in a manner consistent with self-concept.Cognitive Conservatism we tend to manage new information so that it accords with what we already know or think we know.Discounting positive or negative contradictions.Even when a situation positively contradicts our self-concept we tend to minimize or deny its implications.Self-concept = Im bad at mathResult = Did good on testResponse = Teacher made a mistake or dumb luck.Protecting our Self Concept (cont.)Self-serving bias (attributions)Internalize positiveExternalize negativeBeneffectance (Greenwald) our tendency to take credit for what proves good but not the responsibility for what proves bad.Egocentrism we tend to overestimate our influence in a situation or the extent to which we are the target of attention.Protecting our Self Concept (cont.)Self-enhancement Theory try to get positive feedback about our qualities.

Self-verification Theory we want to be known and understood by others according to our firmly held beliefs and feelings about ourselves.We act and communicate in ways to shape others evaluation of us.

Protecting our Self Concept through Social ComparisonComparison to similar othersmay distort and deny the similarities.Deny similarities with people who have problems due to similar behavior (AIDS).Comparison to less adequate to feel betterEgo Defense MechanismsRationalization - Creating false but plausible excuses to justify unacceptable behavior.

Identification - Bolstering self-esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with some person or group.

Ego Defense MechanismsDisplacement - Diverting emotional feelings (usually anger) from their original source to a substitute target.

Regression - A reversion to immature patterns of behavior.

Ego Defense MechanismsRepression - Keeping distressing thoughts and feelings buried in the unconscious.

Projection - Attributing ones own thoughts, feelings, or motives to another.

Treating the Diminished SelfIdentify causes of low self-esteemIdentify domains of competencyDemonstrate achievementActively cope with challengePromote social support & approvalSelf-Esteem Can FluctuateMr. Clean & Mr. Dirty Study (Gergen, 1970) Dress for successSelf-esteem can change with comparisonsSelf-esteem can very smaller amounts depending on strengthSelf-Esteem & ParentingHigh esteem parentingvery acceptingexpress affectionset firm but reasonable rules.Low esteem parenting either overly strict, overly permissive, or inconsistent. Dweck (1999) praise children for their efforts rather than intelligence increases childrens desire for more challenges.Minority Identity DevelopmentPreencounterEurocentrismEncounterIll never fitImmersion/EmersionEthnic PrideGuiltInternalization/CommitmentIncorporation without reactionism Self-Esteem: The Good & Badhttp://www.self-esteem-nase.org/research.shtml#crimehttp://www.jrf.org.uk/pressroom/releases/281101.asp