The Self

1
The Self

• There are three parts to the self
• The Individual Self
• The Relational Self
• The Executive Self
• Model from Baumeister,1998
• also Sedikides Brewer, 2004

2
The Individual Self

• Refers to thinking about the self and who you are
  
• Self-Serving Biases
• Actor-Observer effect
• Preference for self-related information
• Self-Concept

3
The Individual Self Self-Concept

• DEF The set of beliefs we have about ourselves
  and about what we are like.
• Self-Knowledge or Self-Schema are the same
  thing!
• Possible Selves You only keep some of your
  self-concept in mind at once
• All possible selves are based on a single core
  identity

4
The Individual Self

• Refers to thinking about the self and who you are
  
• Self-Serving Biases
• Actor-Observer effect
• Preference for self-related information
• Self-Concept
• Possible Selves (Marcus Nurius, 1986)

- Motives for Self-Knowledge (Swann)
5
Motives for Self-Knowledge

• We have three motives
• Appraisal To learn accurate information about
  the self
• Consistency To learn information about the self
  that corresponds with what we already know
• Why would we want this? To make the world more
  controllable, with our own identities stable
• Self-Enhancement To learn favorable information
  about the self, even if its not accurate

6
Motives for Self-Knowledge

• How do we know that self-enhancement is best?
• Because we hold Positive Illusions
• We tend to view the world in a slightly more
  positive light than we should (Taylor Brown,
  1988)
• The only people who see the world realistically
  are clinically depressed!
• Illusions help to reduce stress and increase
  persistence

7
The Individual Self

• Refers to thinking about the self and who you are
  
• Self-Serving Biases
• Actor-Observer effect
• Preference for self-related information
• Self-Concept
• Possible Selves (Marcus Nurius, 1986)
• Motives for Self-Knowledge

- Self-Awareness
8
Self-Awareness

• The ability to look at what you are doing and
  interpret what you are like based on your actions
  (Duval Wicklund, 1972)
• Self-awareness doesnt necessarily give you
  truth!
• Self-awareness usually involves comparison to
  the ideal self.
• Self-awareness is usually unpleasant!
• How do people avoid self-awareness?
• Many ways alcohol, risk-taking, distraction

9
The Relational Self

• Refers to thinking about the self in relation to
  other people
• Reflected Appraisal to gain self-knowledge
• You decide what you are like based on how others
  react to you
• AKA Looking-Glass Self (Tice, 1994)
• Not necessarily accurate! Why not?
• Based on your reading of the other person
• People choose their looking glasses carefully
• Norms for being liked The looking glass may not
  be honest.

10
Self-Presentation

• A strategy by which people convey an impression
  of what they are like to others
• There are two motives for self-presentation
• Present a Positive Self
• Plausibility matters
• Will the target prove you wrong?
• Friends V strangers
• Construct An Image of the Self

11
The Relational Self

• How we view ourselves influences how we view
  others
• People tend to judge others based on their
  possession of the traits or the judger.
• We of course are high in all of the important
  traits and abilities
• If we are low in a trait or ability, it isnt
  really important

12
Bridge between Relational Self and Individual Self

• Self-Esteem How positively one views oneself.
• Generally speaking, high self-esteem is good
• Better education, higher GPAs, better jobs,
  happier in relationships
• High self-esteem helps resist threats to the self
• Its not always good!

13
Self-Esteem

• The Sociometer Theory of Self-Esteem
• SE develops through interactions with others
• SE reflects how well one is accepted by ones
  peers
• People like others with high self-esteem. Why?
• If you expect to be accepted, you are more
  sociable
• If you expect to be rejected, you are more
  cautious.

14
Self-Esteem

• Self-Esteem influences the self-concept
• People with high SE are more sure of their
  abilities
• They know what they can do and
• They can justify what they cant as unimportant
• Thus, they are less vulnerable to threats to self
• People with high SE are more sure of when they
  will succeed
• They use approach strategies (see motivation)

15
The Executive Self

• People have a strong desire to control events
• Illusions of Control
• Superstitions
• Coping with traumatic events

16
The Executive Self

• Self-regulation The ability of the self to
  monitor, control, and change thoughts, feelings,
  and impulses
• Refers to changing yourself to achieve goals
• Stable and adaptive trait
• Mishel (1988) and 5 yr olds

17
Self-Regulation I

• Control theory Self-regulation operates on a
  feedback loop (Carver Scheier, 1982)
• AKA the thermostat model of self-regulation
• Input Perception of the situation
• Comparator What is the ideal for the situation?
• If theres a discrepancy, the system must act
• Output Action of the system
• Impact on Environment Should resolve problem

18
Self-Regulation II

• Resource Model Self-regulation operates like a
  muscle you only have so much strength
  (Muraven Baumeister)
• Any single self-regulation task requires
  self-regulatory strength
• What is a self-regulatory task?
• You can be depleted of self-regulatory strength

19
Self-Regulation II

• Baumeister, et al 1995
• Participants had to eat either chocolate or
  radishes

20
Self-Regulation II

• Baumeister, et al 1995
• Participants had to eat either chocolate or
  radishes

21
Self-Regulation II

• Baumeister, et al 1995
• Participants had to eat either chocolate or
  radishes

Conclusion Eating chocolate increases
self-regulation???
22
Self-Regulation II

• Baumeister, et al 1995
• Participants had to eat either chocolate or
  radishes

Conclusion Resisting temptation is depleting!
23
Self-Regulation II

• Baumeister, et al 1995
• Participants had to write pro- or
  counter-attitudinal essays

24
Self-Regulation II

• Baumeister, et al 1995 Participants had to write
  pro- or counter-attitudinal essays

25
Self-Regulation II

• Baumeister, et al 1995 Participants had to write
  pro- or counter-attitudinal essays

Can you say a counter-attitudinal essay requires
self-regulation?
26
Self-Regulation II

• Baumeister, et al 1995 Participants had to write
  pro- or counter-attitudinal essays

No instead, making a choice requires
self-regulation?
27
Self-Regulation II

• What about dieting? (Greeno Wing, 1994)