Class notes
Psy 103 The Self Lecture Notes
- Course
- PSY 103
- Institution
- University Of Rhode Island
This is a comprehensive and detailed note the self for Psy 103. *Essential Study Material!!
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Chapter 6: The SelfSelf-Concept
● The nature of self-concept
○ Self-concept
■ An organized collection of beliefs about the self
○ These beliefs are also called self-schemas and include personality traits, abilities,
physical features, values, goals, and social roles
○ Possible selves
■ Refers to one’s conceptions about the kind of person one might become
in the future
○ Individuals have the following self-perceptions:
■ An actual self - qualities people think they actually possess
■ An ideals self - qualities people would like to have
■ An ought self - qualities people think they should possess
● Self-discrepancies
○ Mismatches between the actual, ideal, and/or ought selves
○ These can cause various effects:
■ When the “actual self” falls short of the “ideal self,” we feel dejected and
sad
■ When the “actual self” falls short of the “ought self,” we feel irritable and
guilty
○ People cope with self-discrepancies by:
■ Changing their behavior to bring it more in line with the ideal, or ought
selves
■ Blunting self-awareness by
● Avoiding situations that increase self-awareness, or
● By using alcohol
○
● Factors shaping self-concept
○ Festinger’s (1954) social comparison theory states that we compare ourselves
with others in order to assess and/or improve our abilities
○ A reference group is “a set of people who are used as a gauge in making social
comparisons”
■ If we want to improve, we choose reference groups of superior quality,
“upward social comparison,” but
■ If we want to bolster self-esteem, we choose inferior groups, “downward
social comparison”
, ○ Observations of our own behavior are subjective and distorted in a positive
direction
○ Feedback from others is important in balancing our own observations
■ Early in life, parents and family members are primary influences
■ As children age, teachers, coaches, and peers become progressively
more important
■ Later in life, close friends and marriage partners play dominant roles
○ Social context also affects our self-concept
■ We may view ourselves more, or less, critically, depending on the
situation
○ Cultural values and self-concept
■ In cultures that value individualism - “putting personal goals ahead of
group goals” - identity is defined more in terms of personal attributes
■ In cultures that value collectivism - “putting group goals ahead of personal
goals” - identity is defined more in terms of the groups one belongs to
Self-Esteem
● Self-esteem refers to one’s overall assessment of one’s worth as a person
● It is a global evaluation of many aspects of the self
● Self esteem can be construed two ways:
○ Trait self-esteem, or an enduring sense of confidence in a person
○ State self-esteem, or dynamic feelings about the self that change with the
situation
●
● The importance of self-esteem
○ Self-esteem and adjustment
■ Self-esteem is strongly and consistently connected to happiness
■ People with high self-esteem also feel more likeable and attractive, have
better relationships, and make better impressions on others
■ People with high self-esteem persist longer in the face of failure and cope
better with setbacks
■ Self-esteem has not been linked to achievement, however
○ High self-esteem versus narcissism
■ Feeling too good about oneself is not desirable
■ Narcissism - “the tendency to regard oneself as grandiosely self-
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