Post on 05-Jan-2016
Communication and the Self
Prof. Tamara Arrington
COM 252
University of Kentucky
Your Professor’s Self-Concept
• http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=white+and+nerdy&aq=0&oq=white+and
Our Self-Concept
• Begins to develop at about 6 or 7 months
• Almost totally a product of social interaction – through reflected appraisal and social comparison
Elements of the Self-Concept
Social Roles Physical Characteristics
Intellectual Characteristics
Attitudes
Social Characteristics
Personality Characteristics
Material Charactersitics
Values
Skills and Accomplishments
Emotional States Talents Beliefs
Likes/Dislikes Health Friendships Mating Relationship(s)
2 Theories
• Reflected Appraisal – perceptions of the judgements of those around us
• Judgements of significant others are especially salient.
• Social Comparison – evaluating ourselves in terms of how we compare to others
• We use reference groups as a basis of comparison.
The Looking-Glass Self
• Charles Horton Cooley (1912)
• Labeled this “reflected appraisal”
“Each to each a looking glass, reflects the other that doth pass.”
What Makes An Appraisal Important?
• Someone we see as competent offers it
• The appraisal is seen as highly personal
• It is reasonable in light of what we believe about ourselves
• The appraisals are consistent and numerous
Cooley’s 3 Elements of the Self-Concept
• How we think we appear to the other person
• How we think that person judges our appearance
• How we feel about ourselves in reaction to the other’s perception of us.
• Each individual develops a self-concept that matches the way they believe others see them.
Characteristics of the Self-Concept
• It is subjective (based on perception)
• A healthy self-concept is flexible
• The self-concept resists change (believed to be set well by age 30)
Changing Your Self-Concept
• Have a realistic perception of yourself
• Have the will to change
• Have the skill to change
• Recognize the power of self-fulfilling prophecies
Self-Esteem
• Is the part of the self-concept that evaluates self-worth
• Is how you feel about those qualities in your self-concept
• Is relatively stable across the lifespan
Persons With High (+) Self-EsteemHamachek (1982)
Are likely to think well of others
Expect to be accepted by others
Evaluate their own performance more favorably
Perform well while being watched – do not fear other’s reactions
Work harder for people who demand high standards of performance
Feel comfortable with others whom they view as superior
Are able to defend themselves against negative comments
Persons With Low (-) Self-EsteemHamachek (1982)
Are likely to disapprove of others
Expect to be rejected by others
Evaluate their own performance less favorably
Perform poorly while being watched
Work harder for undemanding, less critical people
Feel threatened by people they view as superior in some way
Sensitive to possible negative reactions
Have difficulty defending themselves
Are more easily influenced
William James (1890)
• The Empirical Self– The material self
– The social self
– The spiritual self
George Herbert Mead1863-1931
• “Mind, Self, & Society” (1934)
• The self emerges from social interactions. In this process, the individual takes on the role of the “other” and internalizes the attitudes s/he perceives in both real and imagined others.
George Herbert Mead1863-1931
• Components of the Self:– The I
– The Me
– The Generalized Other
Erving M. Goffman(1922-1982)
• Identity management• Public & private selves• The perceived self and the
presenting self• Face - the socially
approved identity• Facework – the ways in
which we act to maintain “face”
• We maintain “front” and “back regions”.
“The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life” (1967)
Characteristics of Identity Management
• We strive to construct multiple identities
• Identity management is collaborative (with an “audience”)
• Can be deliberate or unconscious
• People differ in their degree of identity management
How Do We Manage Impressions?
• In face-to-face interactions
• In mediated communication – Emoticons, avatars
I’m So Much Cooler Online
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GcVnhNjWV0