Personality and the Self

Basic Issues and Processes

William JamesI – self as knower, experiencer, present tense, story teller

Vs.Me – self as known, experienced, past tense, story

Basic Concepts

Components of Me:Physical – awareness of appearance Social – awareness of others’ perceptionsSpiritual – awareness of qualities, attributes

Me – Self Concept

Elephant self awareness

Organized set of constructs pertaining to ones self◦Research emphasis is on processing

information

Self-schema

FredAthletic

masculine

Jogs

Tennisbeer

No quiche

Pizza

Republicans

Effects◦Perceptions of others Use central traits in perceiving others

◦Self memory Recall schema-consistent behaviors

Self schema

Different from self-concept?

Evaluation

Rosenberg Self-Esteem ScaleMean = 29.2; Quartiles = 25/34

Self-Esteem

Stable or Unstable?

◦Individual Differences ◦◦Self complexity

Self Esteem Issues

Does high self esteem have positive benefits?◦California self esteem funding

Academic?

Self Esteem Issues

Crime?

Risky behaviors (drugs, etc.)?

High self esteem

Interpersonal relations?

Job performance?

High self esteem

Subjective Well Being (Happiness)

Depression

High Self esteem

Why SE – Depression relationship?

Self esteem as buffer

Self-discrepancy theory (Higgins); relationship due to real-ideal discrepancy

Real SelfIdeal SelfOught self

Self Esteem and Depression

Major Cultural Dimension (transmitted):

Individualism – Individuals’ goals have priority

Vs.

Collectivism – Groups’ goals have priority

Self and Culture

Individualism = Independent self

Collectivism = interdependent self

Self and Culture

Self

FriendFriend

Mother

Self

FriendFriend

Mother

Cultural Differences in Self Reflected in Language:◦ Independent/individualist:

1st person singular pronoun Non pro-drop (pronouns usually required) Family name last

◦ Interdependent/collectivist: Pronouns marked for relationship Pro-drop (pronouns optional) Family name first

Self and Culture

Selected Manifestations of Cultural Differences in Self:

◦Fundamental Attribution Error

◦Cognitive Dissonance

◦Locus of Control

Self and Culture

How and When does Self-Concept Develop?◦ Awareness of Physical Self at 18-24 mos.

Development as Social Process (Mead)◦Reciprocal Role-Taking

Imagine how perceived by others (social me) Some feedback but misinterpretations possible

Generalized Other: Me = sense of how perceived by people in general

◦Self concept dependent on others

Development of Self (Me)

Evidence for Self as Social Construct◦ Humans/chimps raised in isolation

◦ Myamoto & Dornbush Collect ratings of:

Beliefs about how perceived by specific others (e.g. other frat. members)

Beliefs about how perceived by people in general How one is actually perceived by others (other frat.

members) Self ratings

Development of Self (Me)

Evidence for Self as Social Construct◦ Mere presence (Morse & Gergen):◦ Male Ps apply for job◦ Complete application forms including self esteem

measure◦ Another job applicant (confederate) enters

Mr. Clean

Mr. Dirty

◦ Social comparison and Instability

Development of Self (Me)

Entirely Dependent on Others? Strategies for Lessening Influence of Others:

◦ Choose with whom to interact Prefer self-consistent or positive feedback?

◦ Choose with whom to compare Downward social comparison

◦ Behavioral Confirmation Swan study:

Dominant and submissive Ps given contradictory feedback

Act to confirm self view

Development of Self

Ervin Goffman (self-presentation/impression management)

Act so as to convey desired image (Behavioral Confirmation)

Personality = performance (no internal traits)◦ “All the worlds a stage,◦ And all the men and women merely players”

Self influenced by others’ perceptions; but actively strive to influence others’ perceptions

Self Presentation

1. Everything we do carries identity implications (can be used in impression formation)◦ Choices regarding personal appearance, room

appearance, consumer products, etc. Gosling and Music choices:

Blues, jazz, classical and folk: "reflective and complex" Heavy metal and alternative: "intense and rebellious“ rap/hip-hop, soul/funk: "energetic and rhythmic”

◦ Cannot not communicate

Goffman’s Theory of Self Presentation

2. People take implications into account in order to convey a particular image

◦ Habitual/automatic and Conscious/deliberate

◦ Always self presenting? Exceptions?

◦ Positive images only? Braginsky, Braginsky, & Ring

Schizophrenia and self-presentation Interview for release or backward

Goffman’s Theory of Self Presentation