Perception of Self How You See You… and… How The Way You See You Affects Others Around You

At what age do you believe self-concept develops At what age do you believe self-concept develops? What is the difference between self-concept and self-esteem? Reflected Appraisal: How you perceive the way others judge you. How are labels a part of reflected appraisal? How is your self-concept affected by reflected appraisal? Social comparison – Evaluating ourselves in terms of how we compare with others. How much does this happen? If you compare yourself with an inappropriate reference group, you may feel ordinary or inferior. Cognitive conservatism – Seeking information that conforms to an existing self-concept.

Characteristics of self-concept Subjective. Wake up feeling one way; go to bed feeling another. Humility. We are designed to downplay our accomplishments. Flexibility. We rarely cut ourselves a break. Resistant to change. After our late 20s, we’re resistant to change our self-concept. Why?

A Study of Self-Esteem 350,000 participants Late childhood: Inflated sense of self-approval Adolescence: Deflated sense of self-approval Self-regard rises again in adulthood. Drops again in old age. Factors are biological, social, and situational. Pivotal life changes. Women are more challenged with self-esteem: Adolescent girls’ drop in self-esteem is double that of boys. Stabilization of job and family leads to higher self-esteem in adulthood.

What kind of monitor are you???? Self-Monitoring What kind of monitor are you???? High self-monitors: Adjust communication style to create a desired impression for others. Good actors. Handle social situations well and put others at ease. Chameleon-like. Low self-monitors: Simple, focused ideas of who they are. Narrow repertoire of behaviors. Easier to read. “What you see is what you get!” Straight-forward communicators.

How much does our “baggage” reflect our self-esteem How much does our “baggage” reflect our self-esteem? How easy is it to change based on our past? How does your self-concept affect your professional life? Our many “Selves” The perceived self – Our reflection of self concept. Things we don’t want others to know. The presenting self – The facework we put on. The desired self – The things we wish others understood about us. The self-concept bag activity…

How Can We Work on Our Self-Concept? Realistic expectations of ourselves. Categorizing things that people say Remembering that other people’s expectations have nothing to do with us! Have the will to change. Have the skill to change. Using “impression management” Trying to change other’s opinions. Will it work? Mannerisms – Examining whether or not you “put something out there.” Appearance – How you use your appearance to present yourself? Setting – Car you drive; house you want; material possessions that reflect you.