The self
History of self research Festinger’s social comparison theory (1957) What are some critiques of the area? More recently bigger theories TMT Sociometer Cultural approaches Also, controversies (e.g., ego depletion, whether there is a true self)
What is a self? Who am I? 20 statements Baumeister definition Reflexive consciousness Interpersonal relations Making choices and exerting control Components (Sedikides) Individual Relational Collective Approaches Cognitive Motivational Emotional
How do we know our “self”? Self-awareness theory (Duval & Wicklund, 1972) Escape from self (Baumeister, 1991) Self-concept vs. self-schema Self-reference effect Self-perception theory (Bem , 1965) Overjustification effect Self-enhancement vs. self-verification vs. self-projection Self-serving biases (incl. self-deception) Self-control Cultural differences
What is self esteem? Rosenberg (1965) scale What is it good for? Sociometer theory (Leary, 1995) Is high SE always good?
More self research Self-presentation Self-handicapping Self evaluation maintenance theory (Tesser, 1988) Reflect vs. compare Closeness, relevance, performance Self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987; actual, ought, and ideal selves) Promotion vs. prevention focus –regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997)
Big questions Do we have a true sense of self? What does it do for us? Is it a positive thing? What are our basic (fundamental) needs and how do those relate to our sense of self?
Narcissism Narcissistic Personality Inventory http://psychcentral.com/quizzes/narcissistic.htm Authority, self-sufficiency, superiority, exhibitionism, exploitativeness, vanity, entitlement (mainly grandiose) 3 parts (Campbell & Foster, 2007) Positive self Relative lack of interest in types of interpersonal rels Self-regulatory strategies 2 parts (Miller & Campbell, 2008) Grandiose Vulnerable vs. NPD
Watts et al., 2015 How did they assess narcissism? Presidential performance? What factors did they control for? What were the results? (see Tables) What about covariates? How does the N of Presidents compare to general public? Why would GN of Presidents have increased over time? Why would GN be good? Would these results be similar in more collectivistic cultures?
Terror management theory Greenberg, Pyszczynski, & Solomon, 1986 www.flightfromdeath.com Existential, psychodynamic, evolutionary theory Becker (1973) What are the main questions the theory addresses? What is the “terror”? Why do we need SE, according to TMT? What is a cultural worldview (CWV)?
More on TMT Basic tenets Dual defense model (proximal vs. distal) Anxiety buffering hypothesis Mortality salience hypothesis DTA hypothesis Dual defense model (proximal vs. distal)
TMT research MS manipulations/controls and measures of DTA Replication of effects (milder works better) How long would these effects last? Why doesn’t thinking about death lead to negative affect? How common is MS?
Back to theory How does this system develop? What does TMT say about our “animal nature”? How does it relate to religion and culture? How does it explain psychological disorders?
Critiques of TMT Not falsifiable Haven’t ruled out alternatives Doesn’t fit with evolutionary psych Doesn’t apply as well in other cultures Maybe it’s really Meaning Control Belonging Uncertainty Threat
Ideas for further research Other threats Other ways of thinking about death Determinations of which structure people choose? Not dying? Nonanxiety-related disorders Cultural differences
How would TMT explain Phobias Why people pretend that that sound and smell didn’t come from them People going to tanning booths when they know it’s bad Why women, not men, wear makeup Creativity Increases in birth rates after wars Bush’s positivity ratings after 9/11 Judgments of those who do immoral things even though they don’t affect us (e.g., cheating on spouse) Negative attitudes toward transgender people
Responses to Charlottesville Responses to Houston Just world hypothesis Social identity theory Ego depletion Cognitive dissonance Optimal distinctiveness
Human self as information agent Baumesiter, Maranges, & Vohs, 2017 What are their main points? What is the purpose of a self, according to this view? What is your evaluation of their arguments? How does this theory compare to and fit with TMT?
What is a theory of mind? Coherence vs. accuracy vs. consensus What examples did you agree or disagree with? What other evidence is there that we try to construct a shared reality? (other effects, theories) How could you test this theory?
Next week Cultural differences, emotion, morality Chapter in book AESP article (click link on name) Science article (with supplementary, commentary) PSPR on morality and emotions