Chapter 3: Social Self Part 2: Feb. 2, 2012

Self-esteem Positive and negative evaluations of ourselves – What purposes are served by SE? Correlations w/self-esteem:

Contributors to Self-Esteem Self-discrepancy theory – – What is compared? We differ in degree of self-awareness: – How does it affect our behaviors? » Halloween study – kids and free candy! Results?

Self-regulation Baumeister’s research on limits of self-control – It requires lots of cognitive resources Self-control is a limited resource – Link to glucose? What are Baumeister’s research results? How to re-energize our self-control? – 1. – 2.

Boosting self-concepts Our tendency to overestimate our abilities may serve a purpose related to self-concept – “implicit egotism” – – Self-serving cognitions – 1. Take credit for successes:

Self-serving cognitions (cont.): – 2. Self-handicapping: » What is its purpose? – 3. Identifying with groups and BIRGing: » ‘we won’ versus ‘they lost’

– 4. Downward social comparisons » How do these work and why? – Example: sibling rivalry

Self-presentation We may overestimate extent to which others are focus on us – ‘spotlight effect’ 2 motives of self-presentation: – Strategic self-presentation and self-verification

Strategic self-presentation Strategies? – Possible link with unsafe behaviors?

Self-verification Attempt to increase overlap between self- perceptions & how others see us Negative traits? Swann’s research – with whom do we associate? – How does this work in romantic relationships?

Self-monitoring Individual difference in how well we can regulate our own behavior in response to others’ reactions – How do high vs. low self-monitors behave? – Links between self-monitoring and age?