2. Measuring Self-Schema
Humor Schema
High scores = schematic on this dimension
Low scores = aschematic on this dimension
Results
Schematic individuals
Tend to behave in a humor manor / tell jokes better
Judge others in terms of humor

4. Schema
Three types of schemas
“Actual” self
How you see yourself

5. Schema Three types of schemas “Ideal” self
What is your “best” self
Represents the state where all the rewards you could get are attained

6. Schema Three types of schemas “Ought” self
What self should you be
Represents the state where no punishments or other bad events will occur

7. Rarely are either “ideal self” or “ought self”
The further you are from the ideal self
The further you are from the ought self
Ideal Self
Actual Self
Ought Self
Anxiety!
Depression!
Depression caused by disappointment
Anxiety caused by fear

8. More selves How many “actual” selves do you have?
The actual self you have in working memory depends on
Who you are with
What you are doing

9. Working Self-Concept What is your self like when you are. . . .
With your family
With romantic partner
At work
At school

10. Working Self-Concept Problem! Romantic Dependable
No “true” self / No identity
Angry
Hard Worker

11. Working Self-Concept
What “self” determines which “self” to use?

12. Problem
What “self” determines which “self” to use?

13. Working Self-Concept Problem! Where does it stop? Self as student
Self as psychology student
Self as personality psychology student
Self as personality psychology student in lecture
Self as personality psychology student studying
Self as personality psychology student taking test

14. Working Self-Concept Problem!
People tend to behave the same across situations!

15. Schema vs. Traits Two names for the same underlying construct
Schema researchers vs. Trait researchers

16. Remember

17. Schemas Can be thought of as a strategy
Sequence of activities to attain a goal

18. Questionnaire 1. In uncertain times, I usually expect the best.
2. It’s easy for me to relax.
3. If something can go wrong for me, it will.
4. I always look on the bright side of things.
5. I’m always optimistic about my future.
6. I enjoy my friends a lot.
7. It’s important for me to keep busy.
8. I hardly ever expect things to go my way.
9. Things never work out the way I want them to.
10. I don’t get upset too easily.
11. I’m a believer in the idea that “every cloud has a silver lining”.
12. I rarely count on good happening to me.

19. Questionnaire 1. In uncertain times, I usually expect the best.
2. It’s easy for me to relax.
3. If something can go wrong for me, it will.
4. I always look on the bright side of things.
5. I’m always optimistic about my future.
6. I enjoy my friends a lot.
7. It’s important for me to keep busy.
8. I hardly ever expect things to go my way.
9. Things never work out the way I want them to.
10. I don’t get upset too easily.
11. I’m a believer in the idea that “every cloud has a silver lining”.
12. I rarely count on good happening to me.

20. Strategies Broad Strategies Exist across situations (like traits!)
“Characteristic adaptations”
Optimistic strategy
Always assume the best will happen
Pessimistic strategy
Assume that the worst is likely to happen

21. Strategies Optimistic strategy vs. Pessimistic strategy
How do you deal with a stressful test?

22. Strategies Optimistic strategy Expect to do the best
Pessimistic strategy
Expect the worst (then be happy when it doesn’t happen)
“Defensive pessimists”
Both work just as well!
Different patch to reach the same goal

23. Goals

24. Questionnaire
Think about goals that are currently important to you and the specific things you will do to attain these goals.
Write down 10 of your goals.

25. Goals Goals influence. . . . . what you attend to what you think about
what you do
Idiographic
Goals that are unique to an individual
“Get a date with Bob”
Nomothetic
Goals that are common in almost everyone
“Be loved by others”

26. Goals Hierarchal Long-Term Nomothetic Experience love
Want a balance focused on goal types
Find romantic partner
Go to a party
Buy nice clothes
Short-Term
Idiographic
Get a job
Call friends
Take a shower

27. Goals Are there “basic” nomothetic goals?
Much research in this area is trying to reduce idographic goals into broader nomothetic goals
Like the Big-Five did with traits!

28. Video

29. Goals 1) Provide a “plan of action” 2) Motivate our behavior
3) Focus our attention
What we attend to
What we think about
This can be good or bad!
Flexibility and balance are key!

30. Putting it all together

31. Judgment and Development goals
Judgment Goals
Goals that seek to judge or validate an attribute in oneself
e.g., “Make others know that I am the smartest one in the class”
Development Goals
Goals that attempt to improve once
e.g., “Become the smartest person in the class”

32. Judgment and Development goals
Help determine how a person will react to failure F

33. Judgment and Development goals
Judgment Goals
“Helpless pattern” pattern
Will not try harder….just conclude “I can’t do it”
Development Goals
“Mastery-oriented” pattern
Tries harder next time

34. Judgment and Development goals
What caused these different goals to be set?
A stable characteristic (i.e., a trait)

35. Questionnaire
You have a certain amount of intelligence and you really can’t do much to change it
Your intelligence is something about you that you can’t change very much
You can learn new things but you can’t really change your basic intelligence

36. Entity and Incremental Theories
Entity Theory
Personal qualities are fixed an unchangeable
e.g., IQ, happiness, etc.
Incremental Theories
Personal qualities can change over time and with experience

37. Mastery-Oriented Pattern
Putting it together
Failure
Helpless Pattern
Judgment Goals
Entity theory
Developmental Goals
Mastery-Oriented Pattern
Incremental theory