Identity & Self-Presentation

Identity & Self-Presentation

1. Self-Awareness

   • Paradox - we feel we are the same person but are aware of different components.
     • Discontinuity in the sense of self.
       • Duval & Wicklund (1972) Private v public self.
         • Subjective self-awareness - inwards towards a private standard.
         • Objective self-awareness - outwards towards a public criterion.
           • Sense of feeling judged.
             • Evaluation apprehension.
               • Temporary reduction in self-esteem
                 • Conform to social standards
                 • Engage in actions to avoid self-awareness

2. Components Of The Self

   • Carver & Scheier (2001) 2 forms of self.
     • Private self
       • Private thoughts & feelings we do not want to share.
     • Public self
       • How we think others see us, and what we share.
   • James (1890)
   • Mead (1934)
     • I & Me. Self as a subject and an object.
   • Bem (1972)
     • Form impressions about ourselves how we do of others.

3. Knowledge Of The Self / Self-Concept

   • Collection of beliefs & knowledge about who we are.
     • What Me thinks about I
     • Organised into self-schematas
       • Beliefs & feelings about yourself in reference to aspects of your life.
         • Self is the centre of our mental world.
           • Spend more time processing it & can recall it easily.
             • Self-referencing effect. Symons & Johnson (1997)
             • Organised in a narrative
               • Regrets about the past. What the future will be.
               • Why we feel a sense of continuity in our sense of self.
           • We have clear ideas about some parts (honesty) & no idea about others (musical)
       • Current self, possible self, ideal self and ought selfs.
         • Possible selves - who we may be in the future.
         • Ideal selves - how we would liek to be now or in the future.
         • Ought selves - How we think we ought to be.
           • Markus & Nurius (1986) How we think we ought to be based on social norms.
       • Different schematas are activated in different contexts.
         • Markus & Wurf (1987) Working self-concept.
           • Set of beliefs activated by the context.
         • Context sensitivity = why we experience discontinuity in sense of self.
         • Is the self stable?
           • Gergen (1991). ICTs = sense of self is being drawn in conflicting directions.
             • Social saturation =constant reinvention of ourselves.

4. Functions Of The Self

5. Social Comparison & Self-Construal

6. Self-Esteem

7. Self, Culture & Diversity