self awareness

• Social and Personal identity (Tajfel and Turner, 1979)
• Brewer and Gardner (1996) – 3 types of self

  • Individual – personal traits that distinguish you from others (friendly)
  • Relational – dyadic (two) relationships that assimilate you to others (mum)
  • Collective – group membership (academic)
• realisation of being individual

  • Mirror test (Gallup, 1970)
  • reflexive thought fundamental to humans
• Types of self and identity

  • Private and Public Self (Carver & Scheier 1981)
  • Public Self
  • evaluation apprehension
  • enjoy success, admiration
  • adhere to social standards of behaviour
• types of self awareness

  • Chronic self-awareness
  • stressful – constantly aware of shortcomings
  • Avoidance behaviour: drinking, drugs
  • Reduced self-awareness
  • Deindividuation
  • No monitoring of own behaviour (e.g., impulsive, reckless)
  • Mindfulness
  • paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally (Kabat-Zinn, 1991)
  • self-awareness, acceptance, and not being reactive
• Heightened Private

  • more intense emotion
  • accurate self-perception
  • adhere to personal beliefs
  • less stress related illness - depression and neuroticism
• • Heightened Public
  • Focus on perception by others
  • nervousness
  • loss of self-esteem
  • adhere to group norms, avoid embarrassment
  • concern with physical appearance
• • Self-schematic - Important part of self concept
  • Aschematic - Not that important to me
• self development

  • how it should be
  • Control Theory of Self regulation (Carver & Scheier, 1998)
  • Self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987)
  • other groups
  • Social Comparison Theory (Festinger, 1954)
  • Self Evaluation Maintenance  (Tesser, 1988)
  • other individuals
  • Social Identity Theory (Tajfel and Turner, 1979)
  • Self-categorization Theory (Turner et al., 1987)
• Self-categorization Theory (Turner et al., 1987)

  • self-categorisation to groups → internalise group attributes → collective self → Social identity
  • Meta-contrast principle (differences, similarities)
  • BIRGing - ‘basking in reflected glory’
  • If group categorisation too salient, perception of self and others becomes depersonalised
• Control Theory of Self regulation (Carver & Scheier, 1981, 1998)

  • effective self regulation = well defined standard
  • self awareness required: assess whether goals met
  • Test against the standard– operate to change – test again (iteration) - exit
  • Private vs public standard
• Self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987)

  • Actual (present), Ideal (like to be) (private), Ought (should be)
  • private vs public distinction
  • Motivate change and if fail:
  • Actual – Ideal: dejection, more personal emotions(e.g. disappointment)
  • Actual – Ought: agitation, public emotions (e.g. anxiety)
  • focuses more on emotion driving change
• Social Comparison Theory (Festinger, 1954)

  • Objective benchmark in similar people
  • For performance generally downward comparison
  • But also upwards in some situations
  • comparing someone better/worse
• Self Evaluation Maintenance  (Tesser, 1988)

  • Upward Social Comparison

  1. Exaggerate target’s ability

  2. Change target

  3. Distance self from target

  4. Devalue comparison dimension
• self motives

  • self assessment
  • truth about self
  • self verification
  • confirm what is known
  • self enhancement
  • maintain good image
  • self affirmation + selfserving attribution
• Individualist cultures

  • independent
  • separate from context
  • Focus on internal traits feelings, thoughts, abilities
  • Unitary and stable across situations
  • Acting true to internal beliefs and feelings, promoting own goals and differences from others
• interdependent cultures + self images

  • Connected with others and embedded in social context
  • Represented in terms of roles and relationships
  • Fluid and variable self, changing across situations
  • Belonging, fitting in and acting appropriately, promoting group goals and harmony