Sociology
chapter 2
Spotlights and illusisions
• Spotlight effect: We tend to see ourselves at center stage, and so intuitively overestimate the
extent to which offers attention is aimed for us
• Illusion of transparency: The illusion that iut concealed emotions leak out and can easily
read by others
• Social surroundings affect our self awareness: As individuals in a group of a different
culture, race or gender, we notice how we differ and how others are reacting to our
difference.
• Self interest colors our social judgment. When problems arise in a close relationship such as
marriage, we usually attribute more responsibility to our partners than ourselves. When
things go well at home or work or play, we see ourselves as more responsible.
• Self-concern motivates our social behaviour: in hopes of making a positive impression, we
agonize about our appearance. Like savvy politicians, we also monitor others behaviour ad
expectations and adjust our behaviour accordingly.
• Social relationships help define our self. In our varied relationships we have varying selves.
How we think of ourselves is linked o whom we are in relationship with at the moment.
Self does enable:
• Long-term planning
• goal-setting
• restraint
• imagines alternatives
• compares itself with others
• manages its reputation and relationships
• Can be an impediment to a satisfying life
Self concept: who am I?
Self concept – Persons answers to who am I?
At the center of our worlds: our sense of self
• The medial prefontial cortex – Is the part of the brain that stiches together my sense of self.
• Self schema: Beliefs about self that organize and guide the processing of self relevant
information – Schemas are menal templates by which we organize or worlds.
- powerfully affect how we percieve, remember and evaluate other people and ourselves.
,Self-reference
• Selfreference effect: The tendency to process efficiently and remember well information
related to oneself
• When information is relevant to our self-concepts, we process it quickly and remember it
well.
• Thus memories form around our primary interest: ourselves
Possible selves
• our selves schemas include not only how we are, but also who we might become.
• Also includes the person we fear becoming
Development of the social self
• Genetic influances on personality and self-concept
Social experience plays part in
• The roles we play.
• The social identities we form.
• Comparasions we make with others.
• Our successes and failiures.
• How other people judge us.
• The surrounding nature.
The roles we play
We enact a new role – mother, teacher, student
Social identity
• When we are a part of a small group surrounded by a larger group, we often are concious of
our social identity.
Self concept Self esteem
Who am I? My sense of self worth
THE SELF
Self knowledge
Social self
How can I explain myself?
My roles as student, teacher etc
, Social Comparations
• Self concept – evaluating one's abilities and opinions by comparing oneself to others
• Social comparisons can also diminish our satisfaction. We always compare upward
- we often protect our shaky self-image by concieving the competitor as advantaged.
Success and failure
• fed by our daily experiences
• Make us feel more secure and work harder/faster
Other peoples judgements
• When other people thinks good about us, it helps us think good about ourselves.
• The looking glass self: Is how Cooley describes our use of how we think others perceive us
as a mirror for percieving ourselves.
- What matters for our self-concepts is not how others actually see us, but the way we
imagine they see us.
– We overestimate others apraisals, inflating our self concepts and how others actually see us.
Self and culture
Individualsim: The concept of giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining ones
identity in terms of personal attributes, rather than group identifications
Collectivism: Giving priority to goals of one's groups and defing ones identity accordingly
East Asians think mre holistically than Westernes¨
Interdependt self: Constructing oes identity in relation to others.
Mother Father
Self
Mother Father
Self
Friend Sibling
Coworker Coworker
Independant view of self Interdepedant view of self
chapter 2
Spotlights and illusisions
• Spotlight effect: We tend to see ourselves at center stage, and so intuitively overestimate the
extent to which offers attention is aimed for us
• Illusion of transparency: The illusion that iut concealed emotions leak out and can easily
read by others
• Social surroundings affect our self awareness: As individuals in a group of a different
culture, race or gender, we notice how we differ and how others are reacting to our
difference.
• Self interest colors our social judgment. When problems arise in a close relationship such as
marriage, we usually attribute more responsibility to our partners than ourselves. When
things go well at home or work or play, we see ourselves as more responsible.
• Self-concern motivates our social behaviour: in hopes of making a positive impression, we
agonize about our appearance. Like savvy politicians, we also monitor others behaviour ad
expectations and adjust our behaviour accordingly.
• Social relationships help define our self. In our varied relationships we have varying selves.
How we think of ourselves is linked o whom we are in relationship with at the moment.
Self does enable:
• Long-term planning
• goal-setting
• restraint
• imagines alternatives
• compares itself with others
• manages its reputation and relationships
• Can be an impediment to a satisfying life
Self concept: who am I?
Self concept – Persons answers to who am I?
At the center of our worlds: our sense of self
• The medial prefontial cortex – Is the part of the brain that stiches together my sense of self.
• Self schema: Beliefs about self that organize and guide the processing of self relevant
information – Schemas are menal templates by which we organize or worlds.
- powerfully affect how we percieve, remember and evaluate other people and ourselves.
,Self-reference
• Selfreference effect: The tendency to process efficiently and remember well information
related to oneself
• When information is relevant to our self-concepts, we process it quickly and remember it
well.
• Thus memories form around our primary interest: ourselves
Possible selves
• our selves schemas include not only how we are, but also who we might become.
• Also includes the person we fear becoming
Development of the social self
• Genetic influances on personality and self-concept
Social experience plays part in
• The roles we play.
• The social identities we form.
• Comparasions we make with others.
• Our successes and failiures.
• How other people judge us.
• The surrounding nature.
The roles we play
We enact a new role – mother, teacher, student
Social identity
• When we are a part of a small group surrounded by a larger group, we often are concious of
our social identity.
Self concept Self esteem
Who am I? My sense of self worth
THE SELF
Self knowledge
Social self
How can I explain myself?
My roles as student, teacher etc
, Social Comparations
• Self concept – evaluating one's abilities and opinions by comparing oneself to others
• Social comparisons can also diminish our satisfaction. We always compare upward
- we often protect our shaky self-image by concieving the competitor as advantaged.
Success and failure
• fed by our daily experiences
• Make us feel more secure and work harder/faster
Other peoples judgements
• When other people thinks good about us, it helps us think good about ourselves.
• The looking glass self: Is how Cooley describes our use of how we think others perceive us
as a mirror for percieving ourselves.
- What matters for our self-concepts is not how others actually see us, but the way we
imagine they see us.
– We overestimate others apraisals, inflating our self concepts and how others actually see us.
Self and culture
Individualsim: The concept of giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining ones
identity in terms of personal attributes, rather than group identifications
Collectivism: Giving priority to goals of one's groups and defing ones identity accordingly
East Asians think mre holistically than Westernes¨
Interdependt self: Constructing oes identity in relation to others.
Mother Father
Self
Mother Father
Self
Friend Sibling
Coworker Coworker
Independant view of self Interdepedant view of self
