The Self in

the Social World

Discussion 2 on Advance Social Psychology
 Contents of the Report
Spotlights and illusions What do they teach us about ourselves?

Self-concept: Who am I? How we define and understand our identity.

What is the nature and motivating power

The desire for self-worth and its impact.
of self-esteem?

What is self-serving bias? The tendency to perceive oneself favorably.

How do people manage their self-

presentation? Managing the impressions we create.

What does it mean to have “self-control”?

The ability to regulate oneself, a limited but improvable resource.

Conclusion Synthesis of the topics explored.

Main Reference:
Social Psychology by
David Myers & Jean Twenge
 01
Spotlights and
Illusion
Are you being observed?
Spotlight Effect
Our tendency to overestimate how much others notice
us. We often feel like we're under a microscope, but in
reality, people are usually too busy with their own lives
to pay much attention to us.

Timothy Lawson’s 2010 study found that while 40% of

students thought others would notice an 'American Eagle'
logo on their sweatshirt, only 10% did
Are your feelings transparent?

Illusion of Transparency

We tend to believe our internal emotions, like

anxiety, are more noticeable to others than they
actually are.

When you're anxious about giving a presentation,

you might think your trembling hands or shaky
voice are obvious to everyone. However, studies
show that others usually notice these signs of
anxiety far less than you think.
Our self-awareness is shaped by social environments
and relationships, highlighting our differences and
influencing self-perception.

Our self-perception shifts with different people,

influenced by their feedback. This can make breakups or
major changes feel disorienting.

The spotlight effect and illusion of transparency reveal that people are more
focused on themselves than on us. Understanding this can reduce social
anxiety and help us feel less self-conscious.
 02
Self-concept:
Who am I?
 Self - Concept
Self-concept is your understanding of who you are,
including your traits, roles, and how you see yourself in
various situations.

'I am...' creative, hardworking, kind

'I am...' a brother, student, a teacher.

Self - Schemas
Self-schemas shape how we
The mental frameworks that
see ourselves and interpret
help us organize and interpret
others, like noticing athleticism
information about ourselves.
if you identify as athletic.
 Social Comparison
An important part of self-concept involves social comparisons, where we regularly assess
ourselves by measuring our abilities, traits, and accomplishments against those of others.

Social comparisons can be skewed by incomplete information, like viewing curated social
media, can harm self-esteem and lead to anxiety.

Looking Glass Self

The "looking-glass self" is how we form our self-

concept based on others' perceptions and
reactions.
 Individualistic Collectivistic
In individualistic cultures, the self is seen as In collectivistic cultures, the self is viewed as
independent, focusing on personal traits and interdependent, emphasizing social roles and
achievements. group memberships

self-esteem is it’s more context-

stable and tied dependent, linked
to personal to social roles and
achievements harmony

Cultural trends show rising individualism globally, with more use of "I" over "we," and younger
generations in collectivistic cultures like China also becoming more individualistic.
 Our self-concept evolves with
personal beliefs, social comparisons,
and cultural context.
 03
Nature and Motivating
Power of Self-esteem
What is Self - Esteem?
Self-esteem is how we value ourselves and influences our behavior, often leading to both positive
and negative outcomes.

Researcher Jennifer Crocker and Connie Wolfe pointed out, self-esteem depends on
what’s personally important to us.

Measuring Self - Esteem

Self-esteem varies by domains like appearance, intelligence, and achievements, with different
areas affecting individuals differently.

Psychologists Jonathan Brown and Keith Dutton suggest that high self-esteem leads us to
view all aspects of ourselves more positively
 The Effects of Self-Esteem on Performance

General self-esteem doesn’t guarantee

success; specific feedback is more
effective for motivation and performance.

The Motivation Behind Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is vital; high self-esteem leads to resilience, while low self-esteem can cause negative
cycles of self-blame and giving up.

Mark Leary views self-esteem as a 'fuel gauge' prompting action when threatened. Jeff Greenberg's
terror management theory adds that pursuing self-esteem helps manage our fear of death and gives
life meaning.
 The Pitfalls of Chasing Self-Esteem

Jennifer Crocker: Chasing self-esteem

through external validation causes stress
and dissatisfaction. Compassionate goals
boost self-esteem over time.

Kristin Neff promotes self-compassion over

comparison, focusing on self-improvement.
Self-Esteem’s Dark Side: Narcissism
High self-esteem can lead to narcissism, causing
aggression when criticized. Rising narcissism, linked
to materialism and less empathy, damages
relationships over time.

The Power of Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy, developed by Albert

To build self-efficacy, focus on praising
Bandura, is the belief in one's ability
effort over intelligence. Acknowledging hard
to accomplish tasks, distinct from
work encourages improvement, while
self-esteem. It's a key predictor of
praising intelligence can create fear of
success in areas like academics and
failure.
work.
 04
Role of
Self-Serving Bias
Explaining Positive and Negative Events
People often credit themselves for successes and
blame external factors for failures, contrasting with
self-critical attributions where failures are
internalized and successes are seen as luck. Self –
Serving bias explains this phenomenon.

Adaptive and Maladaptive Aspects

Self-serving bias protects self- Self-serving bias can cause

esteem by blaming external factors relationship issues, like in
for failures, aiding recovery and group work dynamics.
maintaining motivation.
Self-serving bias and the 'bias blind spot' can lead to conflicts in negotiations, as each
party sees themselves as more reasonable and fails to recognize their own bias.

Is Self-Serving Bias Universal?

Self-serving bias is stronger in individualistic

cultures, where personal achievement is valued,
while collectivist cultures, focusing on group
success, show less of this bias.
 Unrealistic Optimism and Defensive Pessimism

Unrealistic optimism is the belief that negative

outcomes are less likely for us than others,
leading to complacency and fewer precautions.

Defensive pessimism involves anticipating

problems to enhance preparation and
planning.
 False Consensus and False Uniqueness

The false consensus effect makes us overestimate how much others share our
views and behaviors, while the false uniqueness effect leads us to see our positive
traits as more unique than they are, both serving to boost our self-image.

To conclude

Self-serving bias affects how we view ourselves and others,

impacting interactions, expectations, and decisions.
 05
Managing Self-
Presentation
 Self - Presentation

Self-presentation is managing how others

perceive us. We adjust our behavior to fit
situations, highlighting our best qualities
in high-stakes ones.

Self-Handicapping: A Strategy to Protect Self-Image

Self-handicapping is creating excuses for failure to protect self-esteem. It can

boost self-image if successful despite obstacles, but often leads to worse
outcomes.
 Shaping how others perceive us, ranging from false modesty
Impression to overt self-enhancement.
Management:
Balancing Self-Image Studies show people can appear less likable when trying too
and Social Perception hard to look good. This demonstrates the delicate balance of
self-presentation; too much self-promotion can backfire

Self-Monitoring: The Social Chameleon

High self-monitors are adept at

adjusting their self-presentation to suit
different social contexts, like
chameleons changing to fit their
environment.
High self-monitors excel socially but Low self-monitors are consistent,
may struggle with authenticity and expressing true feelings even if
relationship satisfaction due to socially inappropriate, which can be
constant adaptation seen as genuine or awkward.

False Modesty and Self-Presentation in Everyday Life

False modesty can be a tool for social

acceptance, but it's important to
strike a balance to avoid seeming
disingenuous, especially when
achievements warrant genuine pride.
 Social Media and Risks
People carefully curate their social media profiles to project an ideal image. This
can boost self-esteem but can lead to unhealthy behaviors and self-handicapping
to maintain a positive image.

Self-presentation is a delicate balance between

managing impressions and staying true to oneself.
 06
Meaning of
Self - Control
 Self – control is the ability to regulate thoughts, emotions,
and actions, delaying gratification and resisting temptation.

Self-control has limits, according to Baumeister. It operates

like a muscle that can be depleted, known as ego depletion.

“ego depletion”

Study 1: Study 2:
Resisting temptation depletes Suppressing emotions also
willpower, leading to decreased depletes self-control, reducing
persistence on later tasks. physical stamina.

Self-control can be a limited resource.

 Self-Control and Decision-Making
Ego depletion influences even crucial decisions, like parole hearings, as judges are
less likely to grant parole when mentally tired.

Self-Control and Energy

Self-control also consumes physical energy. Studies show those with higher
glucose levels have better self-control, suggesting a link between physical energy
and willpower.

Building Self-Control
Practicing self-control in one area improves self-control in others. Students
taught study skills also showed improved self-control in other aspects of
their lives.
 Strategies for Strengthening
Self-Control
Start small to improve self-control, focusing on
one goal at a time. Success in one area leads to
improvements in others.

Self-control: vital for success, limited but

trainable.
 Conclusion
We've discussed key aspects of the self, from self-esteem to self-efficacy,
and how they impact our lives.

We also explored self-serving bias, which protects our self-image but can
lead to overconfidence, and self-presentation, how we manage others'
perceptions of us.

Lastly, self-control, vital for achieving long-term goals, requires effort.

These concepts show the complexity of self and the need for balance in
confidence, ambition, and persistence.
End of Presentation
Thank you!