Personal-social identity continuum
The two distinct ways that the self can be categorized. At the personal level, the self can be thought of as a unique individual, whereas at the social identity level, the self is thought of as a member of a group.
Intragroup comparisons
Judgments that result from comparisons between individuals who are members of the same group.
Intergroup comparisons
Judgments that result from comparisons between our group and another group.
Self-complexity
How the self-concept is organized. For those whose self-concepts are organized complexly
Identity interference
When two important social identities are perceived as being in conflict, such that acting on the basis of one identity interferes with performing well based on the other identity.
Independent self-concept
In individualistic cultures, the expectation is that people will develop a self-concept as separate from or independent of others. Men are expected to have an independent or others. Men are expected to have an independent self-concept more so than women.
Interdependent self-concept
In collectivist cultures, the expectation is that people will develop a self-concept in terms of their connections or relationships with others. Women are expected to have an interdependent self-concept more so than men.
Subjective self-awareness
The first level of self to emerge. It is the recognition that the self is separate from other objects in one's physical environment.
Objective self-awareness
The organism's capacity to be the object of its own attention-to know that it is seeing its own self in a mirror, for example.
Symbolic self-awareness
The uniquely human capacity to form an abstract representation of the self through language.
Possible selves
Images of how the self might be in the future-either "dreaded" possible selves to be avoided or "desired" potential selves that can be strived for.
Self-efficacy
The belief that one can achieve a goal as a result of one's own actions. Collective self-
Self-esteem
The degree to which the self is perceived positively or negatively; one's overall attitude toward the self.
Self-reference effect
People's orientation toward stimuli that are associated with the self. People show a preference for objects owned by and reflective of the self.
Above-average effect
The tendency for people to rate themselves as above the average on most positive social attributes.
Downward social comparison
A comparison with someone who does less well than the self
Upward social comparison
A comparison with someone who does better than the self.
Social comparison theory
Festinger (1954) suggested that people compare themselves to others because, for many domains and attributes, there is no objective yardstick with which to evaluate the self, so other people are therefore highly informative.
Self-evaluation maintenance model
The perspective that suggests that in order to maintain a positive view of the self, we distance ourselves from others who perform better than we do on valued dimensions, but move closer to others who perform worse. This view suggests that doing so will protect our self-esteem.
Social identity theory
Our response when our group identity is salient. Suggests that we will move closer to positive others with whom we share an identity, but distance ourselves from other ingroup members who perform poorly or otherwise make our social identity negative.
Black sheep effect
When a member of the ingroup behaves in a way that threatens the value of the group identity and is intensely derogated as a means of protecting the group identity.
Ingratiation
The attempt to make others like us by praising them.
Self-monitoring
The monitoring by people of their behavior in response to others' expectancies. Low self-monitors are not very effective at doing this and instead prefer to act consistently according to their personal views. High self-monitors are quite effective at monitoring their behavior and adjust their actions according to others' expectations or the situation.
Introspection
Attempts to understand the self by self-examination, turning inward to assesses one's motives
Stereotype threat
People's belief that they might be judged in light of a negative stereotype about their group or that they may, because of their performance, in some way confirm a negative stereotype of their group.