Is self-concept stable or malleable? There are two contradictory views of the self. In this case, you have no prior experience to reference to determine who you are in this situation.ģ.1.1.1. Though you consider yourself a compassionate person, you are not sure you can open your heart up to another child the same way you would to a biological child. Maybe you and your spouse are considering adopting. But are there times when you are not so sure about who you are? The answer is likely yes. If you are incredibly talented at football, you may go out for the team but will not likely try out for the baseball team. Some classes you cannot avoid, and so in these instances you will seek out extra help so that you are successful with the class. If you are not talented at writing, you will likely avoid writing intensive classes as a student. This view is probably clear most of the time. If asked who you are by another person, how would you describe yourself? Are you smart, resourceful, compassionate, petty, empathetic, self-serving, or optimistic? Are you good at sports or do you write poetry well? Should any singing you do be reserved for the shower? These descriptors are what make up our self-concept or the way we see ourselves. Quite possibly the fundamental question of human existence is who we are. Describe cultural differences in the conception of the self.ģ.1.1.Clarify the importance of the two-factor-theory of emotion for the self.Describe the social comparison theory and how it helps us to learn about the self.Describe Cooley’s concept of the looking-glass self.Clarify the importance of possible selves.

Describe self-perception theory and how it helps us learn about the self.

Define self-concept and clarify whether it is stable or malleable.

Outline cognitive biases and heuristics used to defend the self.

Describe ways we make ourselves appear in a more positive light to others.

Define self-esteem and describe efforts we engage in to protect or improve it.

Define the self-concept and clarify how we learn about the self.

Cognitive Biases and Heuristics Used to Bolster the Self Finally, we will discuss cognitive biases and heuristics used to defend the self, such as the self-serving bias, false consensus effect, false uniqueness effect, and unrealistic optimism and defensive pessimism. Our third section will cover self-presentation and specific strategies we use such as self-promotion, ingratiation, false modesty, self-verification, and self-monitoring. We will discuss how self-esteem is affected, and protected, when mortality is made salient, self-efficacy and locus of control, self-regulation, self-awareness, and self-enhancement. Self-esteem across the life span and gender and cross-cultural differences will be examined. Then we will tackle the issue of self-esteem and its two forms – global and domain specific. We will also discuss self-perception theory, possible selves, the self-reference effect, self-discrepancies, how others affect our sense of self, and cultural differences of the self. We will start by focusing on the self-concept or who we are and self-schemas. Module 3 will cover some of the ways this occurs.

Human beings, by their very nature, are prone to focus on the self and to engage in behavior to protect it.

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