Exam 3: The Social Self

Barbara just received a B on her test.She learns that one of her friends got an A on the same test,and another friend got a C.Later that night,Barbara tells her roommate that she did "really well" relative to other people in the class.According to social comparison theory,Barbara appears to have engaged in ________ comparison.

Travis is trying to lose weight but loves eating chips.He avoids the chip aisle whenever he is at the grocery store.However,at his friend's holiday party,there is a big bowl of chips on the table.According to research on automatic self-control by Fishbach and colleagues (2003),what is likely to happen when Travis notices the bowl of chips at the party?

Provide two pieces of evidence that challenge the idea that people always strive to maintain or increase the positivity of their self-views (hint: consider self-verification theory).

Sara's best friend just told her that she does not want to hang out any more.Sara's self-esteem plummets.She then calls three other good friends to see if they want to get dinner together.They say yes and Sara feels better about herself.Sara's feelings and behaviors reflect which psychological theory?

According to research,self-construals vary within a culture.Which of the following American men is most likely to have an independent self-construal?

The part of our self-knowledge that is conscious to us at any given time is called the

Researchers have studied whether college students' beliefs about their academic talents relate to self-esteem and well-being in college.Results show that students who ________ at the start of college experienced ________ in self-esteem and well-being over the following four years.

Define impression management and explain how self-monitoring and self-handicapping are related to this concept.

Consider the following finding from a study in which U.S.schoolchildren were asked to describe themselves: "Forty-four percent of children who were born outside of the United States mentioned their country of origin when describing themselves,whereas only 7 percent of those born in the United States mentioned their place of birth." This finding best supports the ________ hypothesis.

Ryan begins his 20-page sociology paper at about 5 p.m.on the night before the paper is due.At around 6 p.m.,Gary requests a favor that will take several hours.Ryan grants the favor and ends up leaving himself just a few hours to complete the paper.Later,when friends ask Ryan about his paper grade,he says,"I got a D because I was helping Gary all night instead of writing." This scenario exemplifies a self-presentation process called

The self-enhancement motive seems to better predict ________ responses to feedback,whereas the self-verification motive seems to better predict ________ responses.

The set of processes by which people initiate,alter,and control their behavior in the pursuit of their goals is called

Vazire and colleagues conducted a series of studies to evaluate who we believe knows us best,ourselves or close others,and whether our beliefs are accurate.The results showed that

Adina has low self-esteem.She always feels uncomfortable in social situations.According to research on self-verification theory,with whom would Adina most likely choose to be friends?

The better-than-average effect refers to the finding that people

Challenge the idea that one's level of self-esteem (high versus low)is the only aspect of self-esteem that relates to well-being or outcomes.

Describe potential costs of engaging in self-presentation.That is,how could attempts to maintain the favorable impression of others negatively impact our health or well-being? Give two examples.

Compare automatic and deliberate (controlled)forms of self-regulation.

Looking ten years ahead,Lola dreams of being a celebrated writer.According to self-discrepancy theory (Higgins,1987),Lola is reflecting on her ________ self.

Describe differences in self-esteem across independent and interdependent cultures.