Self and Self-Concept
Interested in self because:
--Self is a product of interpersonal communication
--Self affects how we communicate with others
--Changes in the self = changes in relationships
Self: sum total of who a person is: a person’s central inner force.
Self Concept: collection of qualities we attribute to ourselves (txt:
subjective description of who we are)
Model of Self
& Self Concept
Model of Self:
Real, Ideal, &
Presented Self
Ideal Self:
--Idealized Image: An Unobtainable Ideal Self
--Committed Image: An Achievable Ideal Self
--Moral Image: How the Self “Should” be.
Self as Multidimensional:
The Self Concept is a process
--On-going over time: Changes
--Irreversible
--Cumulative—Helix Model
Symbolic Interaction & the Symbolic Self
Our Behaviors
Other People’s Perception
of the Behavior
Self
Perception of Other’s
Responses
Other People’s Impression
of the “Self”
Other People’s
Responses
Mediating Factors
-- Frequency
-- Consistency
-- Variety of sources
-- Knowledgeable source
-- Embeddedness
-- Primacy/Recency
The Self Concept is subjective (Perceptually Biased)
Self Concept is influenced by culture.
Healthy Self Concept is flexible.
Self Concept resists change.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy (Symbolic Interaction)
--Self Generated
--Other Generated
People vary in terms of self-awareness