Critical Learning Exercises - The Nature, Origins, and Functions of the Self

Instructions

Now that you have read the chapter, let's consider the theories and findings more closely. Read each of the questions below and type your response into the corresponding text box. After you submit your response you will be shown model feedback. You will receive full credit on submission, but your grade may change once your instructor reviews your response. Be sure to check the grade book for your final grade.

Question 1.

Think about the place you have been that is the most different from where you grew up. Would you still be the same you if you had grown up in that different place? If you say “yes,” that means you believe that your sense of self and self-concept would be the same as it is now. If you say “no,” you believe that your self would be quite different. Try to use what you have learned about the influences on one’s self-concept to argue for both sides.

Answers will vary depending on whether the student believes they would be the same or have the same sense of self and self-concept if they grew up in a different place, or whether they would be quite different. If students believe they would be quite different, they may use information regarding how our culture, social environment, and experiences relate to where we grow up or live, which will in turn affect our self-concept. This would support social identity theory, that we define ourselves largely in terms of the social groups with which we identify, which can vary based on geographical location. However, if students believe they would be similar, they may think the family environment would be similar, thus leading to a similar self-concept regardless of the geographical location, or believe that self-concept is fairly stable and doesn’t change much from one occasion to another.

Question 2.

Pick a trait — any trait — that has been central to your personality and that sets you apart from others. Perhaps you’ve always thought of yourself as creative, generous, competitive, or rational. Once you’ve identified your trait, ask yourself how you know it defines you. When in your past did you begin to identify with it? Is it something that other people, like your parents or teachers, always said about you? Consider the three major routes to self-knowledge we discussed: reflected appraisal, social comparison, and self-perception. Consider how each helped you figure out who you are. Now consider how else you came to know about this trait. Are there other routes to self-knowledge that social psychologists have overlooked?

Students’ choice of trait will vary but they should clearly identify a trait, describe when they started to identify with that trait and what information they got from others about their trait, and apply the three major routes of self-knowledge (appraisals people get from others, their social comparisons, and their self-perceptions) to how they figured out who they are. Students should also include any other routes to self-knowledge they think social psychologists may have overlooked by considering how else they came to know about their trait.

Question 3.

Let’s say you’re a high school art teacher, and your student Quinn just can’t seem to get anything done. He sits in class playing with his phone and has never followed through on a project. If he keeps this up, he’ll fail your class, and you want to help him avoid that. Try to think of three reasons Quinn can’t get his act together. That is, try to analyze potential reasons for his lack of progress in self-regulating toward goals. Then, for one of those potential reasons, design an intervention to help him get on track. What are some techniques you could borrow from this chapter?

Students’ reasons for why Quinn can’t get his act together will vary but should focus on his lack of progress in self-regulating toward goals, which means the possible answers may include the following: impulse control in focusing on his phone in class; reduced willpower as a result of the temptation of his phone; inability to delay gratification; his hot system of being on his phone is dominating his cool system to do well in the class; he may rate low in consideration of future consequences; ego depletion may have occurred if he has been utilizing self-control all day in other classes; and so on. Based on the three reasons the student provides, one should be selected as the focus of an intervention that will help Quinn get on track. Techniques from the chapter that may be used in this intervention include the following: strengthening willpower (reversing ego depletion); minimizing ironic processing; reappraising difficult situations (cognitive reappraisal); forming “if-then” rules to reprogram himself to situational cues with specific goal-directed behaviors and monitoring goal progress as he goes along (implementation intentions); relying on relationship partners for resources; maintaining a balance between self-focused pursuit of some goals and letting go of goals beyond his reach (self-regulatory perseveration theory); and so on.

Question 4.

Our discussion of self-regulatory challenges portrays average people as having already selected their goals but struggling to meet them. People know what they want (e.g., to finish homework, eat less sugar) but get off course for various reasons. But might there be times when self-regulation fails because we simply don’t know what we want? Consider the feeling of boredom. Imagine that someone complains of boredom, and when others suggest activities, each one sounds unappealing. Does this present a unique challenge to self-regulation? It’s not as though the person cannot make progress toward a goal; rather, the person can’t identify a meaningful goal. How do you think social psychologists might study this?

Student’s responses for how the lack of a meaningful goal may pose a challenge to self-regulation will vary. Possible lines of discussion include the following: reduced cool processes due to lack of a long-term goal will be dominated by hot processes, reducing willpower for self-regulation; or constantly using self-control may deplete our ego strength, resulting in ego depletion and making it harder to regulate our behavior or be interested in our goals or options. Students should recommend ideas for how social psychologists might study this topic or boredom and how it relates to self-regulation.