Although we compare ourselves to others throughout our lives, adolescent and teen years usually bring new pressure to be similar to or different from particular reference groups. Factors like age and personality may influence whether or not we want to fit in or stand out. Since self-concept is context specific, similarity may be desirable in some situations and difference more desirable in others. We also engage in social comparison based on similarity and difference. If a someone wants to get into better shape and starts an exercise routine, they may be discouraged by the difficulty keeping up with the aerobics instructor and judge themselves as inferior, which could negatively affect their self-concept. In terms of athletic ability, many people choose unreasonable reference groups with which to engage in social comparison. Reference groups are the groups we use for social comparison, and they typically change based on what we are evaluating.
This process of comparison and evaluation isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it can have negative consequences if our reference group isn’t appropriate. For example, you may judge yourself to be more intelligent than your brother or less athletic than your best friend, and these judgments are incorporated into your self-concept.
In terms of superiority and inferiority, we evaluate characteristics like attractiveness, intelligence, athletic ability, and so on. Social comparisons are based on two dimensions: superiority/inferiority and similarity/difference (Hargie, 2011).
Social comparison theory states that we describe and evaluate ourselves in terms of how we compare to other people. We also develop our self-concept through comparisons to other people. For example, you may think, “I’m glad that people can count on me to listen to their problems.” These thoughts evoke emotional responses that feed into our self-concept. This reflective process of building our self-concept is based on what other people have actually said, such as “You’re a good listener,” and from how we interpret other people’s actions, (e.g., a friend coming to you for advice may suggest you have valuable suggestions to offer). The concept of the looking glass self explains that we see ourselves reflected in other people’s reactions to us and then form our self-concept based on how we believe other people see us (Cooley, 1902). Our self-concept is also formed through our interactions with others and their reactions to us. For example, you might consider yourself a member of the track team or a Southerner. In other situations, our self-concept may be tied to group or cultural membership. You might consider yourself laid back, traditional, funny, open minded, or driven, or you might label yourself a leader or a thrill seeker. In some situations, personal characteristics, such as our abilities, personality, and other distinguishing features, will best describe who we are. But each person’s self-concept is also influenced by context, meaning we think differently about ourselves depending on the situation we are in. Each person has an overall self-concept that might be encapsulated in a short list of overarching characteristics that they find important. If I said, “Tell me who you are,” your answers would be clues as to how you see yourself. The overall idea of who a person thinks they are is called their self-concept. Self-Concept (Image: mirror-cat, used according to license)
0 kommentar(er)
