Chapter 19

Key Terms

Autobiographical memory: memory across the lifespan for events involving the individual (especially those of personal significance).

Independent self: a type of self-concept in which the self is characterised by personal responsibility and achievement.

Interdependent self: a type of self-concept in which the self is defined to a large extent by one’s relationships with others.

Dissociative identity disorder: a mental disorder in which the patient has two or more separate personalities or identities which alternate in controlling behaviour; there is also amnesia or forgetting of autobiographical information.

Self-esteem: the part of the self-concept concerned with an individual’s feelings (positive and negative) about himself/herself.

False uniqueness bias: the mistaken belief that one’s abilities and behaviour are superior to those of most other people.

Cultural mindset: the cultural beliefs and values that influence thinking and behaviour and can be determined by the immediate social context.

Weblinks

A summary of Cooley’s theory of the looking glass self
http://www.popularsocialscience.com/2013/05/27/the-looking-glass-self-how-our-self-image-is-shaped-by-society/Video showing the mirror self-recognition test

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTP01Wbsh0E&feature=related

More detail on the assessment of self-concept
http://www.ericdigests.org/1996-3/self.htm

An overview of self-concept theory for counsellors
http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9211/self.htm

An overview of the development of the self-concept in childhood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZdsCdx04to

An article about the research of Balcetis and Dunning: Why we’re better at predicting other people’s behaviour than our own
http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/why-were-better-at-predicting-other.html

The National Association for Self-Esteem
http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/

BPS research digest article: Why we think we’re better than the rest – it’s not all vanity
http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.co.uk/2008/08/why-we-think-were-better-than-rest-its.html

A BPS research digest article: Baghdad teenagers show heightened sense of self in the face of war
http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.co.uk/2008/02/baghdad-teenagers-show-heightened-sense.html

Why do people use Facebook?
http://www.psychtronics.com/2012/08/why-do-people-use-facebook-according-to.html