a person’s sense of who they are based on their group membership(s); the groups (e.g. social class, family, football team etc.) to which people belonged to were an important source of pride and self-esteem.

We categorize objects in order to understand them and identify them. In a very similar way we categorize people (including ourselves) in order to

understand the social environment.

We adopt the identity of the group we have categorized ourselves as belonging to.

Once we have categorized ourselves as part of a group and have identified with that group we then tend to compare that group with other groups.

states that part of how we see ourselves comes from our perception of how others see us (Cooley, 1902).

the instance where an individual accepts a label that has been given to them by someone else after they have performed a specific action that is deemed inappropriate. Over time, the person internalizes and accepts this label; and in a sense, assimilates themselves with

this behavior.

expectations start to become self-fulfilling prophecies, and our self-concept and even our behavior start to align with them.

If we are repeatedly labeled and evaluated by others; which happens when we adopt others’ labels explicitly into our self-concept. The effects on our self-esteem appear to depend very much on the nature of the labels.

It’s often easiest to recognize our own prejudices by how we

treat ourselves. Oftentimes our behavior towards ourselves is far more honest than our behavior towards others. Has been found to predict more negative self-concept and poorer psychological adjustment.

occurs when we learn about our abilities and skills, about the

appropriateness and validity of our opinions, and about our relative social status by comparing our own attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors with those of others.

occurs primarily on dimensions on which there are no correct answers or objective benchmarks. Therefore, we can rely only on the beliefs of others for information.

occurs when we attempt to create a positive image of ourselves through favorable comparisons with others who are worse off than we are.

which occurs when we compare ourselves with others who are better off than we are. Upward comparison may lower our self-esteem by reminding us that we are not as well off as others.

asserts that our self-esteem can be threatened

when someone else outperforms us, particularly if that person is close to us and the performance domain is central to our self-concept. When threats occur, the theory states that we will typically

try to rebuild our self-esteem using one of three main strategies.

The tendency to present a positive self-image to others, with the goal of

increasing our social status. It is a basic and natural part of everyday life.

used to create different emotions in other people.

is to create liking by using flattery or charm.

is to create guilt by showing that you are a better person than the other.

is to create fear by showing that you can be aggressive.

is to create pity by indicating to others that you are helpless and needy.

is to create respect by persuading others that you are competent.

A form of long-term self-presentation, where individuals seek tobuild and sustain specific reputations with important audiences.

refers to the tendency to be both motivated and capable of regulating our behavior to meet the demands of social situations.

are particularly good at reading the emotions of others and therefore are better at fitting into social situations.

generally act on their own attitudes, even when

the social situation suggests that they should behave otherwise.