Exam 3: The Self

Is it always advantageous to have high self-esteem rather than low self-esteem? Are people with high self-esteem really smarter, more attractive, and more successful? Discuss the pros and cons (advantages and disadvantages) of having high self-esteem versus low self-esteem.

Suppose that Faith grew up in Miami, had a pet dog as a child, is an excellent pinball player, and sometimes drinks too much at parties. If we knew nothing else about Faith, it would probably still be safe to assume that she thinks ____ is more common than it really is.

Suppose that you are studying the concept of self-handicapping. Research shows that you will be able to remember this concept especially well if you link it to yourself in some way (e.g., by thinking of personal examples of times that you yourself engaged in self-handicapping). This demonstrates the power of ____.

Even though she has taken Spanish courses for years and is almost fluent, Ann just enrolled in Spanish I. Why? She loves the feeling of being the smartest person in the room, and loves to get scores of 100%. Ann is apparently driven by a rather strong ____.

When Jason starts college, he comes from a very conservative religious background. He strongly feels that homosexuality is "wrong" and "immoral," although he has never actually met anyone who is a homosexual. At college, he meets lots of new friends, a few of whom are homosexual. He really enjoys them, and as he spends more time with them he decides, "I must not really think homosexuality is wrong. After all, several of my best friends are gay and I don't think they are immoral." Which theory can BEST explain Jason's change in attitude about homosexuality?

As discussed in the textbook, the idea of an inner "true" self (a self that may not be explicitly apparent or reflected in outward behavior) may have its origins in ____.

Suppose that you are trying to quit smoking, but that you are having trouble doing so. When you stop to think about why you might be having so much trouble (i.e., when you try to analyze what your resistance might be to quitting), you are relying on ____.

Who is MOST likely to have unprotected sex?

Marisol is pretty equal in terms of taking the blame for failures and crediting herself for successes. She is also pretty accurate when it comes to judging how much control she has over events in her life. And she has a fairly accurate idea of how much different people like her. Based on this information, it would appear that Marisol ____.

Jacques has a big wrestling match coming up, but he fears that he will lose. The week before the match, he claims that he is "really busy with other studies," and does not practice at all. Even though he may not realize he is doing this, he is setting himself up so that he will have an "excuse" in case he loses the match. Jacques is apparently engaging in ____________________.

According to your text's analysis of revising self-knowledge, changing the way you think about yourself is difficult because ____.

Self-regulation refers to the process by which the self monitors, controls, and changes itself.

Compared to other information, information bearing on the self is processed more thoroughly and more deeply, and is hence remembered better. This pattern is known as ____.

Research suggests that, compared to East Asians, Northern Americans and Western Europeans tend to have more ____________________ self-construals.

Unlike other animals, humans ____.

Research on bullies and bullying suggests that most of the perpetrators have ____ self-esteem, while most of the victims ____ self-esteem.

People try to make impressions on others by explicitly telling other people things about themselves ("I have a lot of experience with this"), by wearing certain brands (e.g., Birkenstock, Stussy, Nike, Prada), and by using certain body language (e.g., strutting or crossing one's legs). These are all examples of ____.

Dara is a junior in college. She has done very well there academically, making the Dean's List each semester. She also is a leader in her sorority, and a good swimmer on the women's swim team. Which of the following self-enhancing claims is Dara LEAST likely to make?

Social psychologists have found that there is usually a very good match between ____.

Although his job as an art instructor does not pay very well, Larry really loves his work and loves how it makes him feel. Social psychologists would say that Larry's job is ____________________ rewarding.