People from various societies and cultures have been shown to take acknowledgement for positive outcomes and refute responsibility for disappointments. Research studies have shown that self-esteem and impression management play a role in the manifestation of these selfish attributions (DuBrin, 2010). A concern of an individual’s perception of the “self” and the practices for defining behaviors are part of social psychology. Some of the theories and processes that determine behavior are impression management, social comparisons, social tuning, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, mindsets, and causal theories. This paper explores how these processes and theories play a role in the development of self-esteem and impression management.
According to DuBrin (2010), impression management refers to the utilization of conscious and subconscious actions by individuals to influence other peoples’ views about them. Personally, I have used impression management techniques to influence the opinions of others about me. For example, I used impression management techniques when I met my girlfriend’s family for the first time to make a good impression. I chose the best outfit and made my hair to portray an acceptable image of a responsible person. I have also used impression management when communicating with my teacher to portray an image of a hardworking and responsible student. Through non-verbal communication techniques such as maintaining a straight posture and eye contact, one gives the impression of a polite student wiling to work. The other time I have used impression management is agreeing with my parent’s opinion to get their approval for permission to spend time with my friends. Finally, I have used self-promotion techniques to highlight my best qualities and downplay my weaknesses. For example, I usually compare my school performance to my brother’s to show my parents that I am more hardworking
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Social tuning is the inclination for individuals to be enticed to the behaviors, thoughts, and feelings of their social group. This inclination to the same beliefs, customs, and knowledge contributes to the creation of a culture. For example, my views about race is based on the influence of my parents who believe that a person’s skin color is inconsequential. My other personal experience of social tuning is holding negative opinions about homosexuality, which reflects my parent’s views and that of my Christian neighborhood. After joining a new school following my parent’s move to a new city, I became attracted to other new students because we shared the same views of our new school and city. My other experience is the tendency to visit Mexican restaurants because some of my friends are Mexican Americans. Going to these restaurants makes me feel at home.
Social comparison is the practice of comparing oneself to others, which is natural to human beings. Last year, I had four speeding tickets and I found myself comparing it to my sister’s speeding records. Since she had more tickets than me, I felt good about my driving. I have also realized that I tend to compare myself with my Facebook friends, and I feel bad if they have more likes than me. Social comparison in social media networks has been shown to contribute to depressive symptoms ( Cunningham, 2013). I have also compared myself to the top student in the class to determine if my abilities measure up to his talents. Through social comparison, I wanted to establish a standard for making accurate assessment of myself. Finally, I started shooting free throws to determine my performance relative to a friend who is a member of the school basketball team.
Mindsets are beliefs or self-perceptions that individuals hold about themselves. According to Dweck (2008), mindsets influence outlook, behavior, and mental attitude. I usually define myself as a smart student and when I perform poorly in a test, I rationalize the performance or make excuses. I also believe that talent and not effort is enough for one to be successful in sports. Even when faced with a challenging situation, I always adopt a sunny perspective on life due to the belief that things will change for the best. Finally, I belief that I am not a mathematics person, which prevents me from doing practice to improve my math skills. These personal experiences are examples of a foxed mindset because of my belief that the traits are fixed.
Motivation are factors that rouse drive and desire in people to be interested and dedicated to something ( Cunningham, 2013) . Motivation can be either extrinsic or intrinsic. Extrinsic motivation is reward-driven. For example, my parents use rewards to stimulate positive behavior in our family. My teacher’s praise also motivates me to work harder in school. However, intrinsic motivation such as the desire to succeed in life motivates me to put more effort in my studies. The satisfaction derived from making a difference in the lives of others also motivate me to take part in charitable activities such as volunteering at the local hospital.
Causal theory assumes that behavior and personality are the outcomes of childhood experiences starting from birth. It maintains that experience is the predominant factor that influences personality. One of friends in high school had a problem paying attention or staying focused. Initially, I believed that it was genetic predisposition, but after learning about causal theory, I now believe that the inability to spend to more time with his parents at a young age contributed to his condition. He often told me how his parents were busying working and travelling. The absence of an open exchange of feelings may have contributed to his condition. Therefore, processes such as impression management, social comparisons, social tuning, and mindsets influence a person’s view of the “self.”
References
Cunningham, C. (2013). Social networking and impression management: Self-presentation in the digital age . Lanham: Lexington Books.
DuBrin, A. (2010). Impression Management in the Workplace: Research, Theory and Practice . New York: Routledge.
Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset: The new psychology of success . New York: Ballantine Books.
