1. The Self II & Self-Regulation
Lecture 4

2. Lecture Overview Self Part II Multiple Selves Self-esteem
The Self in the Brain
Self-regulation

3. Multiple Selves Do we have just one view of the Self? No
How many Selves in the Self?
Hazel Markus
Independent & Interdependent Selves
Possible Selves
Tory Higgins
Self-Discrepancy Theory

4. Independent & Interdependent Selves
Independent Self
View of Self as distinct from others
Interdependent Self
Self as inherently linked with others
Includes other people in one’s view of self

5. Possible Selves
Type of self-knowledge that pertains to how we think about our potential and our future
Ideal selves we want to become
Neutral selves we could become
Selves we are afraid of becoming

6. Self-Discrepancy Theory
Ideal Self
Who you would ideally like to be
Depression
Actual Self
Who you are now
Ought Self
Who other people think you should be
Anxiety

7. Self-Esteem Self-evaluative component of the Self-Concept
Global Self-Esteem
State Self-Esteem
Implicit Self-Esteem

8. Global Self-Esteem Typical level of self-esteem Some example items:
On the whole, I am satisfied with myself.
I feel that I am a person of worth, at least on an equal plane with others.
I wish I could have more respect for myself (reverse)
I feel that I have a number of good qualities.
All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a failure (reverse).

9. State Self-Esteem
Self-esteem that fluctuates based on situation/context
Some example items:
I feel good about myself right now
I feel inferior to others at this moment (reverse)

10. Sociometer Theory
The need to belong is evolutionarily adaptive and self-esteem monitors the likelihood of social exclusion
Sociometer
An internal monitor of social acceptance/rejection

11. Perceived Regard How we believe we are viewed by others
Tend to underestimate how much close others like us

12. Perceived Regard Method:
Participants bring a friend with them to the lab
Participant and friend fill out a personality survey 3 times:
How you view yourself (Self View)
How you see your friend (Other View)
How you think your friend sees you (Perceived Regard)

13. Perceived Regard Results:
Friend’s Other View significantly more positive than Participant’s Self View
Participant’s Perceived Regard significantly more positive than Self View
Participant’s Perceived Regard significantly lower than Friend’s Other View

14. Self-Serving Biases Self-Enhancement Positive Illusions
Social Comparisons

15. Self-Enhancement
Tendency to see oneself as better-than-average on favourable characteristics
Some examples:
90% of US adults classify themselves as above average drivers
1,000,000 High School seniors applying to college were asked to assess their leadership abilities: 70% said they were above average
94% of University Professors think they are better at their jobs than their colleagues

16. Social Comparisons
Evaluation of oneself by comparing the Self to others
Upward Comparison
Comparison of the Self to someone who is better off than oneself
Downward Comparison
Comparison of the Self to someone who is worse off tan oneself

17. Where Does the Self Reside?
The Brain has it
Prefrontal Cortex
Medial Prefrontal Lobes
Self-referential information processing
Right Prefrontal Lobe
Self-recognition

18. Right Prefrontal Cortex & Self-Recognition

19. Self-Regulation

20. Self-Regulation: Overview
Delay of Gratification
Self-regulatory Strategies
Cost of Self-control

21. Self-Regulation
The strategies used to control (regulate) your behaviour
Pursuit of a long-term goal
Monitor your response to environmental stimuli

22. Delay of Gratification
The ability to forgo an immediate reward for a larger, future reward

23. Delay of Gratification
Mischel (1966), aka “The Bing Study”
Method:

24. Delay of Gratification

25. Delay of Gratification
Later in life, those who can delay gratification:
Higher verbal and math SAT scores
Parents:
Better able to concentrate
Better able to cope with frustration and stress
Parents and teachers:
Greater cognitive and social competence ratings

26. Self-Regulatory Strategies
Self-Distancing
Emotion Regulation

27. Self-Distancing iClicker A B
How do you recall negative emotional events?
Self-immersed perspective
Recall event in the first-person (i.e., from the perspective of your own eyes)
Self-distanced perspective
Recall event in the third-person (i.e., from the perspective of an observer)
iClicker A B

28. Self-Distancing Ayduk & Kross (2008) Method: 90 participants
1: Baseline
Blood Pressure
2: Anger
Manipulation
3: Regulation
Strategy
4: Reactivity BP
& Emotion Survey

29. Self-Distancing
Ayduk & Kross (2008)
Results: Emotional Intensity

30. Self-Distancing
Ayduk & Kross (2008)
Results: Blood Pressure

31. Emotion Regulation
Self-regulation specific to the control of emotional experience

32. How Do You Control Your Emotions?
Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree
I control my emotions by changing the way I think about the situation I’m in.
I control my emotion by not expressing them.
When I want to feel less negative emotion, I change the way I’m thinking about the situation.
When I am feeling negative emotions, I make sure not to express them.
When I want to feel more positive emotion, I change what I’m thinking about.
I keep my emotions to myself.

33. How Do You Control Your Emotions?
Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree
I control my emotions by changing the way I think about the situation I’m in.
I control my emotion by not expressing them.
When I want to feel less negative emotion, I change the way I’m thinking about the situation.
When I am feeling negative emotions, I make sure not to express them.
When I want to feel more positive emotion, I change what I’m thinking about.
I keep my emotions to myself.

34. Iclicker: Self-Regulation
A = Higher Score to Odd-Numbered Items
B = Higher Score to Even-Numbered Items
C = Essentially equal (within 2 points of each other)

35. Emotion Regulation Response-focused Antecedent-focused
3 Primary Strategies:
Suppression
Reappraisal
Situation Selection
Response-focused
Antecedent-focused

36. Suppression
Inhibiting emotion- expressive behaviour while emotionally aroused

37. Reappraisal
Interpreting potentially emotion-relevant stimuli in unemotional terms

38. Reappraisal and Suppression
Gross (1998)
Method: 120 participants
1: Physio
Baseline
2: Neutral
Video
3: Emotional
Video
4: Regulation
Strategy
5: Emotional
Video

39. Reappraisal and Suppression
Gross (1998)
Results: Observer-rated disgust

40. Reappraisal and Suppression
Gross (1998)
Results: Blood to peripheries (Finger Pulse Amp.)

41. Reappraisal and Suppression
Gross (1998)
Results: Finger temperature

42. Reappraisal and Suppression
Gross (1998)
Results: Skin conductance level

43. Emotion Regulation Requires a Lot of Effort
3 Primary Strategies:
Suppression
Reappraisal
Situation Selection
Requires a Lot of Effort
Requires Relatively Little Effort

44. Cost of Self-Regulation
Inzlicht & Gutsell (2007)
Method: 40 UTSC students
1: Apply
EEG Cap
2: Regulation
Strategy
3: Emotional
Video
4: Attentional
Control Task

45. Cost of Self-Regulation
Inzlicht & Gutsell (2007)
Results: Stroop Effect

46. Cost of Self-Regulation
Inzlicht & Gutsell (2007)
Results: Error-related Negativity

47. Scope of Self-Regulatory Costs
Self-regulation in one domain affects ability to exert control on subsequent tasks in another domain

48. Scope of Self-Regulatory Costs
1: Eating Task
With Differing
Self-regulatory
Demands
Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Muraven, & Tice (1998)
Methods:
2: Impossible
Puzzles
3: How Long
Will Participants
Keep Trying?
1: Eating Task
With Differing
Self-regulatory
Demands

49. Scope of Self-Regulatory Costs
Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Muraven, & Tice (1998)
Results:

50. 4 Oreos Are Better than 2 Next Lecture: Stress and Health
Related Websites:
PSYBlog - Improve your self-control:
O Magazine - Self-distancing: