PSYC 215 Chapter 3: Chapter 3 - Nature of the social self.docx

• School: McGill University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 215
• Professor: John Lydon

Document Summary

Who a person is in one social context is often not the same as who the person is in another social environment. (ex: with his soccer buddies, versus with a romantic partner) As social context changes, the nature of self changes as well. William james (1980) introduced in the principles of psychology: a sense of who we are is forged in our interactions with others, shaping, in turn, how they see themselves. Individual self: beliefs about our unique personal traits abilities, preferences, tastes, talents, and so forth: focus of individual self is on what sets the person apart from others. Relational self: beliefs about our identities in specific relationships: ex: doting husband. Collective self: beliefs about our identities as members of social groups to which we belong: ex: irish-canadian. Socrates urged fellow athenians to examine the self to find its essential and distinctive characteristics.