PSYC 345 Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Vocabulary
Document Summary
Self-awareness: the understanding that we are a separate entity from other people and objects in our world; a state of being conscious of our own existence. Mirror self-recognition test: a scientific paradigm where a mark is placed on an animal"s forehead and it is placed in front of a mirror. The animal is assumed to have self-recognition if it touches the mark on its forehead. Self-concept: the personal summary of who we believe we are, including our assessment of our positive and negative qualities, our relationships to others, and our beliefs and opinions. Social comparison theory: the use of social comparisons to construct the self-concept when no other objective standard is available. Upward social comparison: when individuals compare themselves to someone who is better than they are, often to improve on a particular skill. Downward social comparison: when individuals compare themselves to someone who is worse than they are, often to help them feel better about themselves.
