More Theories on the Self
* Self-awareness theory
* Self-perception theory
* Overjustification effects
* Self-handicapping
Self-Awareness Theory
* Focusing on ourselves leads us to compare current behavior to internal standards and values
* In other words, becoming self-conscious leads us to become objective observers of our own behavior
More Self-Awareness
* You can become self-aware by seeing yourself in a mirror, being in front of an audience, watching
yourself on videotape�
* If your current behavior is inconsistent with your values or standards, you then either change your
behavior or flee from the state of
self-awareness
Limitations of Self-Awareness
* Even when we are self-aware, we often can't be accurate about why we feel or act the way we do
* We come up with causal theories to explain our behaviors and feelings, but these are not always
accurate
* Sometimes thinking about why we feel a certain way even leads to attitude change
Self-Perception Theory
* When our attitudes or feelings are ambiguous, we often infer them by observing our own behavior
* In other words, we often decide whether or not we like something based on whether or not we do it (as
opposed to vice versa)
More Self-Perception
* Example: Do I like lettuce? I've never thought about it before, but I guess I must since I eat almost
everyday in a salad.
* Cognitive dissonance makes same prediction:
- If I don't like lettuce but I'm willing to eat it in salad, this might lead to dissonance arousal, and I will
change my lettuce
attitude accordingly.
* With external justification (if I'm paid to eat lettuce), no attitude change or self-perception
More on external justification
* When extrinsic motivation is very strong, people discount the influence of intrinsic motivations
