All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What is locus of control?
Answer: Belief about whether outcomes are controlled internally or externally. Influences motivation, effort, and response to setbacks.
Flashcard 2: What is self-efficacy?
Answer: Belief in one’s ability to succeed at specific tasks. Task-specific confidence, not general self-worth.
Flashcard 3: What is identity in the context of self-concept?
Answer: Roles, group memberships, and personal meanings defining the self. Multiple aspects that collectively form one's self-concept.
Flashcard 4: What is self-efficacy?
Answer: Belief in one’s ability to succeed at specific tasks. Bandura's concept focusing on confidence in specific abilities.
Flashcard 5: Which locus of control is the belief that outcomes depend on luck or external forces?
Answer: External locus of control. Often linked to lower self-efficacy and learned helplessness.
Flashcard 6: Identify the construct: “I am a valuable person overall, even when I fail.”
Answer: Self-esteem. Shows global worth persisting despite specific failures.
Flashcard 7: What is the self-reference effect?
Answer: Better memory for information related to the self. Self-relevant info gets deeper processing and encoding.
Flashcard 8: Which locus of control is associated with believing outcomes depend on luck or outside forces?
Answer: External locus of control. Belief that fate or others control outcomes.
Flashcard 9: Which comparison involves evaluating yourself against someone better to improve performance?
Answer: Upward social comparison. Comparing to superior others motivates self-improvement.
Flashcard 10: What is the "I" component of the self in Mead’s theory?
Answer: The spontaneous, impulsive, subjective self. The active, experiencing self that acts in the moment.
Flashcard 11: Identify the type of comparison: comparing yourself to a worse-performing peer to feel better.
Answer: Downward social comparison. Looking to those doing worse boosts self-esteem.
Flashcard 12: What is self-serving bias?
Answer: Attributing successes internally and failures externally. Protects self-esteem by taking credit but avoiding blame.
Flashcard 13: Which comparison tends to protect self-esteem: upward or downward comparison?
Answer: Downward comparison. Comparing to worse-off others maintains positive self-view.
Flashcard 14: Which comparison tends to increase motivation but may lower self-esteem: upward or downward comparison?
Answer: Upward comparison. Comparing to superior others can inspire but also threaten self-worth.
Flashcard 15: What is social comparison theory (Festinger)?
Answer: People evaluate themselves by comparing to others. Helps determine self-worth and abilities relative to reference groups.
Flashcard 16: What is the looking-glass self (Cooley)?
Answer: Self-concept shaped by perceived judgments of others. We see ourselves reflected through how we think others see us.
Flashcard 17: Identify the concept: “I failed because the exam was unfair,” after poor performance.
Answer: Self-serving bias. Blaming external factors for failure protects self-image.
Flashcard 18: What are Bandura’s four main sources of self-efficacy?
Answer: Mastery, vicarious, verbal persuasion, physiological state. Direct experience, modeling, encouragement, and emotional arousal build efficacy.
Flashcard 19: Identify the concept: “My self-worth depends on meeting high standards and avoiding mistakes.”
Answer: Contingent self-esteem. Self-worth fluctuates based on external validation and achievements.
Flashcard 20: Which locus of control is linked to believing outcomes depend on luck or powerful others: internal or external?
Answer: External locus of control. Can lead to passivity and reduced effort in challenging situations.
Flashcard 21: Which locus of control is linked to believing outcomes depend on one’s actions: internal or external?
Answer: Internal locus of control. Associated with higher achievement and personal responsibility.
Flashcard 22: Which term best describes the “Me” (known attributes) in William James’s theory of self?
Answer: The Me-self. The object of self-knowledge including traits, roles, and memories.
Flashcard 23: Which term best describes the “I” (subjective agent) in William James’s theory of self?
Answer: The I-self. The experiencing subject who thinks and acts in the present moment.
Flashcard 24: What is the social comparison theory (Festinger)?
Answer: People evaluate themselves by comparing to others. We gauge our abilities and opinions relative to similar others.
Flashcard 25: What is the looking-glass self (Cooley)?
Answer: Self-concept shaped by perceived judgments of others. We see ourselves as we imagine others see us.
Flashcard 26: What is self-concept in the context of MCAT psychology and sociology?
Answer: An individual’s beliefs and knowledge about the self. Encompasses one's perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about who they are.
Flashcard 27: Identify the locus of control: “My grade depends mostly on my effort and study strategy.”
Answer: Internal locus of control. Believes personal actions determine outcomes.
Flashcard 28: What is locus of control?
Answer: Belief about whether outcomes are controlled internally or externally. Perception of personal control versus fate/luck/others.
Flashcard 29: Identify the bias: “I aced the test because I am smart; I failed because the test was unfair.”
Answer: Self-serving bias. Classic example of attributing outcomes to favor the self.
Flashcard 30: Identify the type of comparison: comparing yourself to a better-performing peer to improve.
Answer: Upward social comparison. Looking to those doing better motivates self-improvement.