COMMUNICATION AND THE SELF

3

© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.

][What’s To Come

» Understanding the Self: Self-Concept

» Valuing the Self: Self-Esteem

» Presenting the Self: Image Management

» Communicating the Self: Self-Disclosure

][Self-Concept

» Who are you?

Your self-concept

reflects your stable

ideas about who

you are

» Your self-concept

is your identity

][Self-Concept

» Self-concepts are

multifaceted

» Self-concepts are

partly subjective

» Self-concepts are

enduring but

changeable

][Self-Concept

The Johari Window

][Self-Concept

» Many factors affect our self-concept

• Personality and biology

• Culture and gender roles

• Reflected appraisal

• Social comparison

][Self-Concept

» We manage our self-concepts through self-monitoring

• Awareness of how we look, sound, and affect others

Low Self-Monitor

High Self-Monitor

][Self-Concept

» Self-fulfilling prophecies can reinforce our self-concept• We have expectations based on how we

perceive ourselves and others

• Our expectations prompt us to act in specific ways

• Those actions bring about the outcomes we expected

• Our self-concepts are therefore reinforced

][Self-Esteem

» Your self-esteem is your subjective evaluation of your value and worth as a person

• Can influence social behavior, how we see ourselves and others, and school and work performance

• Affected by culture and sex

][Self-Esteem

» We have three fundamental needs with

respect to self-esteem:

• Need for control

• Need for inclusion

• Need for affection

][Image Management

» Image management means adjusting our behavior to project a desired image

• Image management is collaborative

• We manage multiple identities

• Image management is complex

][Image Management

» We manage three face

needs

• Fellowship face

• Autonomy face

• Competence face

][Self-Disclosure

Self-disclosure is the

act of intentionally

giving others

information about

ourselves that we

believe to be true but

we think they don’t

already have

][Self-Disclosure

» Self-disclosure is intentional and truthful

» Self-disclosure varies in breadth and depth

» Self-disclosure varies among relationships

» Self-disclosure is a gradual process

][Self-Disclosure

» Self-disclosure follows a different pattern online

» Self-disclosure is usually reciprocal

» Self-disclosure can serve many purposes

» Self-disclosure is influenced by cultural and gender roles

][Self-Disclosure

» Self-disclosure has

benefits

• Enhancement of

relationships and trust

• Reciprocity

• Emotional release

• Assistance to others

][Self-Disclosure

» Self-disclosure has risks

• Rejection

• Chance of obligating others

• Hurt to others

• Violation of other people’s privacy

• Risks of disclosing online