Self-Concept Components

Why This Matters

Self-concept is the foundation of social psychology—it's the lens through which you interpret every social interaction, relationship, and group dynamic you'll encounter on the exam. When you understand how people construct their sense of self, you unlock the mechanisms behind social comparison, attribution, conformity, and intergroup behavior. The AP exam loves to test how self-concept components interact: How does low self-efficacy affect goal pursuit? Why does a gap between actual and ideal self create distress? What happens when social identity becomes more salient than personal identity?

Don't just memorize definitions here. You're being tested on the relationships between these components and how they predict behavior in social situations. Know which components are cognitive (how we think about ourselves), which are evaluative (how we judge ourselves), and which are behavioral (how we manage ourselves). This framework will help you tackle any FRQ that asks you to explain why people act the way they do in social contexts.

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Evaluative Components: How We Judge Ourselves

These components involve the value judgments we make about who we are. Self-evaluation drives motivation, emotional responses, and vulnerability to social influence.

Self-Esteem

• Overall sense of self-worth—your global evaluation of yourself as a person, not tied to specific abilities
• Affected by social comparison processes; upward comparisons (comparing to "better" others) typically lower self-esteem while downward comparisons raise it
• Predicts emotional resilience and susceptibility to peer pressure; low self-esteem correlates with greater conformity in Asch-type situations

Self-Efficacy

• Belief in ability to succeed at specific tasks—distinct from self-esteem because it's domain-specific, not global
• Developed through four sources: mastery experiences, vicarious observation, verbal persuasion, and physiological states
• Directly predicts persistence and effort; Bandura's research shows high self-efficacy leads to approaching challenges rather than avoiding them

Ideal Self

• The person you aspire to become—encompasses your goals, values, and standards for yourself
• Self-discrepancy theory (Higgins): gaps between actual self and ideal self produce dejection-related emotions like sadness and disappointment
• Motivates self-improvement but can also trigger anxiety and depression when the gap feels insurmountable

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Cognitive Components: How We Think About Ourselves

These components are the mental structures and representations that organize self-knowledge. They function like cognitive frameworks that filter and interpret self-relevant information.

Self-Schemas

• Cognitive structures organizing self-relevant information—mental categories that help you process information about yourself quickly
• Schema-consistent information is processed faster and remembered better; if "athletic" is part of your self-schema, you'll notice and recall sports-related feedback
• Influence attention and memory in ways that typically confirm existing self-views, creating self-perpetuating beliefs

Self-Image

• Mental picture of yourself—includes physical appearance, personality traits, and social roles
• Shaped by reflected appraisals (how you think others see you) and media representations of ideal bodies/personalities
• More malleable than self-schemas; can shift based on context, recent feedback, or social comparison targets

Self-Awareness

• Recognition of your own internal states—thoughts, emotions, motivations, and how they influence behavior
• Objective self-awareness theory: focusing attention inward triggers comparison between actual self and standards, often producing discomfort
• Enhances self-regulation but can become maladaptive when excessive (rumination, social anxiety)

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Identity Components: Who We Are in Context

These components address the content of self-concept—what makes you you. Identity can be derived from individual uniqueness or group membership, and which is salient shapes behavior.

Personal Identity

• Unique characteristics defining the individual—personality traits, values, life experiences, and personal history
• Salient when you feel distinct from others or when individual achievement is emphasized
• Influences behavior toward independence and self-expression; associated with individualistic cultural contexts

Social Identity

• Self-concept derived from group memberships—nationality, religion, sports teams, political affiliation, etc.
• Social identity theory (Tajfel): when social identity is salient, people show in-group favoritism and out-group bias, even with minimal groups
• Explains intergroup conflict and discrimination; groups become part of self-esteem, so threats to the group feel personal

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Behavioral Components: How We Manage Ourselves

These components involve active processes—what we do to control ourselves and shape others' perceptions. They're the action-oriented aspects of self-concept.

Self-Regulation

• Controlling thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to pursue long-term goals over short-term impulses
• Ego depletion research suggests self-regulation draws on limited resources (though this finding is debated in recent replications)
• Essential for delay of gratification; predicts academic success, health outcomes, and relationship stability

Self-Presentation

• Managing impressions in social contexts—strategic control of appearance, behavior, and communication
• Impression management strategies include ingratiation (making others like you), self-promotion (appearing competent), and intimidation (appearing powerful)
• Can create cognitive dissonance when presented self diverges significantly from true self; also relates to self-monitoring (high self-monitors adjust presentation more)

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Quick Reference Table

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Self-Check Questions

1. A student believes she can master calculus if she studies hard enough, but she doesn't feel particularly good about herself overall. Which two self-concept components explain this pattern, and how do they differ?

2. According to self-discrepancy theory, what type of emotions result from a gap between actual self and ideal self? How does this differ from gaps involving the "ought self"?

3. Why might activating someone's social identity (rather than personal identity) increase their likelihood of showing in-group favoritism? Connect this to Tajfel's research.

4. Compare and contrast self-schemas and self-image. If an FRQ asked you to explain why someone quickly notices criticism related to their intelligence, which concept provides the better explanation?

5. A person acts confident and outgoing at a party despite feeling anxious inside. Which self-concept component explains this behavior, and what psychological consequence might result from the discrepancy between their internal state and external presentation?