Chapter 2 Study Guide Questions

1. Self-concept is the set of perceptions that each individual holds about themselves.

2. Self-esteem is our evaluations of self-worth, how you feel about your qualities.

3. Self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction of expectation of an event that makes the outcome more
likely to occur than would otherwise have been the case.

4. The three steps in the perception process are selection, organization, and interpretation.
Selection is the act of attending to some information or stimuli or ignoring others. Organization is
the way we arrange something in a meaningful way to make sense of it. Interpretation is the
process of attaching meaning to something that has been selected and organized.

5. Attribution is the process of attaching meaning to behavior.

6. The six perpetual tendency errors that can lead to inaccurate attributions are we make snap
judgements, we often judge ourselves more charitably than we judge others, we pay more
attention to negative impressions than positive ones, we are influenced by what is most obvious,
we cling to first impressions even if wrong, and we tend to assume that others are similar to us.

7. Self-serving bias is the tendency to interpret and explain information in a way that is favorable to
us but unfavorable to other people.

8. Empathy is the ability to put yourself into someone else’s shoes or look at the world from their
point of view to experience their thoughts and feelings. The three dimensions of empathy are
perspective taking, emotional, and concern.

9. Sympathy is compassion for another person’s situation.

10. You have been quiet the last couple of days [behavior]. I wasn’t sure whether you aren’t feeling
well [first impression] or you are mad about something [second impression]. What’s wrong
[request]?

11. Identity management is the strategies used by communicators to influence the way others view
them.

12. Perceived self is the person we believe ourselves to be in moments of candor. Presenting self is
the image a person presents to others.

13. The four characteristics of identity management are we have multiple identities, identity
management is collaborative, identity management can be conscious or unconscious, and people
differ in their degree of identity management.

14. At School
 a. I am trying to project an engaged learner. I promote this identity by taking notes and
asking questions to the professor.
b. I am trying to project a responsible student. I promote this identity by turning my
work in on time.
With Family Members
a. I am trying to project a responsible young adult. I promote this identity by asking
permission to go places and say things like please and thank you.
b. I am trying to project a hardworking daughter. I promote this identity by finishing my
homework in a timely manner and do my chores on time.
With Friends
a. I am trying to project a fun and energetic friend. I promote this identity by willing to
try something or go out.
b. I am trying to project a thoughtful friend. I promote this identity by thinking of my
friends first and asking questions about how they feel or what they want to do.
With Strangers
a. I am trying to project an intelligent person. I promote this identity by knowing my
facts and saying mature things.
b. I am trying to project a nice person. I promote this identity by not interrupting people
when they speak and asking questions about the other person.