Transcript Social Comparison Theory

Social Roles & Facework
Roles
• Roles are learned
• Roles are generalized guidelines for behavior
• Roles affect beliefs about self
• People play multiple roles
• Role conflict: when two or more roles make opposing demands
Facework
Face is the social identity that we want to present to
others and maintain.
Face-threatening acts are instances in which a person’s
face is damaged.
Facework is messages (said by ourselves or by others)
that helps us maintain face.
Offensive Facework
Defensive Facework
Tactful blindness is a frequently used defensive strategy
in which we ignore the face-threatening act.
What are social norms for facework?
• If you fall in front of Lisa…
• If Lisa falls in front of you…
• If you fall in front of a stranger…
People identify with the emotions of others, called
emotional identification.
What are other examples of
face-threatening acts?
How are roles linked to
facework?
Social Comparison Theory says we compare ourselves to
similar others to learn about ourselves.
We often engage in upward and downward
comparison.
Abilities
Attitudes
Social Comparison Theory often leads to need for
conformity.
Social Comparison Theory and Body Image
• What do you think research has shown for teenage girls’ selfesteem and satisfaction with their body?
Social Comparison Theory and Body Image
• As the body shape for women in the media has progressively
become thinner, the correlation between thin body shape and
perception of attractiveness has increased.” (Wiseman, 1990)
How might this same concept
be applicable at
interpersonal level?
What “role” pressures are
there apart from social
comparison?
People faced with important and ambiguous decisions
will decide based on what similar individuals are doing.
• Applying to an organization  similar students
• Deciding a job  Family members
• Buying a car  Brand name loyalty
• Political choices  Parent opinions
When would social comparison
theory not be true for the
previously mentioned
situations?
Looking Glass Self is the self that comes back to us from
others about our abilities, actions, etc.
People find virtue in their partners only when they feel
confident that their partners also see virtues in them.
Low Self-Esteem
High Self-Esteem
Take-Away Points
• Vocab: face, face threatening act, offensive and defense face, emotional
identification, tactful blindness
• Face
• What is the general concept?
• How does this impact how we behave? How will roles influence our face?
• Applications of face/face-work to real life or a fictional example
• Social Comparison Theory
• What is the general concept?
• How does it relate to conformity?
• What is upward and downward comparison? What types of things do we
compare?
• How does the media play a role in how we view ourselves?
• Looking Glass Self
• What is the general concept?
• If you’re doubting yourself, and your partner gives you a compliment, what
will change how you react to it?