Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2026
06:53
Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation
Published on: March 1, 2017
In perfect harmony: synchronizing the self to activated social categories
Kerry Kawakami1, Curtis E Phills, Anthony G Greenwald
1Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. kawakami@yorku.ca
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|November 9, 2011
Summary
People adapt their self-concept to match social groups, synchronizing self-perceptions with activated social categories. This self-concept adjustment is influenced by social goals and self-construal.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Sciences
Background:
- The self-concept is a core construct influencing environmental interpretation, decision-making, and goal pursuit.
- Social belonging and interconnectedness are fundamental to human survival, suggesting a drive for group affiliation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether activating social categories leads to changes in the working self-concept.
- To examine how associations between the self and activated social categories are formed and influenced.
Main Methods:
- Four studies utilized social category priming (e.g., jocks, Blacks, Asians).
- Methods included assessing associations between stereotypic traits and the self, self-perceptions, and self-categorizations.
- Varied social goals and self-construal (independent vs. interdependent) were manipulated.
Main Results:
- Consistent evidence showed that priming social categories increased associations between the self and the activated category.
- People synchronized their self-concept to match the salient social category after priming.
- Social goals and self-construal significantly impacted the self-synchronization process.
Conclusions:
- The working self-concept dynamically adjusts to align with salient social categories.
- This process highlights the malleability of self-perception in response to social contexts.
- Findings have implications for understanding intergroup relations and social identity formation.
Related Concept Videos
01:13Nonconscious Mimicry
Nonconscious mimicry occurs when individuals alter their mannerisms to match the behaviors and expressions of those nearby, without intention.
01:30Social Foundations of Self IV: Self in Digital Communication
Since the early 2000s, computer-mediated communication (CMC) has grown rapidly, playing a crucial role in self-development. A key distinction between CMC and real-life interactions is the lack of a physically present partner. This absence makes non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, body language, and paralinguistic signals unavailable in CMC platforms like email, instant messaging, or social media. The lack of these cues can create ambiguity and complicate how feedback is interpreted.The...
02:57The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison
According to Charles Cooley, we base our image on what we think other people see (Cooley 1902). We imagine how we must appear to others, then react to this speculation. We don certain clothes, prepare our hair in a particular manner, wear makeup, use cologne, and the like—all with the notion that our presentation of ourselves is going to affect how others perceive us. We expect a certain reaction, and, if lucky, we get the one we desire and feel good about it. But more than that, Cooley...
01:20Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other
According to George Herbert Mead, as children progress beyond the game stage, they develop a more comprehensive understanding of societal rules and norms. This cognitive and social development enables them to internalize the expectations of the broader community, refining their ability to regulate behavior.Consistent participation in organized activities is crucial in helping children recognize that their actions are not isolated but contribute to a more significant, interconnected group effort.
01:29Social Identity
Social identity constitutes a significant aspect of an individual’s self-concept, shaped by membership in various social groups, including gender, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and political affiliation. Individuals associate specific traits with particular social groups, leading to internalization of these traits. For example, musicians are often perceived as creative, while women are frequently associated with nurturing tendencies. Once individuals identify with a particular...
01:26Marcia's Theory of Identity Status
James Marcia's identity status model provides a framework for understanding how adolescents navigate identity formation through varying degrees of exploration and commitment. Marcia's model builds on Erik Erikson's theories of psychosocial development, focusing specifically on how adolescents reconcile individual aspirations with societal expectations. His model describes identity formation as a dynamic process where adolescents move between different states depending on their level of...