Mastroianni1

EmilyMastroianni

Dr.Barnes

Individual&Society

18November2016

WhoAmI?

Differentiatingbetweenanidentityandaselfwasthefirststepinmyquesttoanswerthe

question:whoamI?Theselfisthemorestableconceptanddeeperperceptionofwhoweare

whereasanidentityissimilartoamask,andissubjecttoconsiderablechangedependingonthe

audienceorsituation.Aristotleoncesaid,Wearewhatwerepeatedlydo,andaswelearnedin

class,anidentitythatisroutinelyused,willmostlikelydevelopintooursenseofself.Asmuch

asourownselfawarenessisuptoustodiscover,itisalsoverymuchdependentonotherpeople;

thedevelopmentoftheselfoccursmostlythroughourinteractionswithothersandtheir

perceptionsofus.Therefore,IwillbeintroducingManfordKuhnsTwentyStatementsTest

(TST),andhowimpressionmanagementandthelookingglassselfphenomenonhelpin

analyzingtheresultsofthetestaswellashelpexplainthereasoningbehindthesimilaritiesand

differencesofmyTSTresultscomparedtomysignificantothersperspectivesofme.

TwentyStatementsTest(TST)

ManysociologistshavelookedtoManfordKuhnsTwentyStatementsTestasawayto

measuretheself.Thetesthastwosteps;first,onemustwritedowntwentywordsorshort

statementsthatanswerthequestionWhoAmI?Next,theresponsesarecategorizedintofour

generalcategories:Amode,Bmode,CmodeorDmode.Amodecategorizesallofthe

responsesthatdescribeourphysicalselfsuchaslooks,physicalattractivenessorwherewe
 Mastroianni2

physicallylive.Bmodeencompassestheresponsesthatdescribeoursocialselvesandtheroles

weplaysuchasdaughter,studentorfemale.Cmode,whichisthecategoryinwhichmost

peoplesanswersfall,representsthereflectiveself,oranywordsthatreferstoour

characteristics,personalitytraitsorfeelings.Lastly,Dmodesymbolizestheoceanicself,which

areanyresponsesthatareholisticanddontfitintoanyoftheothercategories.Aftertakingthe

TSTmyself,itwasobviousthatIfitintothemajority,Cmode.Outoftwentyresponses,fifteen

ofthemwereexamplesofmyreflectiveselfbecause,forme,whenIamaskedtodescribe

myself,Ibaseitmoreoffofmypersonalcharacteristics,ratherthantherolesthatIhavein

societyormyphysicallooks.InadditiontometakingtheTST,mymotherandbestfriend,

Marina,alsotookashortenedversion,eachansweringthequestionWhoisEmily?tentimes

each.Alongwiththat,Iansweredthesamequestionaboutmyself,tentimes,butfromeachof

theirperspectives.

Ingeneral,theresultswereveryconsistent.Therewereseveralcharacteristics,although

theywerenotwordedthesameway,whichstayedconsistentacrosstheboard.Inmymasterlist,

Iwasmoreinclinedtodescribemyselfinphrases,suchasagoodfriend,orapeopleperson,

similartomymotherwhostatedthingssuchas,alwayssmiling,oradependablefriend.

Wheremyfriendwrotedownsinglewordslikeorganized,caring,andgenuine.Although

describedinuniqueways,thesewerecharacteristicsthatweallchosetoincludebecauseI

believetheyareaspectsofmyidentitythathavedefinitelygrownintoapartmyselfconcept,

andwillneverreallyaltarasmylifeprogresses.

ImpressionManagement
 Mastroianni3

Impressionmanagementreferstothewaysindividualsseektocontroltheimpressions

theyconveytootherpeople(Milkie128).AsErvingGoffmanfirmlybelieved,weare

motivatedtocreateandmaintainpositiveimpressionsofourselves,andtrytoavoid

embarrassmentinsocialinteractions(Milkie128).Ibelievethatmostofmylifeisprobably

spentsubconsciouslymanagingtheimpressionsIgiveofftobothsignificantothersandthe

generalizedother.ThenumberoftimesIstate,WellIhavenoonetoimpress,soIdontcare,

definitelydoesnotsuppressmefromenablingimpressionmanagement.AsmuchasIthinkI

donotcare,deepdown,Ihopeandbelievethatpeopleseemeinapositivelight.

ThisideacomeslargelyintoplaywhencomparingthelistIcreatedinmymomandbest

friendsperspective,withtheiractuallists.TheliststhatIcreatedwouldbeconsidered

impressionsgiven,ortheimpressionsIbelieveIgiveoff,whereastheirownlistswouldbe

consideredimpressionsgivenoff,whicharetheimpressionsIactuallygiveofftopeople.

Surprisingly,inregardstoimpressionmanagement,IseemtogiveofftheimpressionsthatI

believeIdo.Thingslikebeingsarcastic,easygoing,andcaringareimpressionsthatIamcertain

thatIgiveoff,andmyfriendwasabletoconfirm.Alongwiththat,beingpersonable,

responsibleandhappyareimpressionsmymomwasabletoconfirmtrueformeaswell.

Theconceptsoffrontstageandbackstage,whicharebothaspectsofimpression

management,alsohelpexplainsomeofthedifferencesinhowmymotherandfriendperceive

me.Thefrontstageistheplacewherewepresentourselvestoothersandthebackstageisthe

regionwherewerelaxourimpressionmanagementeffortsandattimes,practiceour

performances.AlthoughIbelievethatbothmymotherandfriendhaveseenmeperformin

bothmyfrontandbackstageself,Ithinkthereamoreopportunitiesinwhichmymomseesmy
 Mastroianni4

frontstagesuchasatfamilygatherings,church,andotherpublicevents.Whereasmyfriendis

morelikelytoseemoreofmebehindthesceneswhenIampreparingforaninterview,venting

aboutanotherfriendortryingtojusthandlethestressesofdaytodaycollegelife.Ialsobelieve

thatIcan,attimes,presentadifferentfrontstagetomymomandfriend.Yes,Ihavea

humoroussideofmethatbothofthemsee,butmyfriendseesmoreofmyrawsarcasmthanmy

momdoes,whichiswhysheprobablylistedsarcasticonherlist,andmymomdidnt.Itis

interestingtometorealize,throughothersperspectives,whichimpressionsIgiveoffasan

individualbecausetheyallplayapartinmyselfconcept.

LookingGlassSelf

Thelookingglassselfphenomenonisanotherinterestingwaytoestablishourself

conceptandalsocontrolourimpressionmanagement.CharlesHortonCooleybelievedthatthe

abilitytotakeontheroleoftheotherisessentialinthedevelopmentoftheself.Thisisan

interestingapproachwhencomparingmyTSTlistandtheliststhatIcreatedintheperspectiveof

mymotherandfriend.Forexample,onemajordifferencethatstoodouttomewasthatonmy

ownlist,Ididnotincludeonephysicalcharacteristic,oranythingtodescribemyoutward

appearance,butwhenIputmyselfintheroleofmymother,Iwrotedownbeautifulasthefirst

word,whichwasalsofirstonherlist.Thissmalldetailconfirmedalotofthingsaboutmyself.

Allmylife,Ihavelackedselfconfidenceinmyself;mostlyinmyappearance,butalsoin

school,relationshipsandmycapabilitytosucceedatdifferentthings.Amongsttheconstant

reminders,complimentsandcommentsaboutmyoutwardandinwardbeauty,admittingitto

myself,andacceptingthatIambeautiful,isstillsomethingIstruggletodo,andclearly

somethingthatIcouldnotadmitwhendescribingwhoIam.Yet,whentakingontheroleof
 Mastroianni5

mymother,Iwasabletoadmitthis,andshewasabletoconfirmthatitwastrue.Ithinkthis

examplespeaksvolumesonthepowerofthelookingglassselfandtheoverallimportanceitisto

considerothersperspectiveswhendefiningwhoweare.Anotherinterestingexampleand

discoveryImadethroughthecomparisonofthesetwosetsoflists,wasmyfriendusingtheword

humbletodescribeme.Again,thiswasnotawordIusedonmylist,oreventhelistsinthe

differentperspectives,butIthinktheveryfactthatIdidntuseit,confirmsthatherdescriptionis

true.ThefactthatIdidntusethewordhumbletodescribemyselfinanyofthelists,yetmy

frienddid,defineswhatitmeanstobehumble.

Thelookingglassselfphenomenonalsoexplainswhyitwaseasierformetoguesswhat

mymomwouldsayonherlist,morethanmyfriend.Thereasoningbehindthismostlystems

frommyrelationshipwithmymothercomparedtomyfriend.AlthoughIhaveknownMarina

sincethe4thgrade,mymomhasbeenaconstantmyentirelife.Shehasraisedme,socializedme

andhashadthebiggestimpactonwhoIamtoday.Shehasalsobeenmybiggestrolemodel,

andsomeoneIhavealwaysstrivedtobelike.Therefore,Ifeelthatwhenmymomwaswriting

herlistdescribingme,shewasdescribingherselfinalotofways,maybewithoutevenknowing.

Aperfectexampleofthisisthesecondphrasewebothwrotedownwhichwas,formylistinmy

momsperspective,Justlikehermother,andformymomslist,Remindsmesomuchof

myself.ThisdescribestheimmensepowerofthelookingglassselfbecausewhenItakeonthe

roleofmymom,andseemyselfthroughhereyes,IrealizethatIamsomuchlikeher.Tome,

mymotherisamazing;insomanyways,andtomymomIamamazinginsomanyways.This

allowsmetobecomemoreawareofthosepartsofmethatmymotherseesasamazing.
 Mastroianni6

Inconclusion,althoughIstillmaynotbeabletofullyanswerthequestion,WhoAmI,

Idefinitelyhaveabetterunderstandingofmyself.BytakingtheTwentyStatementsTest,it

forcedmetothinkofalltheidentitiesIportrayinmylife,whetherthatberoleidentities,social

categoriesorpersonalcharacteristics.Byhavingtocomeupwithlistsofbothmymomand

friendsperceptionsofmyself,Iwasforcedtoengagewithmylookingglassself;andtruly

understandtheimportanceoftakingontheroleoftheotherwhenmakingconclusionsabout

myself.Comparingtheselistsallowedmetounderstandwhethermyimpressionsgivenand

impressionsgivenoffalign,andoverall,whichcharacteristicsstayedconsistentthrougheachlist

andwhichdidnot.Mostofall,Ilearnedthatthereareidentitieswithinmethatotherssee;yetI

havenotbeenabletoacknowledge.Iwilltakethisinformationandlearntobecomemore

acceptingofthecharacteristicsthattrulyembodymyselfconcept,becauseintheend,itis

throughothersthatwebecomeourselves.
 Mastroianni7

Works Cited

Milkie, Melissa, Lucas, Jeffrey & Rohall, David. Social Psychology: Social

Perspectives. Prentice Hall, 2011. Pg. 128.