Terror Management Theory...Moved to Thursday! Now for Impression Management

Review.
Impression management. Attempt to create and maintain desired identities.

Why do we do it?
Power enhancement

• ingratiation: flattery
• self-promotion: competence
• intimidation: negative, but effective
• supplication: petition
• exemplification: morally worthy (Ghandi)

Identity Formation & Maintenance

• influencing the mirror: induce other people to treat you the way you want to be seen, thus turning it into personal truth

"I want you to see me this way!"

When do we do it?

Impression motivation (Leary & Kowalski)

• Value of goals
• Goal relevance
• Discrepancy between desired & current image

If all three = yes, then motivation is high

On stage, or off? "Back regions"

How do we do it?
Claims

• can be suspect
• discounting principle
• ingratiator's dilemma

Artifacts

• Clothes; Danny was wearing a red cap, with a big blue P stroked in white.
• Cars
• Beer

Behaviors

• "eating lightly" as femininity

BIRGing (basking in reflected glory)

• "We won!" (Although, we really didn't do anything...it was the team.)

Impression construction

• Intrapersonal
• self concept
• desired/undesired images
• Interpersonal
• role constraints
• target values & preferenes
• current & potential social image

Who does it?

• We all do! (duh)
• But some more than others...
• Self-monitoring (quiz)
• high: Salespeople, politicians, lawyers, teachers, diplomats, conflict manager
• Dating behaviors
• high > more one night stands
•  Responsiveness to ads
• high: image
• low: content

Implications of Impression Management

• For social networking: F/B as vehicle of IM?