Consumer Behavior 101: Self Concept and Personality - SelfConcept Actual Ideal Social Ought Self SelfCongruity

What It Is

Self-concept refers to an individual's perception of themselves, encompassing their actual, ideal, social, and ought selves. The actual self represents a person's current self-image, while the ideal self is the self they aspire to be. The social self is the image others have of them, and the ought self is the self they believe they should be. A notable example of self-concept in marketing is Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign, which aimed to redefine beauty standards by showcasing real women with diverse body types and skin tones. This campaign matters for understanding consumers because it highlights the importance of self-concept in shaping consumer behavior and influencing marketing strategies.

Key Terms & Concepts

• Self-concept: An individual's perception of themselves, encompassing their actual, ideal, social, and ought selves. (Higgins 1987)
• Actual self: A person's current self-image. (Higgins 1987)
• Ideal self: The self an individual aspires to be. (Higgins 1987)
• Social self: The image others have of an individual. (Cooley 1902)
• Ought self: The self an individual believes they should be. (Higgins 1987)
• Self-congruity theory: A theory that suggests consumers are more likely to be satisfied with a product if it aligns with their self-concept. (Tesser 1988)
• Self-image: A person's mental picture of themselves. (Katz & Stotland 1959)
• Self-esteem: An individual's overall evaluation of themselves. (Rosenberg 1965)
• Self-perception theory: A theory that suggests individuals form attitudes and behaviors based on their own self-perceptions. (Bem 1972)
• Cognitive dissonance: A state of tension that occurs when an individual holds two or more conflicting attitudes or beliefs. (Festinger 1957)
• Self-awareness: The ability to recognize and understand one's own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. (Duval & Wicklund 1972)
• Self-monitoring: The ability to regulate one's own behavior and presentation of self. (Snyder 1974)
• Self-presentation: The way an individual presents themselves to others. (Goffman 1959)
• Social identity theory: A theory that suggests individuals derive a sense of self from their group memberships. (Tajfel & Turner 1979)
• Self-categorization theory: A theory that suggests individuals categorize themselves and others into groups based on shared characteristics. (Turner et al. 1987)

Common Misunderstandings

• Misunderstanding: Self-concept is the same as self-image.
• Correction: Self-concept is a broader concept that encompasses an individual's actual, ideal, social, and ought selves, while self-image is a specific aspect of self-concept that refers to a person's mental picture of themselves. (Katz & Stotland 1959)
• Misunderstanding: Self-esteem is the same as self-concept.
• Correction: Self-esteem is an individual's overall evaluation of themselves, while self-concept is a broader concept that encompasses an individual's perception of themselves. (Rosenberg 1965)
• Misunderstanding: Self-awareness is the same as self-perception.
• Correction: Self-awareness is the ability to recognize and understand one's own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, while self-perception is a theory that suggests individuals form attitudes and behaviors based on their own self-perceptions. (Bem 1972)

Quick Application / Identification

Scenario: A 25-year-old woman is considering purchasing a new handbag. She has always wanted to be seen as a fashionista, but her current handbag is old and worn out. Which of the following concepts is most relevant to her decision-making process?

Answer: Ideal self. Explanation: The woman's desire to be seen as a fashionista is an aspect of her ideal self, which is driving her to purchase a new handbag that aligns with her aspirational self-image.

Last-Minute Revision

• Self-concept: An individual's perception of themselves.
• Actual self: A person's current self-image.
• Ideal self: The self an individual aspires to be.
• Social self: The image others have of an individual.
• Ought self: The self an individual believes they should be.
• Self-congruity theory: A theory that suggests consumers are more likely to be satisfied with a product if it aligns with their self-concept.
• Self-image: A person's mental picture of themselves.
• Self-esteem: An individual's overall evaluation of themselves.
• Self-perception theory: A theory that suggests individuals form attitudes and behaviors based on their own self-perceptions.
• Cognitive dissonance: A state of tension that occurs when an individual holds two or more conflicting attitudes or beliefs.
• Self-awareness: The ability to recognize and understand one's own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
• Self-monitoring: The ability to regulate one's own behavior and presentation of self.
• Self-presentation: The way an individual presents themselves to others.
• Social identity theory: A theory that suggests individuals derive a sense of self from their group memberships.
• Self-categorization theory: A theory that suggests individuals categorize themselves and others into groups based on shared characteristics.
• Higgins 1987: A key work on self-concept.
• Cooley 1902: A key work on social self.
• Tesser 1988: A key work on self-congruity theory.
• Festinger 1957: A key work on cognitive dissonance.
• Duval & Wicklund 1972: A key work on self-awareness.
• Snyder 1974: A key work on self-monitoring.
• Goffman 1959: A key work on self-presentation.
• Tajfel & Turner 1979: A key work on social identity theory.
• Turner et al. 1987: A key work on self-categorization theory.