This summary is organized around the questions found at the beginning of the chapter. See if you can answer them before reading the summary paragraphs.

1. How does communication contribute to the development of the self?

Our self-concept develops through interaction with others, making communication central in the development of the self. The self is also influenced by self-fulfilling prophecies and by self-evaluation. We evaluate ourselves based on how we see ourselves and how we think others see us.

2. How do identity and culture influence our self-concept?

Our self-concept is defined partly by our gender, social, and cultural identities. Gender identity refers to the way we see ourselves as men or women, girls or boys. Social identity consists of the groups to which we belong. Our culture provides many of the beliefs and assumptions that guide how we communicate. Some identities are more important than others depending on the people with whom we are interacting at any given moment.

3. What are some of the challenges in communicating identity?

When communicating identity, it can be tempting to define people based on one part of them. Sometimes we rely on allness or stereotypes, both of which limit communication effectiveness and can damage self-esteem.

4. How do we present ourself to others?

The Johari Window is one model that depicts different parts of the self and the ways the self is revealed. At any given moment, we only present a small part of ourselves to others. The self also develops through role taking, when we try out roles and learn to empathize with others. In this way, we try out different identities and test parts of our self-concept. Our self is influenced further in our interaction with the media. We use images in the media as the basis of social comparison, whereby we judge ourselves in relation to the people we read about in newspapers and magazines and see on television and in movies. Media images can either harm self-esteem or help build a positive self-concept.

5. Why might communicating an authentic self be important, and what are the ways to do so?

Communicating an authentic self requires consistency between your presentation of self and your self-concept. Our presentation of self depends on whom we are communicating with and is called facework. When our self is confirmed, we are likely to reveal more of ourselves to others. When we are disconfirmed or rejected, we also change our presentation of self in ways such as becoming angry or defensive. Our presentation of self also depends on whether the context is public or private, and how well we monitor the appropriateness of our communication. Although self-monitoring can sometimes feel manipulative, carefully managing the image you present to others can help you reflect parts of yourself that are both appropriate for the context and respectful of the needs of others.