Why can't we use a video of ourselves to improve the accuracy of our
self-perception? One answer could lie in cognitive dissonance – the
need for us to hold consistent beliefs about ourselves. People may well
be extremely reluctant to revise their self-perceptions, even in the
face of powerful objective evidence. A detail in the final experiment
supports this idea. Participants seemed able to use the videos to
inform their ratings of their "state" anxiety (their anxiety "in the
moment") even while leaving their scores for their "trait" anxiety
unchanged.
Here is more. Is it an accident that so many people do not enjoy watching videos of themselves, while at the same time believing they are quite splendid?
Can/does this happen with the written word? Do bloggers have more accurate self-awareness because they are recording their thoughts more than others? How does the public element of blogging come into play? We bloggers could write our words in a private diary. I think we all know we would not write the same thing.
I saw this and sent it to Robin Hanson because it seems to pose a problem for people interested in signalling theory.
The study seems to have the conclusion that a) as senders, we are not privy to the signals that we send out, b) but, as receivers we can interpret the signals, and so c) we only have indirect access to our signals, qua senders, by seeing how other receivers act.
It would be like playing poker, never being able to see your hand, but judging it based upon what others thought your cards were.
Do you really think most people believe they are splendid? Seems to me most people think they’re okay, probably doing the best they can, but far from splendid.
Yes. I’ve seen myself on video many times and I didn’t / don’t believe I was/ am splendid before or after.
Maybe Tyler hangs around with many people who believe they are splendid? Maybe Tyler believes he is splendid?
I think it depends on your utility function. The study appeared to evaluate your self-perception of being an introvert or extrovert. To me, it’s not clear why I have a big incentive to ensure that my self-perception is accurate for this particular personality trait.
Prior to going on the academic job market, my school video taped mock interviews. This proved to be very useful and I think that people used this feedback wisely. Here, it is clear that people have a large incentive to ensure that their self-perception is accurate so that they can make adjustments to their behavior.
Does that imply that those with low opinions of themselves will tend to get more out of watching video of themselves?
doesn’t this occur because the observer doesn’t know what they are looking for? whether their actions are correct or incorrect?
i’d be interested to know if overlaying video footage of peoples golf swing for example, with a professional golfers swing, creates the same effect. i suspect the effect would be much less, because it becomes much easier to distinguish between correct and incorrect behaviours.
I know someone who videoed himself and discovered he was a compulsive talker. The discovery was good for him, but as noted, not many people seem to have the courage to seek that sort of information.
I recall a study from many years ago that held that people with very accurate opinions of themselves were usually depressed. I’m not sure how the causation was supposed to run.
I have a theory that the probability of a male’s success in attracting a woman is 0.8 times the probability with which he believes he will succeed.
I don’t think most people think they’re splendid. I don’t think most people even think the’re okay, at least in their more honest moments. In opposition to this I offer FDR as that rare person with too much self-confidence. From everything I’ve read or seen of him, this guy thought he was flat out delightful. And apparently, no one ever took the trouble to disabuse him of this idea.
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