The Psychology Book

228

D

evised by Erving Goffman,

impression management

is a theory that relates

to how we create, maintain, and

enhance our social identities.

A fundamental aspect of social

interaction, Goffman says, is that

we try—either consciously or

subconsciously—to manipulate

and control the way that others

perceive us. Whenever we interact

with other people, we present a

public image of ourselves. In some

instances, we may be trying to

influence a particular person

(such as a job interviewer); in other

situations, we may simply be trying

to maintain a favorable image of

ourselves. In his 1959 book, The

Presentation of Self in Everyday

Life, Goffman draws a parallel

between impression management

IN CONTEXT

APPROACH

Impression management

BEFORE

1890 William James first

makes the distinction

between the private self-as-

subject (“I”) and the public

self-as-object (“me”).

1902 American sociologist

Charles Cooley posits the

looking-glass self theory, which

states that the self is reflected

in the reactions of other people.

AFTER

1990 US psychologists Mark

Leary and Robin Kowalski

define three ways in which

impression management can

increase well-being: belonging,

self-enhancement, and self-

understanding.

1995 Psychologist Sarah

Hampson argues that our

behavior changes according to

who we are with, and different

people bring out various

aspects of our personality.

Social interaction is comparable to a theatrical play.

Life is a dramatically enacted thing.

People, like actors, try

to create a favorable

impression of

themselves through

their choice of script,

setting, wardrobe,

skills, and props.

There are “front

stage” areas for

our public

personas, and

“backstage”

areas for our

private lives.

There is an

audience for

the performance.

LIFE IS A

DRAMATICALLY

ENACTED THING

E R V I N G G O F F M A N ( 1 9 2 2 – 1 9 8 2 )