According to Cooley, we base our image on what we think other people see.

According to Cooley, we base our image on what we think other people see.

• A. Looking glass self
• B. Social role theory
• C. Cultural capital
• D. Anomie

Answer: (A)

The looking-glass self. This idea says we form our sense of self by imagining how others perceive us and by imagining their judgments about our appearance, actions, and worth. Based on those imagined evaluations, we experience pride, shame, or other emotions, and those feelings help shape our self-image. In short, who we think we are comes from how we think others see us, a core insight of Cooley’s view and a foundational piece of symbolic interactionism. Contrast that with other notions: social role theory centers on expected behaviors tied to social positions, not how self-image is built from others’ imagined views; cultural capital refers to assets that help access social advantage; anomie describes a breakdown of social norms—none of these explain the self-image forming through imagined others.

The looking-glass self. This idea says we form our sense of self by imagining how others perceive us and by imagining their judgments about our appearance, actions, and worth. Based on those imagined evaluations, we experience pride, shame, or other emotions, and those feelings help shape our self-image. In short, who we think we are comes from how we think others see us, a core insight of Cooley’s view and a foundational piece of symbolic interactionism.

Contrast that with other notions: social role theory centers on expected behaviors tied to social positions, not how self-image is built from others’ imagined views; cultural capital refers to assets that help access social advantage; anomie describes a breakdown of social norms—none of these explain the self-image forming through imagined others.