Social Interaction

In the nurture-based perspective, social interaction plays a key role in the development of PSA. When we are first born, we are very impressionable and eager to learn. This is why social interaction plays such a crucial role in the development of the self. All of the people we interact with through out growing up shape us into the person we are because we are constantly acting, then comparing our actions to those of others or gauging their reactions. We base our actions off of the expectations of others and form our opinions of ourselves off of their feedback. For example, if a child draws what they perceive to be a Crayola masterpiece on the walls of their home and the child is chastised for drawing on the wall, they may then become self conscious about their drawing skills because they received punishment for creating. An example of social comparison would be that a child from a low-income family who goes to school where they have less than most of the other kids at their school. The child compares their belongings to those of the more fortunate children and decides that they are not as good as the children with more or newer belongings. Both of these situations can lead to low self esteem through the challenging of the child's looking glass self. Low self-esteem can lead to low self-perceived competence, which in turn can cause PSA. Below is a clip that defines social interaction and shows examples where inter-cultural communication challenges both parties' looking glass selves.

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