Impression Management Erving Goffman (1922-1982) Impression Management (IM) Makes visible the interaction order, a dimension of interpersonal behavior that previous scholarship had overlooked. Impression Management Goffman vs Mead Goffman followed Mead’s concerns with investigating the “Me” (how others see us). But Goffman focused on how the I tries to get others to see a particular Me through impression management (IM). Impression Management Our Main Effort To fit into a situation in a way that: 1) confers moral value upon ourselves and 2) seems consistent with who we claim to be. Impression Management Main Challenge We portray ourselves as having a durable and situationally-transcendent identity. Situational Identity … when in actuality we have situational identities. Key Points A situationally-transcendent identity is a myth. We don’t have one, but we portray ourselves as having one. Situational Identity The Power of the Situation He says that people don’t have certain kinds of moments because of who they are, but rather certain kinds of moments create certain kinds of people. Situational Identity The Fundamental Attribution Error When, without information about the situation, people explain someone’s behavior in terms of that person’s personality or other attributes Our Main Motivation To convince others that: 1) we are presenting a real self identity; 2) that our self identity does not fluctuate between situations; 3) and to avoid embarrassment Impression Management Discreditable Selves We can easily lose the support of others to play along with our performance. Example: you send a message through private chat, but it actually goes to everybody Impression Management The Implicit Contract We are all in tacit agreement to help each other maintain our self claims and not to point out inconsistencies between presentations of self. But we still do, sometimes. Impression Management For example, we use tact to minimize or prevent embarrassment. Not Upholding the Implicit Contract Goffman says that we sometimes undermine another’s presentation of self. This is performance sabotage. Impression Management Impression Management The strategic effort individuals employ to convey that they possess a particular self identity. Impression Management Our Experience of Strategic Effort “calculating” OR “relatively unaware” Relatively unaware individuals may be “taken in by their own act” (e.g. “sincere”) Calculating individuals are not (but they are not always self-interested) Impression Management Two Forms of Impressions 1. Impressions intentionally “given” (strategic and calculating) 2. Impressions unintentionally “given off” (unintended) Impression Management Dramatic realization: highlighting important facts about ourselves that might go unnoticed Idealization: accenting positive aspects of ourselves Definition of the Situation (Do ...

1. Impression Management
Erving Goffman (1922-1982)
Impression Management (IM)
Makes visible the interaction order, a
dimension of interpersonal behavior that
previous scholarship had overlooked.
Impression Management

2. Goffman vs Mead
Goffman followed Mead’s concerns with investigating
the “Me” (how others see us).
But Goffman focused on how the I tries to get others
to see a particular Me through impression
management (IM).
Impression Management
Our Main Effort
To fit into a situation in a way that:
1) confers moral value upon ourselves and
2) seems consistent with who we claim to
be.
Impression Management
Main Challenge
We portray ourselves as having a durable and
situationally-transcendent identity.
Situational Identity
… when in actuality we have situational
identities.

3. Key Points
A situationally-transcendent identity is a
myth.
We don’t have one, but we portray
ourselves as having one.
Situational Identity
The Power of the Situation
He says that people don’t have certain kinds of
moments because of who they are, but rather
certain kinds of moments create certain kinds of
people.
Situational Identity
The Fundamental Attribution Error
When, without information about the situation,
people explain someone’s behavior in terms of
that person’s personality or other attributes
Our Main Motivation
To convince others that:
1) we are presenting a real self identity;
2) that our self identity does not fluctuate
between situations;
3) and to avoid embarrassment

4. Impression Management
Discreditable Selves
We can easily lose the support of others to play
along with our performance.
Example: you send a message through private
chat, but it actually goes to everybody
Impression Management
The Implicit Contract
We are all in tacit agreement to help each other
maintain our self claims and not to point out
inconsistencies between presentations of self.
But we still do, sometimes.
Impression Management
For example, we use tact to minimize
or prevent embarrassment.
Not Upholding the Implicit Contract
Goffman says that we sometimes undermine
another’s presentation of self.

5. This is performance sabotage.
Impression Management
Impression Management
The strategic effort individuals employ to convey
that they possess a particular self identity.
Impression Management
Our Experience of Strategic Effort
“calculating” OR “relatively unaware”
Relatively unaware individuals may be “taken in by their
own act” (e.g. “sincere”)
Calculating individuals are not (but they are not always
self-interested)
Impression Management
Two Forms of Impressions
1. Impressions intentionally “given” (strategic
and calculating)
2. Impressions unintentionally “given off”
(unintended)
Impression Management

6. Dramatic realization: highlighting
important facts about ourselves that might
go unnoticed
Idealization: accenting positive aspects of
ourselves
Definition of the Situation (DotS)
Involves claims about the nature of the social
situation regarding values and roles of co-
present others.
Impression Management
The DotS makes a Moral Demand on Others
A DotS projects a right way for you to treat a situation
and a wrong way to treat it.
Impression Management
Conflicting Definitions of the Situation
Conflicting definitions of the situation may lead
to hostility, embarrassment, or shame.
Impression Management

7. The Regions and Resources of IM
1) Front Stage: where a person formally
performs a portrayal of self and adheres to a
DotS.
2) Back Stage: where the audience members are
not allowed to enter. Performers may step out
of character and violate the DotS.
Impression Management
3) Sign Equipment
Setting: The physical scene
Personal front: Physical/virtual props that
individuals are able to personally use to
convey a particular impression.
Impression Management
Identity negotiation: process of trying out
identities to see what others accept
Working consensus: agreement about each
other’s identities.
Ekman et al. (1988)
Involuntary Expressions

8. 34
35
The Challenge of Managing Impressions
36
Remember the two types of
impressions?
1. Impressions “intentionally given”
(strategic and calculating)
2. Impressions “unintentionally given off”
(unaware)
Impression Management
“Aces and
Bombers”
Albas & Albas
(1988)
Testing Goffman’s Ideas
38

9. Their Research Question:
How do students manage impressions after
receiving a graded exam?
Classroom IM
How do students manage impressions after
receiving a graded exam in the classroom?
Aces – Did well
Bombers – Did poorly
Classroom IM
40
Strategies of Revelation
1. Repressed Bubbling
2. “Accidental” Revelation
3. Passive Persuasion
4. Active Persuasion
5. Question-Answer Chain Rule
6. Foot-in-the-Door
7. Selective Revelation
Classroom IM
41

10. Strategies of Concealment
1. Absenteeism/early departure
2. Duplicity
3. Emphatic concealment
4. Subtle concealment
5. Air of Nonchalance
-“couldn’t care less”
Classroom IM
42
Three Basic IM Dynamics
1) Aces – Aces
2) Aces – Bombers
3) Bombers – Bombers
Classroom IM
43
“Wherever there exists an ongoing tension
between competition and ascendancy on one
hand, and approbation and rapport with others
on the other hand then individuals will be led
almost inevitably to practice various forms of
impression management” (301).
44

11. Goffman versus Mead
Two key contrasts:
1) Mead did not elaborate on the strategic work of
creating the “Me.” For Goffman, the self is a strategic
project.
Situating Goffman
Goffman versus Mead
2) Mead treated “Me” as short-term and long-term.
Goffman argued that our self identities are always
recreated in the situation.
Situating Goffman
Critiques of Goffman’s Impression
Management Theory
1. No true self
2. What about the non-strategic moments?
3. Assumes ongoing desire to maintain identity
across situations
4. Reductive
Impression Management

12. Running head: SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (<50 CHARACTERS)
TitleAuthorCourse and Course #
AIUIntroduction
COMMON ASSESSMENT for BHCM PLO3 and Gen Ed 5
Now, you have a team to work within with when setting up the
Healthcare Information TechnologyIT Department. You are
charged with planning, securing, implementing, and managing
the operation of an Electronic electronic Healthcare health
Record record (EHR) system for St. Augustine’s Augustine's
hospitalHospital.
Prepare at minimum a 5-page chief information officer (CIO)
plan of action addressing the concerns above, which will be sent
to the board of directors. Make sure to cite your references
using APA format.
Answer the following questions form the headings: Comment by
Albertine Idioma: Note to ID: Please clarify this part. Could
this be edited as follows?
Answer the following questions from the headings:
Or
Answer the following questions to form the headings.

13. Thanks! I left this as is for now.
Explain the Steps steps in planning, developing, and
implementing the EHR system using a Systems systems
Development development Life life Cyclecycle.
Discuss the Managerial managerial issues or challenges
associated with planning, developing, and implementation
implementing the EHR system.
Discuss the Alleviation alleviation of issues or challenges.
Explain The the concept of meaningful use of healthcare
information.
Discuss The the 15 mandatory certification criteria to qualify
for meaningful use.
Discuss the Impact impact the of the EHR system on the quality
of care.
Conclusion

14. References
Anderson, Charles C., & Johnson, L. (2003). The impressive
psychology paper. Chicago: Lucerne Publishing. (For books)
Smith, M. (2001). Writing a successful paper. The Trey
Research Monthly, 53, 149-–150. (For articles)
The references section begins on a new page.
Year of publication: Place in parentheses following authors,
with a period following the closing parenthesis. If no
publication date is identified, use “n.d.” in parentheses
following the authors.
Source reference: This includes the title, journal, volume, and
pages (for journal articles) or the title and publisher (for
books).Year of Publication: In parenthesis following authors,
with a period following the closing parenthesis. If no
publication date is identified, use “n.d.” in parenthesis
following the authors.
Source Reference: Includes title, journal, volume, pages (for
journal article) or title, city of publication, publisher (for book).