looking-glass self: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low. This is a specialized term.Academic / Technical
Quick answer
What does “looking-glass self” mean?
The concept that a person's self grows out of society's interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The concept that a person's self grows out of society's interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others.
The process by which individuals imagine how they appear to others (the imagination of our appearance to the other person), imagine the judgment of that appearance (the imagination of their judgment of that appearance), and develop their self through the judgments of others.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No lexical differences. The term is used identically in both varieties within academic contexts.
Connotations
Purely academic/sociological. No additional cultural connotations beyond its technical definition.
Frequency
Equally rare in both varieties, confined to sociology, social psychology, and related humanities/social science disciplines.
Grammar
How to Use “looking-glass self” in a Sentence
[Subject] develops a sense of self via the looking-glass self.The looking-glass self involves [three-step process].Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in HR or organisational behaviour contexts discussing feedback and identity at work.
Academic
Primary context. Found in sociology, social psychology, communication studies, and identity theory textbooks and papers.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Would be used knowingly to reference the specific theory.
Technical
Core context. A standard term in sociological and psychological theory.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “looking-glass self”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “looking-glass self”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “looking-glass self”
- Using it as an adjective (e.g., 'looking-glass self theory' is correct, 'looking-glass-self theory' with a hyphen is less standard).
- Confusing it with simply 'self-reflection' (which is introspective).
- Writing as 'looking glass self' without hyphens (the standard form is hyphenated).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Self-esteem is an evaluative judgment of one's own worth. The looking-glass self is the broader process of *forming* a self-concept based on perceived social judgments, which can then influence self-esteem.
American sociologist Charles Horton Cooley in his 1902 work 'Human Nature and the Social Order'.
1. We imagine how we appear to others. 2. We imagine their judgment of that appearance. 3. We develop our self-feeling (e.g., pride or shame) based on that imagined judgment.
Yes, a key aspect of the theory is that it is based on our *perception* of others' views, which may be misperceived or distorted.
The concept that a person's self grows out of society's interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others.
Looking-glass self is usually academic / technical in register.
Looking-glass self: in British English it is pronounced /ˌlʊkɪŋ ɡlɑːs ˈself/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌlʊkɪŋ ɡlæs ˈself/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine looking into a mirror (looking-glass) but the reflection is not your face, it's the collective opinion of everyone you know – that reflection is your 'self'.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE MIND IS A MIRROR (REFLECTING SOCIAL APPRAISALS). IDENTITY IS A REFLECTION.
Practice
Quiz
The 'looking-glass self' is primarily concerned with: