Module: PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES OF THE “SELF”

OVERVIEW
This chapter focuses on the discussion of the various perspectives which have given shape to
psychology as a discipline in the modern world. Various influences have contributed to the maturity of
psychology as a discipline which is currently considered both a science and an art. Various personalities
from the earliest stages of psychology gave their insights as to the focus of the study, the contents of the
discipline and the heart of the discipline. These different vantage points should be understood and be
related to the understanding of the self.
The “self” as the focal point of the personality is also highlighted in this chapter. Different
viewpoints of the self are presented, giving emphasis into the concept that the self is the main source of
all that contributes to human personality including motivation, attitudes, actions and reactions.

Big Question: How do you see and understand yourself? What are the many forces of concepts and
thoughts which have given shape to our understanding of the “self” as the focal point of our
personality?
Objectives:
At the end of the session, students will be able to:
a. Discuss the different representations and conceptualizations of the self from various
psychological perspectives.
b. Examine the different influences, factors and psychological forces that shape the self.
Week ____ Session ____
Topic 1: Psychological Perspectives
Introduction/Procedure/Reminders:
1. Understanding of the self has developed from the many early perspectives. These perspectives are
helpful in the acceptance of the self.
2. Each of these perspectives partly explains the concept of the self. The student should be open-minded
so as to see the various points-of view, and be able to relate these to the understanding of himself.
3. Students are given instructions to be honest, be themselves and relax in answering the activity.
4. Remind the student that the activity is not meant to label them but is meant to become a point of
discussion for self-disclosure.
5. The student will write a reflection of what he has learned with himself after answering the series of
questions.
Activity:
Instruction:
Answer the following questions in the most honest way you can.
Reminder:
Lead the students in answering the questions towards their process of self-understanding.
1. You are a superstar about to release a new album. What do you want for the album cover?
A. Beautiful landscape
B. Cartoonish picture
C. Abstract picture, some artistic stuff
D. Picture of yourself
2. Which part of the cake you are eager to eat?
A. The strawberry part
B. The uneatable decoration part
C. The sugary-decoration part
D. The chocolate part
E. The decorating wafer part
3. There is an egg in front of you. What kind of egg is that?
A. Snake egg
B. Turtle egg
C. Dinosaur egg
D. Chicken egg
4. You are in 5 stars hotel room with a blue sky view. You fell asleep and take a nap for a couple hours.
What do you expect to see outside the window once you wake up?
A. Midday sun shines above the marine blue sea
B. Dark blue sea reflexes stars on the sky
C. Cold blue sea barely see in the mist
D. The sun is setting at the end of the line where sky and sea has met
Interpretation:
1. The question stands for what you see as the most charming attitude in yourself and would like
to express it for everyone to see. If you choose:
A - You see yourself as a gentle and well-mannered person
B - You love social life and always entertain people surrounding you
C - You are skillful, very talented and very creative
D - You have a high self-confidence and love to be leader
2. The question stands for your attitude. If you choose:
A - Your life is based on morality. You will not do anything against righteousness
B - You are fashionable and you always fascinate people around you
C - You care about other people's feeling and you love to be in the crowd
D - You are reasonable and a natural born leader. You love to be in control
E - You are sensitive, romantic and always dream of happy wedding
3. The question stands for your expectation towards your own child. If you choose:
A - Wealth and intelligence
B - Healthy and live long
C - Uniqueness and outstanding
D - You just want your child to be safe and happy
4. The question stands for what do you want from love. If you choose:
A - You want a high-voltage love
B - You believe the importance of honesty between lovers
C - You want your lover to be your best friend
D - You are looking for a perfect love. Ideal and romantic
How do you understand your self?
Look at the results of your activity. Answer the following questions:
1. How do you understand and relate to your own self the results of the first question?
2. How do you understand your own attitude?
3. In the future, what are the different things that you expect from your own child?
4. How do you understand your own expectations from love?

LECTURETTE:
 Introduce the different perspectives in psychology

PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE Psychodynamic psychology originated with Sigmund Freud in

the late 19th century. Freud suggested that psychological processes are flows of psychosexual
energy (libido) within a complex brain.
Freud's theory of psychoanalysis holds two major assumptions: (1) that much of mental life is
unconscious, and (2) that past experiences, especially those from early childhood, shape how a
person feels and behaves throughout life.

Freud's structural model of personality divides the personality into three parts: the id, the ego,
and the superego. When these parts are in conflict, the imbalance manifests as psychological
distress.

Freud also proposed the psychosexual theory of development, in which he asserted that
children develop through different pleasure-seeking urges focused on different areas of the
body, called erogenous zones.

Carl Jung expanded upon Freud's theories, introducing the concepts of the archetype, the
collective unconscious, and individuation.
Modern psychodynamic theory is an evolving multidisciplinary field that continues to analyze
and study human thought processes, response patterns, and influences.

BEHAVIORAL PERSPECTIVE
Behaviorism is an approach to psychology that focuses on observable behaviors that people
learn from their environments.

Behaviorism emerged in the early 20th century as a reaction to the psychoanalytic theory of the
time, and focused on observable behaviors rather than on unconscious inner states.

The Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov is widely known for describing the phenomenon now
known as classical conditioning in his experiments with dogs.

John B. Watson was an American psychologist best known for his controversial "Little Albert"
experiment using classical conditioning.

Edward Lee Thorndike was an American psychologist whose work on animal behavior and the
learning process led him to discover what he termed the "law of effect."

B. F. Skinner coined the term "operant conditioning," which describes the strengthening or
attenuation of a voluntary response based on association with positive or negative
consequences.

COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE
Cognitive psychology examines internal mental processes such as problem-solving, memory, and
language

"Cognition" refers to thinking and memory processes, and "cognitive development" refers to
long-term changes in these processes.

The cognitive perspective had its foundations in the Gestalt psychology of Max Wertheimer,
Wolfgang Köhler, and Kurt Koffka, and in contemporary advancements in technology and
computer science.
Jean Piaget, an influential leader of cognitive psychology, studied intellectual development in
children and is most widely known for his stage theory of cognitive development.

HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE
Humanistic psychology adopts a holistic view of human existence through explorations of
meaning, human potential, and self-actualization.

Humanistic psychology is a psychological perspective that rose to prominence in the mid-20th

century. It draws on the philosophies of existentialism and phenomenology, as well as Eastern
philosophy.

Early humanistic psychologists focused on uniquely human issues such as the self, self-
actualization, health, hope, love, creativity, nature, being, becoming, individuality, and meaning.

Abraham Maslow (1908–1970) is considered the founder of humanistic psychology and is noted
for his conceptualization of the hierarchy of human needs.

Carl Rogers (1902–1987) is best known for his person-centered approach to therapy, as well as
his emphasis on unconditional positive regard.

Rollo May (1909–1994) focused on existential ideas, the importance of human choice, and the
tragic dimensions of human existence.

Humanistic psychology has led to advances in positive, educational, and industrial psychology,
and has been successfully applied to psychotherapy and social issues; however, it has also been
criticized for its subjectivity and lack of evidence.

EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY

Evolutionary psychology seeks to understand human behavior as the result of psychological

adaptation and natural selection.
Evolutionary psychology is an approach in the social and natural sciences that examines
psychological traits such as memory, perception, and language from a modern evolutionary
perspective.

Just as evolutionary physiology has worked to identify physical adaptations of the body that
represent "human physiological nature," evolutionary psychology works to identify evolved
emotional and cognitive adaptations that represent "human psychological nature."

The field of evolutionary psychology has its historical roots in Charles Darwin's theory of natural
selection, but it has also been heavily influenced by fields such as ethology, evolutionary
biology, artificial intelligence, genetics, and anthropology.

According to evolutionary psychology, the brain has evolved specialized neural mechanisms that
are specially designed for solving problems that have recurred over evolutionary time.
 Evolutionary psychologists hypothesize that humans have inherited special mental capacities for
adaptations such as acquiring language, inferring others' emotions, discerning kin from non-kin,
identifying healthier mates, and cooperating with others.
 Source: Feist, Gregory J. and Erika L. Rosenberg (2010). Psychology: Making Connections. The
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.: New York.

Topic 2. The self as a cognitive construction:

William James: ME-SELF; I- SELF

William James’ Theory of Self isdivided into two main categories:

 “ME” Self refers to the aspects of someone that come from that person's experiences.

 ‘I’ Self is the thinking self

James subdivide the “ME" Self into three sections:

• The Material Self- is consists of things that belong to us or that we belong to. Things like family,
clothes, our body, and money are some of what makes up our material selves.

• The Social Self- is consists of things that belong to us or that we belong to. Things like family,
clothes, our body, and money are some of what makes up our material selves.

• The Spiritual Self- for James, the spiritual self was who we are at our core. The spiritual self is
more concrete or permanent than the other two selves. The spiritual self is our subjective and
most intimate self. Aspects of an individual's spiritual self include things like their personality,
core values, and conscience that do not typically change throughout their lifetime.

THE REAL SELF AND THE IDEAL SELF

Self Image

the way you think about yourself and your abilities or appearance

one's conception of oneself or of one's role

Ideal Self

This is the person who we would like to be

It is dynamic and forever changing

an idealized version of yourself created out of what you have learned from your life experiences,

the demands of society, and what you admire in your role models.
Real Self

It’s the self that feels most true to what and who we really are

How we think, feel, and look

The underlying organismic self: What a person is capable of becoming if they lived in an ideal world.

An individual would have lived in an environment of unconditional positive regard.

Congruence- the real self is closer to ideal self

Incongruence-Feelings not aligned with our actions

THE TRUE SELF VS FALSE SELF

Roots of the formation of the True Self and False Self- Infancy and Parenting

• True Self- Like their bodies, Appreciate their qualities,Do not compare yourself with others,

Speak to yourself kindly, Proactive, Accept youremotions and know how to express them,

Optimistic,Welcome the praise of others, Confident, Look for challenge and adventure, Live the

present moment

• False False- Pessimistic,Take no risks,Focus on faults,Happy to imitate others,Critical of

themselves,Blaming,Look defeated and depressed,Repress their emotions,Suspicious of praises,

Compare themselves with others, Narcissistic (feeling you exists Only when you enjoy the

attention of the other),Think they are important because of their possessions

HOW TO LOVE AND DEVELOP YOUR TRUE SELF

1. GOD LOVES YOU

 God created you in a very special way.

 He shaped you, fashioned you, and molded you.

 God designed every part of your being.

 You cannot love others if you don’t love your self

2. ACCEPT YOUR SELF AS YOU ARE

  in life: The most stressful thing for you to do is to be someone else. And the easiest thing to do in

the world? To be yourself.

 And there lies your greatest success.

 And your greatest happiness.

 When you become yourself, you discover that success and happiness becomes almost effortless.

3. FORGIVE YOURSELF

 Don’t be imprisoned by your own weaknesses or ugliness

4. NURTURE YOURSELF

 Be sensitive to your need

 Feel good about yourself

 Think of your blessings

 Read the Scriptures

 Enjoy yourself, pamper yourself

 Be sensitive to your need

 Feel good about yourself

 Think of your blessings

 Read the Scriptures

 Enjoy yourself, pamper yourself

5. SET BOUNDARIES

Avoid EMOTIONAL VAMPIRES

6. AFFIRM YOURSELF

 I am a great person

 I am beautiful
  I am loved by God

 THIS WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

Challenge

Activity: Read Psalm 139

Request someone to pray a Prayer of Thanksgiving the way God fashioned everyone according to His

will.
LESSON ACTIVITY CONCEPTS REFERENCES
 Introduce the concept “kokology”  “kokology” the study  Aquino, Miriam
and Relational psychology of kokoro Japanese Grace B. and
word for "mind" or Cipriano R.
"spirit.“ Magnaye Jr.
 Relational Psychology:
Psychology is a Why Do People
branch of Behave The way
psychoanalysis They Do: Great
wherein the subject Books
is asked to imagine a Publishing,
 Motivational Activity to introduce situation and then 2009.
the concept of “self” led through it with  Feist, Gregory J.
the help of a series of and Erika L.
questions pertinent Rosenberg.
to the scene being Psychology:
described. Making
Connections.
The McGraw-
Hill Companies,
Inc.: New York,
2010.
 Labiste, Maria
Claridad G.and
Tumoroh C.
Brazalote.
General
Psychology.
Books Atbp
Publishing
Corp.:
Mandaluyonh,
2011.
 Uriarte, Gabriel
G. Learning
 General
Psychology The
Easy Way. San
Gabriel
Archangel
Publishing
House: Bulacan,
2009.
 Zulueta,
Francisco M.
and Paraso.
General
Psychology.
National
Bookstore:
Mandaluyong
City, 2009.

 Introduce the different perspectives  Psychodynamic

in psychology perspective
PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE  Behavioral
Psychodynamic psychology perspective
originated with Sigmund Freud in the  Cognitive perspective
late 19th century. Freud suggested  Humanistic
that psychological processes are perspective
flows of psychosexual energy (libido)  Evolutionary
within a complex brain. psychology

Freud's theory of psychoanalysis

holds two major assumptions: (1)
that much of mental life is
unconscious, and (2) that past
experiences, especially those from
early childhood, shape how a person
feels and behaves throughout life.

Freud's structural model of

personality divides the personality
into three parts: the id, the ego, and
the superego. When these parts are
in conflict, the imbalance manifests
as psychological distress.

Freud also proposed the

psychosexual theory of development,
in which he asserted that children
develop through different pleasure-
seeking urges focused on different
areas of the body, called erogenous
zones.

Carl Jung expanded upon Freud's

theories, introducing the concepts of
the archetype, the collective
unconscious, and individuation.
Modern psychodynamic theory is an
evolving multidisciplinary field that
continues to analyze and study
human thought processes, response
patterns, and influences.

BEHAVIORAL PERSPECTIVE
Behaviorism is an approach to
psychology that focuses on
observable behaviors that people
learn from their environments.

Behaviorism emerged in the early

20th century as a reaction to the
psychoanalytic theory of the time,
and focused on observable behaviors
rather than on unconscious inner
states.

The Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov

is widely known for describing the
phenomenon now known as classical
conditioning in his experiments with
dogs.

John B. Watson was an American

psychologist best known for his
controversial "Little Albert"
experiment using classical
conditioning.

Edward Lee Thorndike was an

American psychologist whose work
on animal behavior and the learning
process led him to discover what he
termed the "law of effect."

B. F. Skinner coined the term

"operant conditioning," which
describes the strengthening or
attenuation of a voluntary response
based on association with positive or
negative consequences.

COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE
Cognitive psychology examines
internal mental processes such as
problem-solving, memory, and
language

"Cognition" refers to thinking and

memory processes, and "cognitive
development" refers to long-term
changes in these processes.

The cognitive perspective had its

foundations in the Gestalt
psychology of Max Wertheimer,
Wolfgang Köhler, and Kurt Koffka,
and in contemporary advancements
in technology and computer science.

Jean Piaget, an influential leader of

cognitive psychology, studied
intellectual development in children
and is most widely known for his
stage theory of cognitive
development.

HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE
Humanistic psychology adopts a
holistic view of human existence
through explorations of meaning,
human potential, and self-
actualization.

Humanistic psychology is a
psychological perspective that rose
to prominence in the mid-20th
century. It draws on the philosophies
of existentialism and
phenomenology, as well as Eastern
philosophy.

Early humanistic psychologists

focused on uniquely human issues
such as the self, self-actualization,
health, hope, love, creativity, nature,
being, becoming, individuality, and
meaning.

Abraham Maslow (1908–1970) is

considered the founder of
humanistic psychology and is noted
for his conceptualization of the
hierarchy of human needs.

Carl Rogers (1902–1987) is best

known for his person-centered
approach to therapy, as well as his
emphasis on unconditional positive
regard.

Rollo May (1909–1994) focused on

existential ideas, the importance of
human choice, and the tragic
dimensions of human existence.

Humanistic psychology has led to

advances in positive, educational,
and industrial psychology, and has
been successfully applied to
psychotherapy and social issues;
however, it has also been criticized
for its subjectivity and lack of
evidence.

EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY

Evolutionary psychology seeks to

understand human behavior as the
result of psychological adaptation
and natural selection.
Evolutionary psychology is an
approach in the social and natural
sciences that examines psychological
traits such as memory, perception,
and language from a modern
evolutionary perspective.

Just as evolutionary physiology has

worked to identify physical
adaptations of the body that
represent "human physiological
nature," evolutionary psychology
works to identify evolved emotional
and cognitive adaptations that
 represent "human psychological
nature."

The field of evolutionary psychology

has its historical roots in Charles
Darwin's theory of natural selection,
but it has also been heavily
influenced by fields such as ethology,
evolutionary biology, artificial
intelligence, genetics, and
anthropology.

According to evolutionary
psychology, the brain has evolved
specialized neural mechanisms that
are specially designed for solving
problems that have recurred over
evolutionary time.

Evolutionary psychologists
hypothesize that humans have
inherited special mental capacities
for adaptations such as acquiring
language, inferring others' emotions,
discerning kin from non-kin,
identifying healthier mates, and
cooperating with others.

Kohut’s Self psychology

Theory that the self is the center of

psychological motivation, organization, and
change in personality.

It also assumes that psychological damage to

the self produces psychopathology.

• Objects-Relations Theory -
the course of human
development depends on the
quality of the relationships
established between
individuals, particularly
between parents and their
children.
• Self-objects - representations
 of psychologically important
people who can help us cope
with and resolve problems.

Personality Development

• Primary Narcissism - initial state of

well-being and satisfaction in which
all of the infant’s needs are gratified
and the infant feels an oceanic
perfection and bliss.
• Grandiose self - primitive view of
oneself as great;
- need to be mirrored - a yearning for
admiration and approval.
• Idealized Parental Image - children’s
initial view of their parents as perfect
that is, as all-knowing and all-
powerful
- need to idealize - need to seek security by
identifying with all-powerful figures, usually
parents.
• Empathic Parents - parents capable
of assuming the perspective of the
child, to know and understand his or
her experiences.

• Optimal Frustrations - ideal, non-

traumatic, frustration of a person’s
needs (by parents) that fosters new
learning and personal growth.
• Transmuting Internalizations -
process whereby individuals learn
more realistic and effective ways of
thinking, feeling, and behaving as a
consequence of interactions with
empathic parents.
• Nuclear Self - foundation of
personality, established through a
learning process initiated by
empathic parents, in which
individuals modify their unrealistic
beliefs about themselves and their
caretakers.
• Cohesive Self - personality that is
 organized, healthy and functions
effectively, because its narcissistic
energies are primarily invested in the
pursuit of realistic goals.
• Autonomous Self - self of an
individual who has achieved optimal
mental health.

Impairments with Internalization of Self

Objects

Without positive self-object experiences,

internalization of a “healthy self” cannot
occur
-Shame, humiliation, helplessness the result
of self-object failure

True Self development is hindered when

child sacrifices in expressing needs because
self-object support is perceived as
unavailable
-Person complies with needs of others at the
expense of her/his True Self development
(merger bond)
-Failure to bond with caregiver leaves
individual feeling isolated and depressed

Disturbances to the Self . Kohut assumes that

psychological damage to the self produces
psychopathology

• Psychosis - severe disturbance of the

self in which defenses do not cover
major defects in the self.
• Borderline States - disorders of the
self in which damage to the self is
permanent or protracted. In contrast
to the psychoses, the central defect
is better covered by major defenses.
*schizoid personality disorders -
defective self structures are
protected against further damage by
aloofness and superficial
involvement in relationships.
*paranoid personality disorders -
 deficiencies in self structures are
shielded against further damage by
using hostility and suspicion to keep
potentially injurious objects at a safe
distance.

Disturbances to the Self . Kohut assumes that

psychological damage to the self produces
psychopathology

Narcissistic Personality Disorders

o understimulated self - individuals feel
empty, bored, and depressed
because their parents have failed to
respond empathically to their
mirroring and idealizing needs.
o fragmenting self - person feels
uncoordinated, in some cases, the
person may feel tired, mentally slow,
and awkward following threatening
experiences

Disturbances to the Self . Kohut assumes that

psychological damage to the self produces
psychopathology

Narcissistic Behavior Disorders

o alter-ego personalities - individuals

who feel worthwhile only if they
have a relationship with a self-object
who looks and dresses like them and
has similar opinions and values.
o merger-hungry personalities -
individuals who experience others as
their own self.
o contact-shunning personalities -
intense longing to merge with self-
objects, such individuals are highly
sensitive to rejection. To avoid this
pain, they avoid social contact.

Disturbances to the Self . Kohut assumes that

psychological damage to the self produces
psychopathology
Narcissistic Behavior Disorders
o alter-ego personalities - individuals
who feel worthwhile only if they
have a relationship with a self-object
who looks and dresses like them and
has similar opinions and values.
o merger-hungry personalities -
individuals who experience others as
their own self.
o contact-shunning personalities -
intense longing to merge with self-
objects, such individuals are highly
sensitive to rejection. To avoid this
pain, they avoid social contact.

Narcissistic psychopathology is a result of

parental lack of empathy during
development.
- As a result, the individual does not
develop full capacity to regulate self
esteem.
- The narcissistic adult, according to
Kohut's concepts, vacillates between
an irrational overestimation of the
self and irrational feelings of
inferiority, and relies on others to
regulate his self esteem and give him
a sense of value.

Goal of therapy is to redirect narcissistic

energies from the unrealistic self structures
to the nuclear self and ego.
Kohut proposes that the therapist should
empathically experience the world from the
patient's point of view (temporary
indwelling) so that the patient feels
understood.

Goal of therapy is to redirect narcissistic

energies from the unrealistic self structures
to the nuclear self and ego.
Kohut proposes that the therapist should
empathically experience the world from the
patient's point of view (temporary
indwelling) so that the patient feels
understood.

William James (Me-Self; I-Self)

 Psychological Perspectives
 The self as a cognitive construction:
- William James and the Me-Self; I-Self
- Global vs. differentiated models
- Real and Ideal self-concepts
- Multiple vs. unified selves
- True vs. False selves