Course Title: The Physical Self

A. Learning Objectives

After studying this chapter, students should be able to accomplish the following
objectives:

1. Identify the stages of development and understand the various changes that will occur
in each stage.
2. Recognize the relationship of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the
physical development of the self;
3. Describe the factors that affect body image and how we feel about our bodies
4. Understand the cultural differences with regards to physical attractiveness
5. Know the different coping mechanisms to physical illnesses and thus promoting
wellness

B. Lecture Outline

I. Definition of Physical Self

The physical self refers to the body, both the physical extremities and internal organs work
together for the body to perform many of its functions such as breathing, walking, and eating, and
sleeping, among others (Monilla & Ramirez, 2018). The physical self is the tangible aspect of
ourselves that can easily be observed and examined. In relation to this, our body was designed to
move and work, and thus, love to be active. Unlike the emotional aspect of our personality, we are
allowed to express ourselves physically. The body’s ability to perform its functions gradually
changed throughout the lifespan. The body tends to perform least during infancy since we are
overly dependent to our caregiver as well as during the old age since there are some physical
deterioration may happen as we grow older. Physical efficiency and vigor will be at its peak during
early adulthood and then slowly declines into middle adulthood. Physical development refers to
biological changes that children undergo as they age.

II. Physical Changes that occur throughout Lifespan

Prenatal. This is the first developmental period in the life span, though the period is
considered short, it is in many respects one of the most important periods in human development.
It begins at conception when the nucleus of the sperm and egg cell unites to form a zygote. The
pregnancy is divided into 3 parts of development; the germinal, embryonic and the fetal stage.
Development during the nine months of pregnancy is more rapid than during any postnatal period.
Technically, the stage of development before birth is initiated and guided by both genetic and
environmental factors.
 Infancy. This is from birth to 2 weeks of life. It is a time of rapid physical, perceptual,
cognitive, logical, social, and emotional growth. Human babies are born with good motor
coordination and even the sensory system is already functional. They are completely helpless and
totally dependent to their caregiver. Though they are the most helpless and immature being when
they come into this world, their sensory development is mature and well integrated even before
birth. Human infants may not be able to direct their course of movement in their environment from
the moment of birth. As for the motor, different kinds of reflexes that need for survival are already
manifested to them such as sucking, rooting, moro, walking and babinski reflexes.

Babyhood. This stage starts from 2 weeks of life to 2nd year. Babyhood is the true
foundation of development which there is a rapid growth and change. The baby will start to become
more independent and will increase individuality as they start to form social relationship and the
beginning of sex-role typing. It is also the age in which they will start to develop their creativity.
They will now start to explore their environment and become highly energetic particularly during
play. One specific task of this stage is to develop object permanence in which it is the ability of
the baby to perceive things to continue to exist even though they are not directly sensed. For
example, if you place a toy under a blanket, the child who has achieved object permanence knows
it is there and can actively seek it. At the beginning of this stage the child behaves as if the toy had
simply disappeared.

Early Childhood. Ages 2 through 6 are the early childhood years, or preschool years. Like
infants and toddlers, preschoolers grow quickly - both physically and cognitively. Children begin
to lose their baby fat, or chubbiness, around age 3 since it is the time that they engage in different
physical activities through play. Even at this early stage of life, boys tend to have more muscle
mass than girls. The preschoolers’ physical proportions also continue to change, with their heads
still being disproportionately large, but less so than in toddlerhood.

Late Childhood. Late childhood is generally defined as ages 7 to 12 years old. Up until
this point, most children have been growing at family predictable rates. Now, all bets are off due
the often wild fluctuations in physical development. There is no single growth phase that is similar
to all. These differences in physical development may continue to adolescence, when growth
patterns are more even out. The first signs of puberty typically being to appear in this period. The
term puberty is used to define the approximately 5-year period of biological maturation where a
boy or girl become able to reproduce or this is the age of achieving full sexual maturity. In girls,
puberty can begin between the age of 8 and 13, while it usually begins around age 10 in boys.

Puberty. Puberty is made up of a clear sequence of stages, affecting different bodily

systems such as skeletal, muscular and reproductive. Physical changes during puberty tend to be
more gradual and stable compare with other stages. This is comforting to many parents who feel
childhood passes much too quickly. Most children have a slimmer appearance during middle
childhood than they did during the preschool years. This is due to shifts in the accumulation and
location of body fat. As a child’s entire body size increases, the amount of body fat stays relatively
stable, giving her a thinner look. Likewise, during this stage of development, a child’s legs are
longer in proportion to the body than they were before. On average, the steady growth of middle
childhood results in an increase in height of a little over 2 inches a year in both boys and girls.
Weight gain averages about 6.5 pounds a year. A number of factors, including how close the child
is to puberty, will determine when and how much a child grows. In general, this may be
accompanied with the appearance of a small amount of pubic hair, armpit hair, mild acne, and/or
body odor.

Adolescence. During adolescence period, young people go through many changes as they
move into physical maturity. Early prepubescent changes occur when the secondary sexual
characteristics appear.
Girls may begin to develop breast buds as early as 8 years old. It will reach full
development between ages 12 to 18. Pubic hair, arms and legs usually begin to grow around age 9
or 10, and reach adult patterns at about 12 to 14 years. Menarche or the beginning of menstrual
periods typically occurs about 2 years after early breast and pubic hair appear. It may occur as
early as 9, or as la te as age 16. They usually reach growth spurt around 11.5 and slows around age
16.
Boys may begin to notice that their testicles and scrotum grow as early as age 9. Soon, the
penis begins to lengthen. By age 17 or 18, their genital are usually at their adult size and shape.
Pubic hair growth, as well as armpit, leg, chest, and facial hair, begins in boys at about age 12, and
reaches adult patterns at about 17 or 18 years. Unlike girls who have menstrual period that signifies
the start of puberty, boys will have regular nocturnal emissions (wet dreams). Wet dreams
typically start between ages 13 and 17. The average age is about 14 and a half years. Their voice
will also change at the same time as the penis grows. Boy’s spurt peaks around age 13 and half
and slows around age 18.

Early Adulthood. By the time we reach early adulthood, our physical maturations is
complete, although our height and weight may increase slightly. In this period, our physical
abilities are at their peak, including muscle strength, reaction time, sensory abilities, and cardiac
functioning. Many women have children in the early-adulthood years. The raging process,
although not that visible, begins during early adulthood. Around the age of 30, many changes
begin to manifest in different parts of the body. For example, the lens of the eye starts to stiffen
and thicken, resulting in changes in vision that usually affecting the ability to focus on close objects
also known as myopia or nearsightedness. Sensitivity to sound decreases that typically more
prevalent for men as for women. Hair can start to thin and become gray around the age of 35,
although this may occur earlier for some individuals. The skin becomes drier and wrinkles start to
appear by the end of early adulthood.

Middle Adulthood. During the middle adulthood, the raging process becomes more
visible. Around the age of 60, the eyes lose their ability to adjust to objects at varying distances,
known as presbyopia or farsightedness. Most people between the ages of 40 and 60 will need
some form of corrective lenses for vision deficits. Middle-aged adults are also at higher risk than
younger adults for certain eye problems, such as glaucoma. Hearing also further declines and skin
continues to dry out and is more prone to more wrinkling, particularly on the sensitive face like
the area around the eyes. Age spots and blood vessels become more apparent as the skin continues
to dry and get thinner. Women experience a gradual decline in fertility as they approach the onset
of menopause or the end of the menstrual cycle which is around 50 years old. This process
involves hormonal changes and may last anywhere form six months to five years. Because of the
shifting hormones levels, women going though menopause often experience a range of other
symptoms, such as anxiety, poor memory, inability to concentrate, depressive mood, irritability,
mood swings, and less interest in sexual activity.

Late Adulthood Late. Adulthood is the stage of life from the 60s onward; it constitutes
the last stage o f physical change. According to the latest WHO data published in 2018 life
expectancy in the Philippines is: Male 66.2, female 72.6 and total life expectancy is 69.3 which
gives Philippines a World Life Expectancy ranking of 123. However, this varies greatly based on
factors such as socioeconomic status, region, and access to medical care. In general, women tend
to live longer than men by an average of five years. During late adulthood the skin continues to
lose elasticity, reaction time slows further, and muscle strength diminishes. Hearing and vision—
so sharp in our twenties—decline significantly; cataracts, or cloudy areas of the eyes that result in
vision loss, are frequent. The other senses, such as taste, touch, and smell, are also less sensitive
than they were in earlier years. The immune system is weakened, and many older people are more
susceptible to illness, cancer, diabetes, and other ailments. Cardiovascular and respiratory
problems become more common in old age. Seniors also experience a decrease in physical
mobility and a loss of balance, which can result in falls and injuries.

III. The Nature and Nurture Interaction

Nature refers to heredity, the influence of inherited characteristics on personality, personal
growth, intellectual growth and social interactions. Nurture refers to the influence of the
environment on all those same things and includes parenting styles, physical surroundings,
economic factors and anything that can have an influence on development that does not come from
within the person (White, 2015). The nurture debate largely argues that the main contribution to
how a person develops is made by the influences of people and events that interact with that person
throughout their life. How much of person’s personality and behavior is determined by nature and
how much is determined by nurture? Several studies have shown that we are the product of
interaction of heredity and environment. Though, it is hard to ignore how genes play important
part in human development since this will be considered as the predetermined factors but
environmental conditions play important role in enabling people to realize their potential
capabilities.
III. Our Ideal Body

• Body image refers to mental image we form of our own bodies that includes how we feel
about our bodies as well as how satisfied or dissatisfied we are with our bodies.
• Appearance refers to everything about a person that others can observe such as height,
weight, skin color, clothes, and hairstyle.
• It appears that body image is related to self-esteem.
• Self esteem is the overall evaluation of his or her own worth.
• Adolescents worry about different parts of their bodies.
• Body image can affect both the adolescent’s physical and psychological well-being
• Generally, girls are more dissatisfied than boys with their physical appearance and their
overall body image.
• For girls, self-consciousness and dissatisfaction with their appearance reach their peak
between the ages 13 and 15.
• Causes of Poor Body Image
• Parents emphasis on thin ideal body lead girls to experience body dissatisfaction
• Bullying and peer pressure have been associated with greater body
dissatisfaction.
• Media such as television, advertisements, music, and movies.
• They are filled with good-looking faces, making women and men more concerned
with physical attractiveness.
• The result is that it can cause a great deal of money to pay for the physical
attractiveness that women and men want to achieve.
• The reality, however, is that the standards of beauty presented in the media are
so unrealistic
• Effects of Poor Body Image
• Girls who have higher body dissatisfaction are likely to experience depression, low
self-esteem, and eating disorders.
• Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which the person refuses to eat for fear
of gaining weight which can result in severe starvation and death.
• A related disorder is bulimia in which the person induces purging after binging on
large quantities of food.
• The disorder mostly afflicts females between the ages of 12 and 40, although men
may also develop it.
• Muscle dysmorphia the delusional or exaggerated belief is that one's own body is
too small, too skinny, insufficiently muscular, or insufficiently lean.
 • Body Modification
• Some people desperately change their physical appearance through body
modification.
• Tattooing, permanent makeup, body piercing, cosmetic surgery are forms
of body modification.
• Body dysmorphic disorder-Preoccupation with one or more perceived
defects or flaws in physical appearance that are not observable or appear
slight to others.
IV. Physical Attractiveness
Physical attractiveness is the perception of the physical traits of an individual human
person as aesthetically pleasing or beautiful. A person’s physical appearance makes a strong first
impression. Attractive people are judged to be more interesting, intelligent, compassionate,
sociable and better adjusted than less attractive people. The term often implies sexual attractiveness
or desirability, but can also be distinct from the two; for example, humans may regard the young
as attractive for various reasons, but without sexual attraction. There are many factors which
influence one person's attraction to another, with physical aspects being one of them. In many
cases, humans attribute positive characteristics, such as intelligence and honesty, to physically
attractive people without consciously realizing it. From research done in the United States and
United Kingdom, it was found that the association between intelligence and physical attractiveness
is stronger among men than among women.
Generally, physical attraction can be studied from a number of perspectives, including
universal perceptions common to all human cultures, cultural and social aspects, and individual
subjective preferences. Additionally, the perception of attractiveness can have a significant effect
on how people are judged in terms of employment or social opportunities, friendship, sexual
behavior, and marriage. Some physical features are attractive in both men and women, particularly
bodily and facial symmetry although one contrary report suggests that "absolute flawlessness" with
perfect symmetry can be "disturbing". Symmetry may be evolutionarily beneficial as a sign of
health because asymmetry "signals past illness or injury”. One study suggested people were able
to "gauge beauty at a subliminal level" by seeing only a glimpse of a picture for one-hundredth of
a second. Other important factors include youthfulness, skin clarity and smoothness of skin; and
"vivid color" in the eyes and hair.

V. Physical Attractiveness and Attraction

Research studies prove that the more attractive a woman is, the more a man likes her and
wants to date her again. The more attractive a man is, the more a woman likes him and wants to
date him again. Likewise, it also prove that sophisticated and intelligent people are less concerned
with superficial qualities like good looks.
The following are the theories about the relationship of physical attractiveness and
romantic relationship:
Matching Phenomenon. The tendency for men and women to choose as partners those
who are a “good match” in terms of physical attractiveness, intelligence and other traits. The
tendency wherein we usually settle for someone like ourselves, at least in regard to physical
attractiveness when it comes to choosing a date or romantic partner.
Physical Attractiveness Stereotype. It refers to the presumption that physically attractive
people possess other socially desirable traits as well. What is beautiful is good. Attractive people
are often more favored and valued. But attractiveness is NOT the key ingredient for social skills.
You should accept yourself, like yourself and be comfortable with yourself. Remember
attractiveness is whatever the people of any given time and place find attractive.
Similarity. Attitudes: Do opposite attract, or Do birds of the same feather flock together”?
Why do great majority of us have partners from our own background? One reason is that marriages
and other long term relationships are made in the neighborhood and not in heaven. People similar
in background are more similar in their attitudes. Likeness begets liking. The most appealing
people are those most like us. People like not only those who think as they do, but also those who
act as they do. Subtle mimicry fosters fondness. The more similar someone’s attitudes are to your
own, the more likeable you will find the person. But do opposites attract? We sometimes look in
other people characteristics that can complement our own. Complementarity is the popularly
supposed tendency, in a relationship between to people, for each to complete what is missing in
the other. People who are complementary (opposite but compatible) in their needs and traits are
attracted. Also, complementarity probably isn’t important in the early stages of attraction, though
it may become more important in a long term relationship like marriage.

VI. Tips on how to attain physical well-being

- What you eat today influences your health tomorrow. Eat nourishing foods. Stay away
from fatty foods. Boil, bake, or grill – never fry.

- Do not eat when you are angry. Uncontrolled hostility at meal times turns food sour and
brings ulcers and heart problems.

- Tension and worry bring emotional and physical illnesses. Do relaxing exercises, take
brisk walks. Get your mind off your work, your problems.

- Follow the advice of Edmond Samuels; placidity prevents acidity

- Rest is important but too much rest is harmful. Regulate sleep.

- Loss of energy is due to boredom and laziness. Take on challenges, new interests. Find
life and live life. Enjoy life.

- Conserve energy. Give out a little at a time. Apply discipline and do every job with love
and enthusiasm.

- You can avoid physical illnesses by right thinking, right eating, and right living. Avoid
stress and strain. Think health, not sickness. Take charge of your mind and your mind
will take charge of your body.