Republic of the Philippines

Sorsogon State College

Bulan Campus
Bulan, Sorsogon
S.Y. 2020-2021

GEC 11
Understanding
the
Self
(Module 2)

Submitted by; RENALYN G. PADER

BSIS/1A

Submitted to; MR. PAQUITO D. FERNANDEZ Jr.

 Exercises and Critical Thinking

1. Describe some aspects of your self-concept that have been created through social comparison.

 I envy people that have something I don’t have. I usually ask myself “why”, “why I am
like this? What did I ever do to suffer like this?” Those are the questions that comes in
my mind, the “why’s” and “what if’s”. But one thig cross my mind, that maybe I’m in
this position because I have a purpose, a purpose that I need to fulfill and succeed. I have
enough trouble with just accepting myself as a valid person. I have few friends and
nobody who I feel comfortable talking about myself to. Social comparisons are for living
engulfed in the worldly matters of society which yourself is ranked by wealth, power,
social status or any other aspects of the ego pleasing illusions.

2. Describe times when you have engaged in downward and upward social comparison and the
effects these comparisons have had on your self-esteem.

 DOWNWARD SOCIAL COMPARISON - I engaged in downward social comparison

when there is a times that I feel difficult on doing something, like in field of drawing,
while me and my cousin draw something, there’s a habit of mine that if we finish our
drawing and I see that my drawing is worse I will compare it to her in my mind and said
that “well at least I am good at coloring than yours”. UPWARD SOCIAL
COMPARISON – most commonly happens to me, like for example “why is here body so
sexy when she eats a lot but me I eat less, I do diet but why I am chubby.” The effect of
this in my self-esteem is a lot to the point that I become anxious of myself.

3. Outline a situation where someone else’s behavior has threatened your self-concept. What did
you do about it?

 One time when there’s a family gathering and I hear them talking about me about me
being chubby and laugh. My parents tell me not to worry about it and to concentrate on
the person they know I am. I know my parents won’t help me with my diet. Sometimes I
can’t stand myself but I made it my motivation to start to do a diet, and exercise. I said to
myself “just wait till I glow up” and now I am happy with the result.

4. Describe some situations where people you know have used each of the self-presentation
strategies that were listed in this section. Which strategies seem to be more and less effective in
helping them to achieve their social goals, and why?

 Our leaders, they show their good side to the people because they have to be a good
influence to us. They have to show a good image to the people to please them. And the
strategies that seem to be more and less effective is the goal of supplication because you
don’t need to create a pity by indicating to others that you are helpless and needy because
all you have to do is improve yourself, do things that will help you to become more
powerful by doing something appropriate to your goals.
5. Consider your own level of self-monitoring. Do you think that you are more of a high or a low
self-monitor, and why? What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages for you of the
level of self-monitoring that you have?

 I consider myself as a low self-monitoring because I think that what I have been done is
not good enough, I need to enhance, improved it so that I can be better. The advantages
of the level of self-monitoring that I have is the self-promotion, because I know in myself
that I have the respect by persuading others that I am competent.

Assessment/Assignment:
1. Reflected on the theories and concepts of Mead, Cooley, and Baudrillard, and make a
narrative essay on those things you have discovered about your social self. What are your
insights and how are you going to apply your insights in understanding your social self?
- NONE
2. Give at least 2 example each for the 5 Self-Presentation Strategies.
1. Ingratiation
 Telling a potential employer about the projects that you successfully led at your previous
job.
 Being obedient to your boss in anything for you to appoint in a higher position.
2. Intimidation
 The CEO of the company is observing you while you are presenting something in the
board of directors.
 You are not looking in the eyes of your commander because he looks like he eats human
by the way he looks.
3. Exemplification
 My cellphone fell on the ground and it broke because my sister keeps on getting it so I
scold her.
 The dog died because I feed it chocolate and my mother scold me doing that.
4. Supplication
 Sam posted on social media that she needs any amount of money to buy a phone for
online class.
 My aunty keeps on saying to my mother that she’s broke and she didn’t know what to do
for the coming days for my mother to give her money.
5. Self-promotion
 In a job interview the interviewer ask you “what can you do in this field?”, and you say
the good things that you can for them to accept you in the job.
 Alan talks about his skills and IQ, as well as the fact that he just received a promotion at
work with a significant raise.