DAY 1
identity.
Course: UNDERSTANDING
THE SELF
Instructor: Rebecca C.
Domiguez, LPT
1. SUBJECT ORIENTATION
VISION: KCCF graduates
armed with biblical principles and
God's wisdom will lead in good
governance.
MISSION: To glorify and honor
God through God-centered
education.
CORE VALUES
1. Virtue (moral excellence)
2. Knowledge
3. Honor
4. Service
GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES
INTENDED FOR KURIOSIANS
(GAIN)
1. Diligent and Reflective
Leader
2. ICT Literate and Competent
Communicator
3. Socially and Community-
engaged Citizen Imbued
with the Spirit of Patriotism
4. Innovative, Resourceful, and
Critical Thinker
5. Interculturally Competent
Collaborator
6. Life- and career-skilled
Individual
COURSE DESCRIPTION
 The course deals with the
nature of identity, as well as
the factors and forces that
affect the development and
maintenance of personal
 This course is intended to
facilitate the exploration of
the issue and concerns
regarding self and identity to
arrive at a better
understanding of oneself.
 It strives to meet this goal by
stressing the integration of
the personal with the
academic – contextualizing
matters discussed in the
classroom and in the
everyday experiences of
students-making for better
learning, generating a new
appreciation for the learning
process, and developing a
more critical and reflective
attitude while enabling them
to manage their selves to
attain a better quality of life.
This course is divided into three
parts:
 The first part seeks to
understand the construct of
the self from various
disciplinal perspective like
sociology, anthropology and
psychology- as well as the
more traditional division
between the East and West
– each seeking to provide
answers to difficult but
essential question of “What
is the self?” and raising,
among others, the question:
“Is there even such a
construct of the self?”
 The second part explores
some of the various aspects
that make up the self, such
as the biological, material
and digital self.
  The third part identifies three
areas of concern for young
students: learning, goal
setting, and managing
stress. It also provides a
more practical application of
the concepts discussed in
the course and enables
them the hands-on
experience of developing
self-help plans for self-
regulated learning, goal
setting, and self-care
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1. WEEKLY JOURNAL
WRITING - Students will be
expected to keep a weekly
journal. This will be a part of
student’s class participation
points. A few ideas for
journal writing are: 1) What I
learned about others and
myself in a particular class
meeting; 2) Topics I want to
talk about or have avoided
talking about; 3) Some of the
things I am learning about
myself in this course; and 4)
Some concrete changes in
my attitudes, values, or
behaviors that I want to
make. The instructor will
check journals periodically.
2. POSITION AND
REFLECTION PAPER-
Through critical thinking,
personal reflection, and
conceptualization of
principles and issues in
assigned readings, the
student will create 1 position
paper, which will be
typewritten, double-spaced,
and carefully proofread.
The student will be graded
on his/her ability to clearly
and fully express ideas.
Depth of thinking critical
evaluation, independent
judgment, and insights into
issues, practical knowledge,
and organization will be
assessed. Each position
paper should be no longer
than 6 pages.
3. JOURNAL CRITIQUE - The
student will prepare a five-
page journal critique. The
goal is to critique a journal
using critical thinking,
personal reflection, and
conceptualization of
principles and issues based
on an assigned reading.
Students will be graded
based on his/her ability to
clearly and fully express
ideas, the content, structure,
organization, and grammar.
4. FILM REVIEW
5. RESEARCH PAPER AND
PRESENTATION Students
will choose a “Current Issue
in Psychology or Mental
Health” and prepare a six
to eight -page research
paper following the APA
Style. All topics must be
approved by the instructor.
The paper will integrate the
following three areas of research:
a. An interview with a practicing
psychologist.
b. Related material from the text
and class lectures and
discussions.
c. Related information from the
professional literature (i.e. library
and Internet research).
 Students will make a
presentation to the class on their
research, and abstracts of
students’ papers will be shared.
2. INTRODUCTION TO THE
COURSE
The meaning of
understanding the self is having
insight into one's own behavior,
attitudes, strengths, and
weakness. It is the individual's
ability to say and know what he
or she is good at or needs
improvement. Self-
understanding is one of the
highest goals in psychology.
 Understanding the Self
-Knowing oneself is
critical to being an
effective team member as
well as being successful
in life, work, and
relationships. Your
personal identity
influences everything you
do, and it changes and
evolves over time.
-The purpose of this
module is to help you
deepen your
understanding and
appreciation for who you
are as a person. You will
explore how you see
yourself through the
lenses of personal
identity, your skills and
talents, roles, values,
personal core, and how
you meet your
psychological needs. You
will also examine how you
respond to the pressures
of changes and
transitions in your life.
-You will have an
opportunity to examine
how your personal
identity has been shaped
by a variety of people and
experiences. You will also
have opportunities to
think about and discuss
your values, interests,
hopes for the future, as
well as, your strengths
and challenges. You will
learn about how your
psychological needs are
the primary source that
motivates and drives your
behavior. You will also
learn critical knowledge
about change and how
important it is in today’s
workplace to be adaptive
and to embrace change
as a personal and
professional growth
experience.
-You will be invited and
encouraged to take risks,
to step outside your
comfort zone, and to
challenge your thinking
and the thinking of others.
You will be engaged in
reflection, partner
activities, storytelling,
discussion groups, self-
 assessment, and giving
and receiving feedback.
ACTIVITY 1 – UNDERSTANDING
SELF
(BOOKLET)
DAY 1-2
Course: UNDERSTANDING
THE SELF
Instructor: Rebecca C.
Domiguez, LPT
THE SELF FROM VARIOUS
PERSPECTIVES
A. PHILOSOPHICAL
PERSPECTIVES
SOCRATES: AN UNEXAMINED
LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING
Each one of us should be
conscious of what is good to be
able to have a good life. Don’t let
ignorance overcome you. If you
don’t know such thing, never
hesitate to ask for the help of
others for you to learn something
new. Our soul strives for wisdom
and perfection to achieve this
exalted state. For example, if you
didn’t totally understand the
discussion of your professor don’t
be afraid to go to his/her
consultation hours. A very good
friend of mine always reminds me
that if you will not try, then you’re a
failure. There’s nothing wrong in
asking somebody’s help if you’ll be
the one who will benefit from it.
PLATO: THE SELF IS AN
IMMORTAL SOUL
There are three parts soul
which are the following: Reason,
physical appetite, and spirit or
passion. These three basically
allow man to live in accordance to
his nature, then he is giving justice
in his existence therefore
everyone in this world has a
purpose for each one of us should
do our part. Always remember that
good is above God. A task is a
task. No matter what happens,
you should meet the deadlines
that are given to you. Practice
yourself in doing what you can do
now for time runs so fast wherein
you won’t notice it and this will
definitely help you in your future
work.
ARISTOTLE: THE SOUL IS THE
ESSENCE OF THE SELF
He defined man as a rational
animal for we have free will and
intellect. Only man in God’s
creation has the ability to think.
Only man in God’s creation has
the ability to think. So therefore,
we should use our decisions
wisely and this will definitely lead
us to self-actualization. For
example, your parents are working
hard just to send you to school, so
you better do your part as a child
and as a students and think wisely
that it’s for your own good when
the right time comes. It’s your
choice whether you’ll do what is
right from evil for you have the
intellect that allows you to make
your own decisions.
ST. AUGUSTINE: THE SELF
HAS AN IMMORTAL SOUL
A soul can’t live in this world
without a body for it is considered
as a unity of body and self. It is an
important element of man which
governs and defines himself. We
all know that we are created in the
image and likeness of God for we
are geared towards the good. For
example, as we are living in this
world, we should take good care
of our body not just physically as
well as mentally for it is the house
of our soul and when the right time
comes, we won’t regret anything
for it has been useful.
RENE DESCARTES: I THINK
THEREFORE I AM
Man is a thinking man that
has an entity to doubt, understand,
analyze, question, and the most
important thing is to reason out
that can exist independently in the
physical body. This Latin
phrase Corgito ergo sum is the
concept of self by Descartes. For
example, I can complain what I
have read in the social media
posts of my friends if they are
spreading fake news for I myself
know what is right from bad. I have
the free will to reason out what I
wanted to say.
JOHN LOCKE: THE SELF IS
CONSCIOUSNESS
For him our human mind is a
Tabula Rasa or also known as a
mind self at birth is a blank state.
Conscious awareness and
memory of previous experiences
are the keys in understanding the
self. For example, while we are
communicating with other people
in different environment, we can
carefully observe our experiences
with them that lead us to learnings
or being knowledgeable.
DAVID HUME: THERE IS NO
SELF
Man is a bundle of all
sensation and perception. When
people will examine their content
of experience what they can see
are just impressions and ideas that
results to imagination. For
example, our first impression
towards our new classmate from
other country is quiet for he
doesn’t speak to us. Well, we
cannot totally define who is he if
he will not talk or engage with us
for our imagination is moving that
defines the personal identity of a
certain person.
IMMANUEL KANT: WE
CONSTRUCT THE SELF
It is the self that is
constructing and organizing
principles of experiences which
creates a world that is familiar,
predictable and significantly be
called as mine. For example, I
myself is the one who’s
discovering the world for I am the
driver of my life. Nobody will do it
for me for it transcends the
experience in my mind as well as
the senses of mine.
SIGMUND FREUD: THE SELF IS
MULTILAYERED
Self consists of three layers
which are conscious, unconscious,
and preconscious which are
considered as far reaching impact
for we have so many questions in
life that leads us to curiosity and to
find for an answer. For example,
we are just human that commit
mistakes. Therefore, we are
conscious that we did something
wrong and we should not do it
again for we should not repeat our
own mistakes twice because we’re
grown-ups already.
GILBERT RYLE: THE SELF IS
THE WAY PEOPLE BEHAVE
Self is best understood as a
collection of behavior that leads to
a person to behave in accordance
with different circumstances. For
example, you can easily tell
whether that certain person is
talkative, intelligent, and so on for
what their behavior speaks
towards other people. If he/she
keeps on smiling, then that person
is a positive one.
PAUL CHURCHLAND: THE
SELF IS THE BRAIN
He advocates the eliminative
materialism or physiology of the
body and brain which explains that
all of us have a brain but if it is
gone, there is no self at all. Our
brain is not inseparable from our
body. For example, how you dress
doesn’t define who you are but
rather what’s the content of your
mind defines who you are.
MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY:
THE SELF IS EMBODIED
SUBJECTIVITY
According to him, all the
knowledge of every individual
comes from the inner world of
subjective phenomena of
experience that people are aware
in everything within its
consciousness. For example, our
body won’t function or mover
unless being said or commanded
by our brain for the two of them
were not separated.
DAY 3
Course: UNDERSTANDING
THE SELF
Instructor: Rebecca C.
Domiguez, LPT
B. SOCIOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVES
Self in Sociology
From a classical
sociological perspective, the self
is a relatively stable set of
perceptions of who we are in
relation to ourselves, others,
and to social systems. The self
is socially constructed in the
sense that it is shaped through
interaction with other people. As
with socialization in general, the
individual is not a passive
participant in this process and
have a powerful influence over
how this process and its
consequences develop.
Why is sociological
perspective important in
understanding the self?
The sociological
imagination allows us to stand
apart mentally from our limited
experience and see the link
between private concerns and
social issues. It permits us to trace
the connection between the
patterns and events of our own
and the patterns and events of our
society.
George Herbert Mead and
the Social Self
 George Herbert Mead
(1863–1931) was an
American philosopher,
sociologist and
psychologist, primarily
affiliated with the
University of Chicago,
 where he was one of
several distinguished
pragmatists.
 He is regarded as one of
the founders of social
psychology and the
American sociological
tradition in general.
 His major contributions
are Pragmatism and
Symbolic Interaction,
Social Philosophy
(Behaviorism),
Philosophy of Science,
Play and Game and the
Generalized Others.
The “Theory of Self”: A
Glimpse
1. Mead is best known for
his theory of Self. According
to Mead, the self represents
the sum total of people’s
conscious perception of their
identity as distinct from
others.
2. His theory of Self was
shaped by his overall view of
socialization as a life-long
process.
3. For him self is the
social product rising from
relations with other people.
At first, as babies, we are
unable to interpret the
meaning of people’s
behaviour. When children,
learn to attach meanings to
their behaviour , they step
out of themselves.
4. Finally, when they can
think about themselves , the
same way they might think
about someone else, they
begin to gain a sense of self.
Three stages of
Development of Self The
process of forming the self,
according to Mead occurs in
three distinct stages:
1. Imitation: In this stage,
children copy behaviour of
adults without understanding
it. A little boy might ‘help’ his
parents vacuum clean the
floor by pushing a toy
vacuum cleaner or even a
stick around the room.
2. Play stage: A child
plays, sometimes at being a
mother or a teacher, at times
a Post man, a police man
etc. In this stage, responses
are not organised. A child
thus internalizes the
attitudes of others who are
significant to him through
encating the roles of others.
3. Game Stage: As a
child matures, he also learns
to respond to ‘Generalised
Others’. The individual just
does not identifies the roles
of his significant
others(family) but also
determines other. He gains a
Social Identity.
Facets of Self: Mead
made significant contribution
to the development of the
concept of social self in
differentiating that the
portion of the self that
develops through the
internalization of the
attitudes of others from that
portion which never
becomes completely
predictable. ‘Me’ and ‘I’
‘Me’ 1. Me is the part of
the Self that is an
organisation of the
internalized attitude of
others. 2. Me represents the
conventional part of self. 3. DAY 3
Its an Objective part of self.

I’ 1. I is the acting part of Course: UNDERSTANDING

Self. 2. I represents the self THE SELF
in sofar as it is free, has Instructor: Rebecca C.
initiative, novelty and Domiguez, LPT
uniqueness . 3. I is the
Subjective part of self. C. The Anthropological
Interaction Conceptualization of the
Self: The Self as
Between Two Facets of Embedded in Culture
Self
• Anthropology holds a
1. Mead says that two holistic view of human
parts of the self are in nature. It is concerned with
constant interaction. The ‘I’ how cultural and biological
holds attitudes about “me”. processes interact to
and the me reflects the shape the self.
judgments of others towards
“I”.
2. This dialogue is the
• Anthropology
considers human
basic part of the conscious experience as an interplay
and unconscious mental life of “nature” referring to
of every individual. genetic inheritance which
3. The self has sets the individual’s
characteristics that it can be potentials and “nurture”
the object and subject to which refers to
itself. sociocultural environment.
4. Self is introspective.
5. Self is reflective.
6. The self arises in the
• Both biological and
cultural factors have
process internal
significant influence in the
conversation between I and
development of self.
Me

Thus, the approach

• In the Anthopological
focuses on the peculiar perspective, there are two
individuality every self. Each ways in which the concept
person participates in the of self is viewed in different
social process and develops societies: egocentric and
a self by taking others into sociocentric.
account. The ultimate
product each individual 1. The egocentric concept
experience is the Unique of the self suggests that
Human being. each person is defined
as a replica of all
humanity but capable of
acting independently
from others
2. In the sociocentric • Self-identification may
concept of the self, the be attained by: kinship,
self is viewed as family membership,
dependent on the gender, age, language,
situation or social religion, ethnicity, personal
setting. appearance, and
socioeconomic status.
For example, the
Japanese possess
sociocentric view of the
a • Some characteristics
such as kinship, gender,
self, wherein the and age are almost
membership of a person in universally used to
a particular social group differentiate people.
defines the boundaries of
the self. • Other characteristics,
such as ethnicity, personal
The Chinese prioritize kin
appearance, and
ties and cooperation. They
socioeconomic status are
put importance to
not always used in every
compliance and
society.
subordination of one’s will
to the authority figures in
the family
• Family membership
could be the most
In egocentric view, the self significant feature to
is viewed as autonomous determine the person’s
and distinct individual with social identity.
inherent characteristics.
• Another important
The Americans are identity determinant that is
egocentric. They believe often viewed as essential
that they should be for the maintenance of a
assertive and independent group identity is language.

• From the similarities • In other societies,

and differences in religious affiliation is an
characteristics among important marker of group
individuals, people identity.

•
construct their social
identities. In Mindanao, being a
Christian or a Muslim is
possibly the most
The identity toolbox refers important defining feature
to the “features of a of social identity.
person’s identity that he or
she chooses to emphasize
in constructing a social
• Personal naming, a
universal practice with
self.” numerous cross-cultural
variations establishes a status is officially
child’s birthright and social incorporated.
identity. A name is an example, the wedding
important device to reception and parties that
individualize a person and celebrate the wedding
to have an identity. serve as the markers that

•
officially recognize the
One’s identity is not bride and groom’s change
inborn. It is something towards being husband
people continuously and wife.
develop in life.
DAY 4
• Changes in one’s
identity usually involve
Course: UNDERSTANDING
rites of passage that
THE SELF
prepares individuals for
Instructor: Rebecca C.
new roles from one stage
Domiguez, LPT
of life to another.

• Changes in one’s
D. PSYCHOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVE
status and identity are
marked by a three-phased What is the self according to
rite of passage: William James?
separation, liminality
(transition), and The psychology of the self
incorporation. is the study of the cognitive or
affective representation of one's
-In the separation identity. In modern psychology,
phase, people detach from the earliest formulation of the self
their former identity to derived from the distinction
another. between the self as “I,” the
For example, in a subjective knower, and the self as
wedding, the bride walking “me,” the object that is known.
down the aisle to be “given
away” by the parents to It is how we perceive our
the groom implies the behaviors, abilities, and unique
separation from one’s characteristics.
family to become part of a
new one. 1 For example, beliefs such as
-In the liminality phase, "I am a good friend" or "I am
a person transitions from a kind person" are part of an
one identity to another. overall self-concept.
For example, the 2 Other examples of self-
wedding ceremony itself is concept include: How you
the process of transition of view your personality traits,
the bride and groom from such as whether you are an
singlehood to married life. extrovert or introvert
-In the incorporation
phase, the change in one’s
 Philosopher
psychologist William
James (1842–1910) was one of
the first to postulate a theory of the
self in The Principles
Psychology. James described two
aspects of the self that he termed
the “I Self” and “Me Self.”
and (3) the spiritual self
(e.g., internal dispositions).
of
What Is Self-Concept?
Self-concept is the image we
have of ourselves. It is influenced

• The I Self reflects what

by many forces, including our
interaction with important people in
people see or perceive our lives. It is how we perceive our
themselves doing in the behaviors, abilities, and unique
physical world (e.g., characteristics.1 For example,
recognizing that one is beliefs such as "I am a good
walking, eating, writing), friend" or "I am a kind person" are
whereas part of an overall self-concept.

• The Me Self is a more Other examples of self-concept

subjective and include:
psychological  How you view your
phenomenon, referring to personality traits, such as
individuals’ reflections whether you are an extrovert
or introvert
about themselves (e.g.
 How you see your roles in
characterizing oneself as
life, such as whether you
athletic, smart,
feel that being a parent,
cooperative).
sibling, friend, and partner
are important parts of your
Other terms such
identity
as self-view, self-image, s
 The hobbies or passions that
elf-schema, and self-
are important to your sense
concept are also used to
of identity, such as being a
describe the self-referent
sports enthusiast or
thoughts characteristic of
belonging to a certain
the Me Self.
political party
James further
 How you feel about your
distinguished three
interactions with the world,
components of the Me
such as whether you feel
Self. These include:
that you are contributing to
(1) the material self
society
(e.g., tangible objects or
possessions we collect for
Our self-perception is important
ourselves);
because it affects
(2) the social self (e.g.,
our motivations, attitudes, and
how we interact and
behaviors. It also affects how we
portray ourselves within
feel about the person we think we
different groups, situations,
are, including whether we are
or persons); and
competent or have self-worth.2
 Self-concept tends to be more
malleable when we're younger and
still going through self-discovery
and identity formation. As we age
and learn who we are and what's
important to us, these self-
perceptions become much more
detailed and organized.
At its most basic, self-concept
is a collection of beliefs one holds
about oneself and the responses
of others. It embodies the answer
to the question: "Who am I?" If you
want to find your self-concept, list
things that describe you as an
individual. What are your traits?
What do you like? How do you feel
about yourself?
Rogers' Three Parts of Self-
Concept
Humanist psychologist Carl
Rogers believed that self-concept
is made up of three different parts:
 Ideal self: The ideal self is
the person you want to be.
This person has the
attributes or qualities you are
either working toward or
want to possess. It's who
you envision yourself to be if
you were exactly as you
wanted.
 Self-image: Self-image
refers to how you see
yourself at this moment in
time. Attributes like physical
characteristics, personality
traits, and social roles all
play a role in your self-
image.
 Self-esteem: How much you
like, accept, and value
yourself all contribute to your
self-concept. Self-esteem
can be affected by a number
of factors—including how
others see you, how you
think you compare to others,
and your role in society.3
Global vs. Differentiated Models
Global, or general, self-
concept sits at the top of the
hierarchal tree, which then breaks
into a number of smaller
components, such as academic,
social, emotional and physical self-
concepts. The number and type of
these components varies from one
theory to another.
What is an example of a
global model of self?
Global self-esteem can be high
(some prefer the term “healthy”)
but rather low in a specific
situation or in relation to a specific
activity. For example, Jane may
have high overall self-esteem and
have a positive view of herself as
a dancer, and yet have low self-
esteem about communicating in a
second language.
What is the meaning of
differentiated self?
Differentiation of self is defined
as the ability to distinguish
between thoughts and feelings in
an emotional relationship system.
What is an example of a
differentiated self?
A person with a well-differentiated
“self” recognizes his realistic
dependence on others, but he can
stay calm and clear headed
enough in the face of conflict,
criticism, and rejection to
distinguish thinking rooted in a
careful assessment of the facts
from thinking clouded by
emotionality.
 What is differentiated and
undifferentiated self?
1) Differentiation of self is the
ability to separate feelings
and thoughts.
2) Undifferentiated people
cannot separate feelings and
thoughts; when asked to
think, they are flooded with
feelings, and have difficulty
thinking logically and basing
their responses on that.
Real and Ideal Self Concepts
What is ideal self and real self
by Carl Rogers?
Rogers divided the self into two
categories; ideal and real self.
•
The ideal self is the
person you would like to
be.
• The real self is what
you really are.
In the real world, a person's ideal
self is not consistent with what
happens in life with a person.
What is the 'Real Self' and 'Ideal
Self'?
Thinking about 'who you are' can
be a challenge.
On the surface it may start out as
a straight forward exercise. I'm a
parent. I'm a husband/wife. I'm a
son/daughter. I have a job.
Then a little deeper you may think
about being trustworthy, a good
friend, reliable, punctual etc.
In counselling terms, the
concept of the 'Real Self' and the
'Ideal Self' is something that can
come up fairly often. It is an
exploration of a person's identity
and how far removed their life is
from where they would like it to be
in terms of their happiness and
overall feeling of fulfilment.
Real Self
This is the person that
people will see from day to day.
It's the real you that you are to fit
into how your life is now. You will
have responsibilities and
commitments and part of your life
will be geared towards satisfying
those. You have certain people in
your life that impact on how you
are and this will influence your
behaviour. You have certain
attitudes and approaches to the
people and situations in your life
that, hopefully, make things as
smooth and happy as possible.
The ''Real You' needs to be fluid
and can change from week to
week, month to month, year to
year. Think about it, the 'Real Self'
from when you were 16 will
probably not be the same 'Real
Self' at age 60.
Ideal Self
This is the person that you
may aspire or dream to be. One
way to look at it is to ask yourself
this question: "If there were
guaranteed to be no judgement,
no fallout, no repercussions and
no impact on those around you,
how would you be living your life
right now?" Maybe you would
going back to University for that
degree you always wanted to do?
Maybe you would be handing in
your notice at work and applying
for something you feel would be
more rewarding? Maybe you'd be
off climbing mountains or travelling
the world? Maybe you would be
spending more time with family or
friends. This 'Ideal Self' will also be
fluid and change over time
Think about these two versions of
your 'Self' as two different life
paths. When you were young and
carefree, if you were lucky, you
were just living life on your terms,
doing, within reason, whatever you
wanted to do, whenever you
wanted to do it. You were very
much on the 'Ideal Self' path.
But then, as you get older, things
change. You have new people in
your life and along with them come
different responsibilities and
expectations. As a good, moral
person, you accept that their
needs are also important and
should be taken into account.
Perhaps you then have financial
responsibilities that take your life
in a particular direction in terms of
your job. Family and friendships
change and develop over time
which means you may find
yourself adapting along with it.
Whereas before you were walking
the 'Ideal Self' path, you now find
yourself walking on the path of
your 'Real Self'.
As these paths diverge, there is
the possibility that things can go
wrong, psychologically.
Remember, the 'Ideal Self'
represents the life that you feel
you would be living if all that
mattered was to tend to your own
happiness and nobody else were
affected. It's as if that lifestyle
represents the essence of 'You'
and who you actually are. The
deep meaningful things that give
you true contentment and deep
satisfaction.
With this in mind, imagine a
situation where the two paths
head off in completely opposite
directions and get further and
further apart. The longer you go
on your 'Real Self' path, the more
distance you are putting between
you and your 'Ideal Self'. If you go
too far you could completely lose
sight of the other path. It could feel
like it's nowhere to be seen. This
may be what is happening when
people describe they are going
through some sort of 'Identity
Crisis'.
They have essentially lost touch
with the person they are. If they
become dissatisfied with the 'Real
Self' path and can no longer even
see the 'Ideal Self' path, this can
lead to feeling quite lost and
hopeless.
In order to avoid this happening, it
helps if a person can almost keep
one foot on the 'Ideal Self' path. To
live life according to the needs of
the 'Real Self' but to, at the very
least, keep in touch with that 'Ideal
Self' side of them. Maybe
occasionally do those very things
they would be doing as the 'Ideal
Self' or at least a version of them.
It's a means of not losing touch
with the person you are, which
reduces the chance you may
become lost or disillusioned on
your path.
If a person does go through some
sort of identity crisis, counselling
could help in the process of
bringing their two paths closer
together.
It may be unreasonable to expect
that you could bring the two paths
so close that they combine but it's
far healthier if you can at least see
where the other path is.
Essentially to reconnect with the
person you are.
Whether you have experienced
any form of identity crisis or not,
your goal should be to get those
two paths to overlap as much as
possible. To achieve it would
mean that the way you are living
your life as your 'Real Self' is just
how you would like it to be as your
'Ideal Self'.
You could describe it as feeling
completely 'Whole'.
For most people, the idea of
having the 'Real Self' and 'Ideal
Self' merge is unrealistic.
However, if you can spend as
much time as possible hopping
across to the 'Ideal Self' path
before heading back to the 'Real
Self' route, life is likely to be just
great.
Multiple vs, Unified Self
What is the unified self?
Unified self is a means of
referring to the "composite"
persona, or to the "self" that
contains all of the other personas
that exist within a person's
interactional style.
A "unified self" refers to the
idea that all aspects of a person's
identity and experiences are
integrated and cohesive. It can
also refer to the idea of integrating
different aspects of oneself, such
as one's thoughts, emotions, and
behaviors, to achieve a sense of
inner harmony and balance.
An example of a unified self
might be someone who is able to
balance their work and personal
life, and who is able to effectively
manage their emotions and
behaviors in a way that aligns with
their values and goals.
Multiple selves (or multiple
personas) refers to the different
ways that individuals interact with
the different situations and
circumstances in their lives.
 Multiple self refers to the
concept of having multiple
identities or aspects of oneself that
may be in conflict with one
another. This can be seen in
cases of dissociative identity
disorder (formerly known as
multiple personality disorder),
where a person has distinct
identities or personalities that
control their behavior at different
times. However, the concept of
multiple self can also be applied
more generally to refer to the
different roles, beliefs, and
experiences that make up an
individual's identity.
For example, a person takes
on these different styles of
interactions as a parent, as an
employee, as a friend, as a son or
daughter, or as a spouse.
The self as proactive
and agentic.
Albert Bandura said that
humans, through their agency are
perceived as proactive agents of
experiences. Agency means the
endowments, Belief, and self-
limitations. The main features of
human agency are Intentionally,
forethoughts, self-reactiveness,
and self-reflectiveness.
• Intentionally refers to
acts that we do
intentionally and you know
already the possible
outcome. for example you
decided to not sleep early,
then you intentionally want
to wake up late.
• Forethoughts enables
the person to anticipate of
future outcomes. example
you noticed that is is
raining, now you anticipate
that the class might be
suspended or not.
•
Self-reactiveness inv
olves making choices and
and choosing appropriate
courses of action as well
as motivating and
regulating. One good
example is during
examination you don’t
know the answer it is your
decision if you want to
copy from your classmate
or not.
• Self-reflectiveness gi
ves us the ability to reflect
on our lack of thoughts
and actions. we are also
self-examiners. we give
time to our self to think
about our experiences and
decisions that we made
DAY 5
Course: UNDERSTANDING
THE SELF
Instructor: Rebecca C.
Domiguez, LPT
E. THE SELF IN WESTERN
AND ORIENTAL/EASTERN
THOUGHT
Eastern and Western way to
understanding self
What is the self in Western
culture?
Western, or more
individualist cultures, view the self
as separate and focus on self,
independence, autonomy and self-
expression are reinforced through
social and cultural norms. This is
the independent self-concept.
The Western concept of self
refers to the idea of an individual's
unique identity, personality, and
consciousness. It is often
associated with the idea of a
person as a self-contained,
autonomous being, separate from
others and the external world. The
concept of self is a central topic in
philosophy, psychology, and other
fields of study, and has been
debated and theorized by many
thinkers throughout history. Some
philosophers, such as René
Descartes, argue that the self is
an essential aspect of human
existence, while others, such as
Jean-Paul Sartre, argue that the
self is a product of our perceptions
and experiences.
What is the self in
Eastern/Oriental culture?
Eastern ideologies, or
Oriental thought, posit that "the
self" is an illusion, and that we
are all interconnected. In
Hinduism, "the self" is described
by the relationship between
Brahman and Atman. Brahman
is the soul of god, or universal
power, while Atman is the
human soul, or "the self" that is
part of the Brahman.
What is the concept of self in
Confucian thought?
Confucius better known in
China as “Master Kong”
(Chinese: Kongzi), Confucius was
a fifth-century BCE Chinese
thinker whose influence upon East
Asian intellectual and social
history is immeasurable.
The self as conceptualized
by Confucius is a deeply relational
self that responds to inner
reflection with outer virtue.
Similarly, the self that Confucius
wishes to cultivate in his own
person and in his disciples is one
that looks within and compares
itself with the aesthetic, moral, and
social canons of tradition.
What are the four 4
beginnings for pre self or potential
self according to Confucianism?
That the four beginnings
(siduan)—the feeling of
commiseration, the feeling of
shame, the feeling of courtesy,
and the feeling of right and wrong
—are all inborn in man was a self-
evident truth to Mencius; and the
“four beginnings,” when
properly cultivated, will develop
into the four cardinal virtues
of ren, righteousness
(yi), decorum (li), and wisdom
(zhi).
Individualistic vs, Collective Self
 Collectivism stresses the
importance of the
community, while
 Individualism is focused on
the rights and concerns of
each person.
Where unity and selflessness
or altruism are valued traits in
collectivist cultures,
independence and personal
identity are promoted
in individualistic cultures.
These cultural differences are
pervasive and can influence many
aspects of how society functions.
How people shop, dress, learn,
and conduct business can all be
influenced by whether they are
from a collectivist or individualist
culture.
For example, workers who live
in a collectivist culture might strive
to sacrifice their own happiness for
the greater good of the group.
Those from individualistic cultures,
on the other hand, may feel that
their own well-
being and goals carry greater
weight.
Impact of Collectivism
Collective cultures affect the
people within them a few different
ways.
Self-Perception
Culture influences
people's self-concept. While those
in individualistic cultures might
describe themselves in terms
of personality traits and
characteristics (e.g., "I am smart,
funny, athletic, and kind"), those
from collectivist cultures would
more likely describe themselves in
terms of their social relationships
and roles (e.g., "I am a good
parent, sibling, and friend").
Strong Relationships
Research shows that
collectivist cultures are associated
with low relational mobility, a term
to describe how many
opportunities individuals in a
society have to form relationships
with people of their choosing.5
Low relational mobility means that
the relationships people have are
stable, strong, and long-lasting.
These relationships are usually
formed due to factors such as
family and geographical area,
rather than personal choice.
In a collectivist culture, it's harder
to build relationships with new
people, partly because it's
generally more difficult to meet
them. Strangers are more likely to
remain strangers in a collectivistic
culture than they would be in
individualistic cultures.
Paradoxically, this means
that people in individualistic
cultures devote more effort and
energy toward actively maintaining
close relationships, often through
increased self-disclosure and
greater intimacy.
Unlike collectivist cultures
where stable relationships are
more expected, relationships in
individualistic cultures tend to be
more fraught and fragile. People
must make a greater effort to
maintain these relationships.
Maintaining harmony within
interpersonal relationships is of
utmost importance in a
collectivistic culture. This is likely
because these relationships are
extremely difficult to change.
Failing to keep the peace can
mean long-term unhappiness for
everyone involved.
Potential Pitfalls of Collectivism
There are some potential
drawbacks of collective cultures.
Social Anxiety
Research shows that
collectivistic cultures may foster
socially reticent and withdrawn
behaviors. In one study, students
from Asian cultures (collectivist)
displayed higher levels of social
anxiety than students from
European cultures (individualist).8
However, it may not be
collectivist values alone that
contributed to this. After analyzing
the data, the researchers
suggested that some of the
increase in anxiety could be
attributed to Asian American
students having greater difficulty in
being able to recognize and read
emotion.
‘gs
Less Social Support
People in collectivist cultures
tend to be more cautious about
sharing their personal problems
with their friends. Research shows
that they are also cautious when
sharing their knowledge within the
workplace (even when working in
teams), often only doing so if
incentivized or if they are highly
altruistic.9
Instead, people often seek
out what is known as implicit social
support. This involves spending
time with supportive people
without actually opening up about
or addressing the source of the
stress.
DAY 6
Course: UNDERSTANDING
THE SELF
Instructor: Rebecca C.
Domiguez, LPT
F. BIOLOGICAL BASES OF
HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Individual Differences
Individual differences are the
more-or-less enduring
psychological characteristics that
distinguish one person from
another and thus help to define
each person's individuality. Among
the most important kinds of
individual differences are
intelligence, personality traits, and
values.
Definitions of Individual
Differences:
1. Drever James:
“Variations or deviations
from the average of the group,
with respect to the mental or
physical characters, occurring in
the individual member of the group
are individual differences.”
2. Good, C.V.:
“The variation or deviations
among individual is regard to a
single characteristic or a number
of characteristics, those
differences which in their totality
distinguish one individual from
another.”
3. Skinner, C.E.:
“Today we think of individual
differences as including any
measurable aspect of the total
personality.”
4. Woodworth, R.S. and Marquis,
D.G.:
“Individual differences are
found in all psychological
characteristics physical mental
abilities, knowledge, habit,
personality and character traits.”
Types of Individual Differences:
1. Physical differences:
Shortness or tallness of
stature, darkness or fairness of
complexion, fatness, thinness, or
weakness are various physical
individual differences.
2. Differences in intelligence:
There are differences in
intelligence level among different
individuals. We can classify the
individuals from super-normal
(above 120 I.Q.) to idiots (from 0
to 50 I.Q.) on the basis of their
intelligence level.
3. Differences in attitudes:
Individuals differ in their
attitudes towards different people,
objects, institutions and authority.
4. Differences in achievement:
It has been found through
achievement tests that individuals
differ in their achievement abilities.
These differences are very much
visible in reading, writing and in
learning mathematics.
These differences in
achievement are even visible
among the children who are at the
same level of intelligence. These
differences are on account of the
differences in the various factors
of intelligence and the differences
in the various experiences,
interests and educational
background.
5. Differences in motor ability:
There are differences in
motor ability. These differences
are visible at different ages. Some
people can perform mechanical
tasks easily, while others, even
though they are at the same level,
feel much difficulty in performing
these tasks.
6. Differences on account of sex:
McNemar and Terman
discovered the following
differences between men and
women, on the basis of some
studies:
(i) Women have greater skill
in memory while men have greater
motor ability.
(ii) Handwriting of women is
superior while men excel in
mathematics and logic.
(iii) Women show greater
skill in making sensory distinctions
of taste, touch and smell etc.,
while men show greater reaction
and conscious of size- weight
illusion.
(iv) Women are superior to
men in languages, while men are
superior in physics and chemistry.
(v) Women are better than
men in mirror drawing. Faults of
speech etc. in men were found to
be three times of such faults in
women.
(vi) Women are more
susceptible to suggestion while
there are three times as many
colour blind men as there are
women.
(vii) Young girls take interest
in stories of love, fairy tales,
stories of the school and home
and day-dreaming and show
various levels in their play. On the
other hand boys take interest in
stories of bravery, science, war,
scouting, stories of games and
sports, stories and games of
occupation and skill.
7. Racial differences:
There are different kinds of
racial differences. Differences of
environment is a normal factor in
causing these differences. Karl
Brigham has composed a list on
the basis of differences in levels of
intelligence among people who
have migrated to United States
from other countries.
On the basis of these
average differences between the
races, the mental age of a
particular individual cannot be individuals have been classified
calculated since this difference is into many groups.
based on environment.
8. Differences due to nationality: Spranger has classified
Individuals of different personalities into six types:
nations differ in respect of physical (a) Theoretical,
and mental differences, interests (b) Economic
and personality etc. ‘Russians are (c) Aesthetic,
tall and stout’; ‘Ceylonese are (d) Social,
short and slim’; ‘Germans have no (e) Political, and
sense of humour’; ‘Yellow races (f) Religious.
are cruel and revengeful’;
‘Americans are hearty and frank’; Jung classified people into three
Indians are timid and peace-loving’ groups:
and the like observations enter (a) Introverts,
into our common talk. (b) Extroverts, and
(c) Ambiverts.
9. Differences due to economic
status: Trottor divided individuals into:
Differences in children’s (a) Stable minded, and
interests, tendencies and (b) Unstable minded.
character are caused by economic
differences. Jordon thinks of personalities into:
(a) Active, and
10. Differences in interests: (b) Reflective type.
Factors such as sex, family
background level of development, Thorndike has classified people
differences of race and nationality into four categories on the basis of
etc., cause differences in interests. thinking:
(a) Abstract thinkers,
11. Emotional differences: (b) Ideational thinkers,
Individuals differ in their (c) Object thinkers, and
emotional reactions to a particular (d) Thinkers in whom
situation. Some are irritable and sensory experience is
aggressive and they get angry predominant.
very soon. There are others who
are of peaceful nature and do not Terman has classified people into
get angry easily. At a particular nine classes according to their
thing an individual may be so level of intelligence:
much enraged that he may be (a) Genius,
prepared for the worst crime like (b) Near genius
murder, while another person may (c) Very superior,
only laugh at it. (d) Superior,
(e) Average,
12. Personality differences: (f) Backward,
There are differences in (g) Feebleminded,
respect of personality. On the (h) Dull, and
basis of differences in personality, (i) Idiot.
Causes of Individual
Differences:
Some of the main causes of
individual differences are as
under:
1. Heredity:
One of the most significant
and chief causes of individual
differences is heredity. Individuals
inherit various physical traits like
face with its features, colour of
eyes and hair, type of skin, shape
of skull and size of hands, colour
blindness, baldness, stub-finger
and tendency to certain diseases
like cancer and tuberculosis,
mental traits like intelligence,
abstract thinking, aptitudes and
prejudices. Now it is an admitted
fact that heredity differences result
in the quantity and rate of physical
as well as mental development
being different and different
individuals.
2. Environment:
Environment significantly
influences individual differences.
Changes in child’s environment
are reflected in the changes in his
personality. Psychologically
speaking, a person’s environment
consists of sum total of stimulation
which he receives from conception
until his death.
Environment consists of
physical, intellectual, social, moral,
political, economic and cultural
forces. All these forces cause
individual differences. Modern
psychologists believe that
individual differences are caused
by both heredity and environment.
Personality is the outcome of
mutual interaction between
heredity and environment.
3. Influence of caste, race and
nation:
Individuals of different
castes and races exhibit very
marked differences. It is generally
seen that son of a Kshatriya has a
more of courage in him while the
son of a trader has the traits of
business.
Similarly individuals of
different nations show differences
in respect of their personality,
character and mental abilities.
These are the outcome of their
geographical, social and cultural
environment. Many studies have
shown the existence of differences
between Americans and Negroes,
and Japanese, English and Indian
individuals.
4. Sex differences:
Development of boys and
girls exhibits differences due to
difference in sex. The physical
development of the girl takes
place a year or two earlier than the
boys. Between the age of 11 and
14, girls are taller and heavier than
the boys. After 15, boys start
winning the race.
Girls are kind, affectionate,
sympathetic and tender while the
boys are brave, hard, choleric,
efficient and competent.
5. Age and intelligence:
Physical, intellectual and
emotional development is caused
by the growth in age. Many
individuals differ because of the
differences in intelligence.
Individuals who are below the
average in intelligence and mental
age find much difficulty in learning
and the average intelligent
persons can learn quickly.
6. Temperament and emotional
stability:
Some people are by
temperament active and quick,
while others are passive and slow,
some humorous and others short
tempered. Emotional stability of
the individual is differently affected
by physical, mental and
environmental factors. Differences
in emotional stability cause
individual differences.

7. Other Causes:
Interests, aptitudes,
achievements, sentiments,
character, educational and home
background lead to individual
differences.

8. Economic condition and

education:
Individual differences are
caused by economic condition of
the parents and the education of
the children. It is not possible for
the children of two economic
classes to have a similarity and
equality.

MIDTERM
EXAMINATION