SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

AT THE END OF THE LESSON, THE STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

1. IDENTIFY THE DIFFERENT IDEAS IN PSYCHOLOGY ABOUT THE “SELF”

2. CREATE THEIR OWN DEFINITION OF THE “SELF” BASED ON THE DEFINITIONS FROM
PSYCHOLOGY
3. ANALYZE THE EFFECTS OF VARIOUS FACTORS IDENTIFIED IN PSYCHOLOGY IN THE
FORMATION OF THE “SELF”
•“SELF” IS “THE SENSE OF
PERSONAL IDENTITY AND OF WHO
WE ARE AS INDIVIDUALS”
(JHANGIANI AND TARRY 2014, 106)
• PSYCHOLOGIST AND PHILOSOPHER WHO HAD A MAJOR
INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY IN THE US
• OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE FATHER OF AMERICAN
PSYCHOLOGY
• HE WAS ONE OF THE EARLIEST PSYCHOLOGISTS TO STUDY THE
SELF
• TWO (2) ASPECTS OF THE SELF:
1. “I”
- SELF AS AN AGENT DOING THE OBSERVING
- THE THINKING, ACTING AND FEELING SELF
2.“ME”
- SELF AS OBJECT THAT CAN BE OBSERVED
- THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS AS WELL AS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL
CAPABILITIES THAT MAKE YOU WHO YOU ARE
• AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGIST AND ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF
THE HUMANISTIC APPROACH IN PSYCHOLOGY
• BEST KNOWN FOR HIS THEORY OF PERSONALITY AND HIS
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THERAPY
• “I” – THE ONE WHO ACTS AND DECIDES
• “ME” – WHAT YOU THINK OR FEEL ABOUT YOURSELF AS AN
OBJECT
• SELF-CONCEPT IS HOW YOU PERCEIVE YOURSELF IN TERMS OF BEHAVIOR,
ABILITIES, AND UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS
• ROGERS BELIEVED THAT SELF-CONCEPT WAS MADE UP OF THREE (3) DIFFERENT
PARTS:
1. IDEAL SELF: THE PERSON YOU WANT TO BE
2.SELF-IMAGE: HOW YOU SEE YOURSELF, INCLUDING ATTRIBUTES LIKE YOUR
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, PERSONALITY TRAITS, AND SOCIAL ROLES
3.SELF-ESTEEM: HOW MUCH YOU LIKE, ACCEPT, OR VALUE YOURSELF
• AUSTRIAN NEUROLOGIST AND FOUNDER OF
PSYCHOANALYSIS
• ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL AND CONTROVERSIAL
THINKERS IN THE 20TH CENTURY
• HE SUGGESTED THAT HUMAN PERSONALITY WAS
MADE UP OF THREE COMPONENTS: ID, EGO AND
SUPEREGO
• ID
- THIS OPERATES ACCORDING TO
PLEASURE PRINCIPLE AS IT FOCUSES ON
IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION OF ITS NEEDS
- IT IS THE ONLY COMPONENT OF
PERSONALITY THAT IS PRESENT AT BIRTH
- THIS ASPECT OF PERSONALITY IS
ENTIRELY UNCONSCIOUS AND INCLUDES
INSTINCTIVE AND PRIMITIVE BEHAVIORS
• EGO
- THIS OPERATES UNDER THE REALITY PRINCIPLE AS IT FINDS REALISTIC AND
SOCIALLY APPROPRIATE WAYS OF SATISFYING THE ID
- IT IS THE CONSCIOUS, RATIONAL PART OF THE PERSONALITY
• SUPEREGO
- THIS IS CONSIDERED AS THE SEAT OF CONSCIENCE
- IT DEVELOPS BETWEEN THE AGES 3 AND 6
- IT HOLDS THE INTERNALIZED MORAL STANDARDS AND IDEALS THAT WE ACQUIRE
FROM OUR PARENTS AND SOCIETY
 FREUD’S
PSYCHOSEXUAL
STAGES
OF
DEVELOPMENT
ORAL BIRTH – 1 YEAR MOUTH SUCKING, CHEWING, BITING
ANAL 1 – 3 YEARS ANUS VOLUNTARY URINATION AND
DEFECATION
PHALLIC 3 – 6 YEARS GENITALS GENITAL STIMULATION
LATENCY 6 – 11 YEARS ENVIRONMENT GAMES, PLAY
GENITAL AGE 12 OPPOSITE SEX CRUSHES, COURTSHIP,
ONWARD MARRIAGE, RAISING
CHILDREN
1. ORAL STAGE. THE SEX INSTINCT CENTERS ON THE MOUTH BECAUSE INFANTS
DERIVE PLEASURE FROM SUCH ORAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS SUCKING, CHEWING,
AND BITING. FEEDING ACTIVITIES ARE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT. FOR EXAMPLE,
AN INFANT WEANED TOO EARLY OR ABRUPTLY MAY LATER CRAVE CLOSE CONTACT
AND BECOME OVERDEPENDENT ON A SPOUSE.
2. ANAL STAGE. VOLUNTARY URINATION AND DEFECATION BECOME THE PRIMARY
METHODS OF GRATIFYING THE SEX INSTINCT. TOILET-TRAINING PRODUCES MAJOR
CONFLICTS BETWEEN CHILDREN AND PARENTS. THE EMOTIONAL CLIMATE THAT
PARENTS CREATE CAN HAVE LASTING EFFECTS. FOR EXAMPLE, CHILDREN WHO ARE
PUNISHED FOR TOILET “ACCIDENTS” MAY BECOME INHIBITED, MESSY, OR
WASTEFUL.
3. PHALLIC STAGE. PLEASURE IS NOW DERIVED FROM GENITAL STIMULATION.
CHILDREN DEVELOP AN INCESTUOUS DESIRE FOR THE OPPOSITE-SEX PARENT
(CALLED THE OEDIPUS COMPLEX FOR BOYS AND ELECTRA COMPLEX FOR GIRLS).
ANXIETY STEMMING FROM THIS CONFLICT CAUSES CHILDREN TO INTERNALIZE
THE SEX-ROLE CHARACTERISTICS AND MORAL STANDARDS OF THEIR SAME-SEX
PARENTAL RIVAL.
4. LATENCY STAGE. TRAUMAS OF THE PHALLIC STAGE CAUSE SOCIAL CONFLICTS TO
BE REPRESSED AND SEXUAL URGES TO BE RECHANNELED INTO SCHOOLWORK AND
VIGOROUS PLAY. THE EGO AND SUPEREGO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AS THE CHILD
GAINS MORE PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITIES AT SCHOOL AND INTERNALIZES
SOCIETAL VALUES.
5. GENITAL STAGE. PUBERTY TRIGGERS A REAWAKENING OF SEXUAL URGES.
ADOLESCENTS MUST NOW LEARN HOW TO EXPRESS THESE URGES IN SOCIALLY
ACCEPTABLE WAYS. IF DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN HEALTHY, THE MATURE SEX
INSTINCT IS SATISFIED BY MARRIAGE AND RAISING CHILDREN.
• AMERICAN PHILOSOPHER, SOCIOLOGIST AND
PSYCHOLOGIST
• WELL KNOWN FOR HIS THEORY OF THE SELF, WHICH
INCLUDES CONCEPT OF ‘SELF,’ ‘ME,’ AND ‘I’
• THE THEORY OF THE SOCIAL SELF IS BASED ON THE
PERSPECTIVE THAT THE SELF EMERGES FROM SOCIAL
INTERACTIONS
• ACCORDING TO MEAD, SELF IS NOT THERE FROM BIRTH, BUT IT IS DEVELOPED OVER
TIME FROM SOCIAL EXPERIENCES AND ACTIVITIES
• THERE ARE THREE (3) ACTIVITIES THAT DEVELOP THE SELF:
✓LANGUAGE – DEVELOPS SELF BY ALLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO RESPOND TO
EACH OTHER THROUGH SYMBOLS, GESTURES, WORDS, AND SOUNDS
✓PLAY – DEVELOPS SELF BY ALLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO TAKE ON DIFFERENT
ROLES, PRETEND, AND EXPRESS EXPECTATION OF OTHERS
✓GAMES – DEVELOP SELF BY ALLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO UNDERSTAND AND
ADHERE TO THE RULES OF THE ACTIVITY
• WE DO NOT CREATE OURSELVES OUT OF NOTHING. SOCIETY PROVIDES A BIG
COUNTERPART IN OUR FOUNDATIONS, EVEN WE MAKE OUR CHOICES, WE WILL STILL
OPERATE IN OUR SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
• WHETHER WE LIKE TO ADMIT IT OR NOT, WE ACTUALLY NEED OTHERS TO AFFIRM
AND REINFORCE POINTS ABOUT OUR IDENTITY. WHAT OTHERS SAY OR LOOK AT YOU
WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ON YOUR IDEA OF YOURSELF ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
• WHAT WE THINK IS IMPORTANT TO US IS INFLUENCED BY WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN
OUR SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT (E.G. EDUCATION, MONEY, BEING A NURSE,
POLICE OR LOYAL DUE TO DEMANDS).
• SOCIAL INTERACTION AND GROUP AFFILIATION
ARE VITAL FACTORS IN CREATING OUR SELF –
CONCEPT ESPECIALLY IN THE ASPECT OF
PROVIDING US WITH OUR SOCIAL IDENTITY OR
OUR PERCEPTION OF WHO WE ARE BASED ON
OUR MEMBERSHIP TO CERTAIN GROUPS
• AWARENESS OF SELF-CONCEPT IS HAVING A
CLEAR PERCEPTION OF YOUR PERSONALITY,
INCLUDING STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES,
THOUGHTS, BELIEFS, MOTIVATION, AND
EMOTIONS
• TWO (2) TYPES OF SELF THAT WE CAN BE AWARE OF:
1. PRIVATE SELF – PART OF THE SELF THAT IS
KNOWN MAINLY TO ONESELF, SUCH AS ONE’S
INNER FEELINGS AND SELF-CONCEPT
2. PUBLIC SELF – THE PERSPECTIVE OTHER
PEOPLE VIEW AN INDIVIDUAL AS PORTRAYED
IN PUBLIC INFORMATION, INTERACTION WITH
OTHERS AND PUBLIC ACTION
• SELF-AWARENESS ALSO PRESENTS US WITH AT LEAST THREE OTHER SELF-SCHEMA:
1. THE ACTUAL SELF – WHO YOU ARE AT THE MOMENT
2.THE IDEAL SELF – WHO YOU LIKE TO BE
3.OUGHT SELF – WHO WE THINK WE SHOULD BE
• SELF-AWARENESS CAN ALSO BE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE DEPENDING ON THE
CIRCUMSTANCES AND OUR NEXT COURSE OF ACTION
• DEINDIVIDUATION – OCCURS WHEN A PERSON’S IDENTITY WITH A GROUP
OVERRIDES THEIR OWN IDENTITY AND SELF-AWARENESS
• SOCIAL COMPARISON THEORY IS THE IDEA THAT
INDIVIDUALS DETERMINE THEIR OWN SOCIAL AND
PERSONAL WORTH BASED ON HOW THEY STACK UP
AGAINST OTHERS
• WE LEARN ABOUT OURSELVES, THE
APPROPRIATENESS OF OUR BEHAVIORS, AS
WELL AS OUR SOCIAL STATUES BY COMPARING
ASPECTS OF OURSELVES WITH OTHER PEOPLE
(JHANGIANI AND TARRY 2014, 114)
• ACCORDING TO RESEARCH, PEOPLE WHO REGULARLY COMPARE THEMSELVES TO
OTHERS MAY FIND MOTIVATION TO IMPROVE, BUT MAY ALSO EXPERIENCE
DISSATISFACTION, GUILT, OR REMORSE, AND ENGAGE IN DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIORS
LIKE LYING OR DISORDERED EATING
• TWO (2) TYPES OF COMPARISON THAT PEOPLE MAKE:
1. UPWARD COMPARISONS – COMPARING OURSELVES TO OTHERS WHO ARE
BETTER THAN WE ARE
2.DOWNWARD COMPARISONS – COMPARING OURSELVES TO THOSE WHO ARE
NOT AS PROFICIENT AS WE ARE AT A GIVEN TASK
• “SELF-EVALUATION MAINTENANCE THEORY” - WE CAN FEEL THREATENED IF SOMEONE
OUTPERFORMS US SPECIALLY IF THAT PERSON IS CLOSE TO US (E.G. FRIEND OR
FAMILY)
✓WE DISTANCE OURSELVES FROM THAT PERSON OR REDEFINE RELATIONSHIP
✓RECONSIDER THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ASPECT OF SKILL IN WHICH YOU ARE
OUTPERFORMED
✓STRENGTHEN OR RESOLVE TO IMPROVE THAT CERTAIN ASPECT
• ACHIEVING YOUR GOAL THROUGH HARD WORK MAY INCREASE SELF-ESTEEM TOO
• SELF-ESTEEM – USED TO DESCRIBE A
PERSON'S OVERALL SUBJECTIVE SENSE OF
PERSONAL WORTH OR VALUE—IN OTHER
WORDS, HOW MUCH YOU APPRECIATE AND
LIKE YOURSELF
• HOWEVER, IN THE ATTEMPT TO INCREASE OR
MAINTAIN SELF-ESTEEM, SOME PEOPLE
BECOME NARCISSISTIC--- HAVING AN
EXCESSIVE OR EROTIC INTEREST IN ONESELF
AND ONE’S PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
SELF-CONCEPT AND SELF-COMPLEXITY DIFFERENTIATION
• SELF-CONCEPT – A KNOWLEDGE REPRESENTATION THAT CONTAINS KNOWLEDGE
ABOUT US, INCLUDING OUR BELIEFS ABOUT OUR PERSONALITY TRAITS, PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS, ABILITIES, VALUES, GOALS AND ROLES, AS WELL AS THE
KNOWLEDGE THAT WE EXIST AS INDIVIDUALS
• SELF-COMPLEXITY – THE EXTENT TO WHICH INDIVIDUALS HAVE MANY DIFFERENT
AND RELATIVELY INDEPENDENT WAYS OF THINKING ABOUT THEMSELVES
• WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW YOURSELF?
✓HAPPINESS
✓LESS INNER CONFLICT
✓BETTER DECISION-MAKING
✓SELF-CONTROL
✓RESISTANCE TO SOCIAL PRESSURE
✓TOLERANCE AND UNDERSTANDING OF
OTHERS
✓VITALITY AND PRESSURE