WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY-PHILIPPINES

Cushman Campus
Mabini Extension, Cabanatuan City
Philippines, 3100

Subject Code: GEC 1

Subject Title: Understanding the Self

MODULE: Psychological Perspective of the Self

Learning Outcome
At the end of this module, students should be able to:
• Explain and illustrate the various psychological concepts of the self;
• Identify the different concepts of the self and know their interrelationships;
• Describe how the concepts of the self, influence behavior; and
• Apply the perceptions of self in one’s life to progress self-awareness and self-understanding.

For a young person, it is almost a sin, or at least a danger, to be too preoccupied with himself;
but for the ageing person, it is a duty and a necessity to devote serious attention to himself.
- Carl Jung

Nothing of me is original, I am a combination of all the person that I know.

- Anonymous

Self-control is strength. Calmness is mastery. You have to get to a point where your mood doesn’t shift
based on the insignificant actions of someone else. Don’t allow others to control the directions of your
life. Don’t allow your emotions to overpower your intelligence.
- dogtrainingobedienceschool.com

You are the one who put me together inside my mother’s body, and I praise you because of the wonderful
way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this, I have no doubt.
- Psalm 139:13-14

The development of self-understanding in adolescence involves a number of theories about the self,
identity, and personality. Theories about the self gives way for the identification of which characteristics of
the self are relevant and the understanding of how these characteristics are related to each other. They foster
discourse on the different conceptualizations of identity based on different sociocultural context (Santrock,
2002). This module discusses the psychological concepts that influence the way people understand the self.
As the following theories illustrate, adolescents construct their own understandings of their selves well by
integrating the information into their lives. Understanding of the self is higher when the different parts of
the self, become integrative. Consistent with Carl Roger’s theory of self, an important aspect of
understanding the self is self-awareness – how much an adolescent is aware of his or her own psychological
make-up, what makes him or her unique as a person, as well as his or her strengths and weaknesses.

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WILLIAM JAMES’ CONCEPT OF SELF: THE ME-SELF AND THE I-SELF
William James suggests that the self is divided into two categories: the I-Self and the Me-Self. The I-Self
refers to the self that knows who he or she is which is also called the thinking self. The I-Self reflects the
soul of a person or the mind which is also called the pure ego. The Me-Self, on the other hand, is the
empirical self which refers to the person’s personal experiences and is further divided into sub-categories:
the material self, social self, and spiritual self. The material self is attributed to an individual’s physical
attributes and material possessions that contribute to one’s self-image. The social self refers to who a person
is and how he or she acts in social situations. James believes that people have different social selves
depending on the context of a social situation. For example, a student may act differently in school and at
home with his or her family. The spiritual self refers to the most intimate and important part of the self that
includes the person’s purpose, core values, conscience, and moral behavior. James believes that the path to
understanding the spiritual self requires introspection.

CARL ROGER’S SELF THEORY: REAL AND IDEAL SELF

Another aspect of self-understanding that is important in adolescent year focuses on self-concept. This
refers to the image of oneself. Psychologist Carl Rogers defines the self as a flexible and changing
perception of personal identity. The self is the center of experience (Rathus, 2017). He suggests that the
self develops from interactions with significant people and awareness of one’s own characteristics and level
of functioning. According to Rogers, human beings are always striving for self-fulfillment or self-
actualization. When the needs of the self are denied, severe anxiety may arise. Central to achieving self-
actualization is the development of self-concept.

Idealized self

Real self
Normal Neurotic

Rogers suggests two components of self-concept: the real self and the ideal self. The real self consists of
all the ideas, including the awareness of what one is and what one can do. On the other hand, the ideal self
is the person’s conception of what one should be or what one aspires to be which includes one’s goals and
ambitions in life. In Roger’s view, the closer the ideal self to the real self, the more fulfilled and happy the
individual becomes. When the ideal self is far from the real self, the person becomes unhappy and
dissatisfied (Atkinson, Atkinson, Smith, Bem & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2009).

MULTIPLE VERSUS UNIFIED SELF, TRUE VERSUS FALSE SELF

Self-understanding in adolescents also includes conceptualizing the self as multiple or unified and true or
false. The construction of multiple selves varies across different interpersonal and intrapersonal roles and
relationships. Coping with different selves constitutes a formidable task among adolescents. These
challenges contribute heavily to the young person’s struggle for a unified self. The task of integrating one’s
multiple selves naturally causes concern. Given the enormous challenges of self-integration, it is important

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that adolescents are supported in their effort to create a consistent, coherent, or unified theory of the self
(Santrock, 2002).

Winnicott has found that the self is composed of the true self and the false self. The function of the false
self is to hide and protect the true self. Researchers have found that adolescents’ perception of themselves
can change depending on the situation. For instance, adolescents are more likely to show their false self
during dating situations and are likely to show their true self when they are with their family and close
friends. In other words, adolescents display false self to impress others. Adolescents develop different
selves in various relational contexts.

THE SELF AS PROACTIVE AND AGENTIC

Albert Bandura (2001) posits that humans, through their agency are perceived as proactive agents of
experiences. Agency embodies the endowments, belief systems, self-regulatory capabilities, and distributed
structures and functions through which personal influence is exercised, rather than reside as a discrete
entity. The core features of agency enable people to play a part in their self-development, adaptation, and
self-renewal. The main features of human agency are intentionality, forethought, self-reactiveness, and self-
reflectiveness. Intentionality refers to acts done intentionally. Intentions center on plans of action with the
anticipation of possible outcomes. Forethought enables the person to anticipate the likely consequences of
prospective actions. Through the exercise of forethought, people are guided in their actions in the
anticipation of future events. Self-reactiveness involves making choices and choosing appropriate course
of action as well as motivating and regulating them. Self-reactiveness gives the person the ability to reflect
upon and the adequacy of his or her thoughts and actions. People are not only agents of action but also self-
examiners of their own functioning. Efficacy beliefs are the foundation of human agency. Self-efficacy
refers to the individual’s belief that he or she is capable to perform a task which influences whether he or
she will think pessimistically or optimistically and in ways that are self-enhancing or self-hindering.
Efficacy beliefs also play a central role in self-regulation which is the ability of an individual to control his
or her behavior without having to rely on others for help.

THE SELF AS THE CENTRAL ARCHETYPE

Central to Carl Jung’s theory of the self is the concept of archetypes. Basically, archetypes are the universal
models after which roles are patterned. The archetype represents the hidden potentialities of the psyche, or
total personality. Jung suggests that the psyche continues to develop throughout life, but the psyche starts
to show a definite form and content during adolescence. According to Jung, archetypes reside in the
personal unconscious (forgotten experiences) that is common to all human beings, known as the collective
unconscious. For Jung, there are four major archetypes: persona, shadow, animus/anima, and self. The
persona refers to social roles that individuals present to others. The shadow refers to the repressed thoughts
that are socially unacceptable. This archetype is often considered as the dark side of the psyche. The anima
is the feminine side of the male psyche while the animus is the masculine side of the female psyche. The
self is the central archetype that unites all parts of the psyche. The ego is the individual’s conscious
perception of the self.

SIGMUND FREUD’S CONSTRUCTION OF SELF AND PERSONALITY

According to Sigmund Freud, the dynamic forces within the self are many and in inevitable conflict. He
argues that the mind is composed of three structures through which personality is formed: the id, ego, and
superego. The id refers to the component of the personality characterized by its need to satisfy basic urges
and desires. Freud believes that the id is the pleasure-seeking side, impulsive, child-like, and demands
instant gratification. The ego refers to the I and operates on the reality principle and controls the id. The
ego can conform with existing societal consideration. The superego refers to the “conscience” and “moral
judge” of one’s conduct. Violation of rules leads to feelings of guilt. It strives for perfection rather than
pleasure. It appears that the id is the devil within the self, the superego is the angel, and ego is the person
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in the middle. The id, ego, and superego are often in conflict with each other. Freud uses the term “ego
strength” to refer to the ego’s ability to resolve the conflict between the three structures. If this constant
state of conflict is unresolved, personality problems may arise.

Id, Ego, and Superego

In Freud’s view, the id, ego, and superego develop in a series of stages. Freud calls these the psychosexual
stages of development that the individual must resolve so that he or she can successfully move on to the
next stage. Freud also believes that each stage has needs and that the dissatisfaction of needs may result in
fixation which could have lasting negative effects on one’s personality. The first stage is the oral stage,
which lasts from birth up to the first year of life. During this stage, babies derive pleasure from oral activities
like sucking and biting. Overindulgence of oral needs may lead to oral incorporative personality disorder
such as overeating, smoking, and alcoholism while dissatisfaction may lead to oral aggressive personality
disorder such as sarcasm and tactlessness. The next stage is the anal stage, which occurs around the second
year of life. During this stage, the child derives pleasure from the elimination of body wastes. Through
toilet training, the child learns the basic rules of society. Anal fixations can lead to anal retentive personality
disorder such as having obsession with cleanliness or anal expulsion personality disorder such as
clumsiness.

Freud calls the third stage the phallic stage which usually occurs around ages 3 and 6. Children during this
stage derive pleasure from examining, touching, fondling, or displaying their genitals. These behaviors are
likely motivated by curiosity about the differences between the anatomy of man and woman. Sex curiosity
will remain high during the elementary years and children will tend to ask questions regarding anatomical
structures, sex, and how babies are made. During this stage, parents and teachers need to properly educate
children about sexuality. Fixations at this stage may lead to abnormal sex behaviors in later life. The fourth
stage is the latency stage, which lasts from 7 to 12 years of age. At this stage, sexual energy is repressed
because children become occupied with school. The last stage is the genital stage, which starts from
adolescence to adulthood. During this stage, pleasure is again derived from the genital area and individuals
seek to satisfy their sexual drives from sexual relationships. Sexual problems may result as a consequence
of inappropriate sex behaviors.

THE ROLE OF ERIK ERIKSON’S THEORY IN UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

Another important aspect of self-understanding involves views on the identity development of the self. In
Erik Erickson’s theory, adolescence is a period of identity development. Identity formation is usually
viewed as a process that requires adolescents to distance themselves from the strong expectations and
definitions imposed by parents and other family members. To achieve an individual identity, one must
create a vision of the self that is authentic which is anchored on the meaning of his or her goals for the

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future sense of having hold of one’s destiny in an effort to reach goals that are personally meaningful
(Newman & Newman, 2009). Some of the ways adolescents try to establish their identity is through status
symbols such as having “state-of-the-art” mobile phones, designer bags and clothes, and other material
possessions.

Erikson’s theory that individuals go through eight psychosocial stages of development. While Erikson
believed that each stage is important, he gives particular emphasis on the development of the ego. The ego
is the positive force that contributes to identity formation and lays the foundation for certain strengths and
virtues in life such as hope, will, purpose, competence, fidelity, love, care, and wisdom. Each stage consists
of developmental tasks that one needs to accomplish to develop successfully. During each stage, an
individual also experiences life crises which could have negative consequences if not properly resolved.

Trust versus mistrust is the first psychosocial stage of development, occurring in the first year of life.
According to Erikson, the child will develop trust if he or she is properly cared for. If the child is not well-
cared for, mistrust is likely to develop. Autonomy versus doubt is the second stage of development,
occurring during the first three years of life. Autonomy means independence of thought and confidence to
think and act for oneself. Children began to assert their independence during this stage. Erikson states that
if parents allow their children to explore, they will become more confident and secure in their own abilities.
If children are overly protected, they may become overly dependent on their parents and feel a sense of
shame or doubt in their own abilities. Erikson believes that this stage has important implications in the
development of independence and identity during adolescence. Initiative versus guilt is Erikson’s third
stage of development, occurring around 3 to 5 years of age. During this period, developing a sense of
responsibility among children lead to the development of initiative. A child who is made to feel
irresponsible might develop feelings of guilt. Industry versus inferiority is the fourth stage of
development, occurring around elementary school years. During this stage, children face the task of
developing knowledge and skills usually taught in schools. When children are encouraged in their efforts,
they will develop a sense of industry. However, children who receive little or no encouragement from
parents and teachers will doubt their own abilities and are likely to develop inferiority.

The fifth psychosocial stage, identity formation versus identity confusion, takes place during
adolescence. At this stage, adolescents face the task of finding out who they are, what are they, and what
they want in life. They are confronted with many roles and responsibilities. If parents provide proper
support, adolescents will develop positive identity. If they are not adequately supported, they will feel
insecure and identity confusion will likely develop. Intimacy versus isolation occurs during early
adulthood when people explore personal relationships. During this sixth stage of development, Erikson
believes it is vital that people develop intimate relationships with others. Those who are successful in this
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stage will likely form relationships that are stable and successful. Inability to develop intimate relationships
during this stage will lead to mistrust and isolation. Generativity versus stagnation is the seventh stage of
development which occurs during middle adulthood. Generativity involves a person’s desire to contribute
to the world by teaching, leading, and guiding the next generation and doing activities that will benefit the
community. Developing a sense of generativity is important during this stage. Those who fail to attain this
generativity will feel worthless. Integrity versus despair is the final psychosocial stage which occurs
during old age and is focused on self-reflection in one’s life. At this stage, individuals reflect on the
important events of their lives. If they are satisfied and proud of their accomplishments, they will feel a
sense of integrity. Those who are unsuccessful in this stage will feel that their life has been wasted and will
experience regrets and despair.

DISCOVER
1. The I-Self refers to the self that knows who he or she is. The Me-Self refers to the person’s personal
experiences and is further divided into sub-categories: material self, social self, and spiritual self.
2. According to Rogers, the real self consists of all the ideas, including the awareness of what one is
and what can do. The ideal self is the person’s conception of what one should be or what one aspires
to be which includes one’s goals and ambitions in life.
3. The function of the false self is to hide and protect the true self.
4. People are viewed as proactive agents of experiences. Efficacy beliefs are the foundation of human
agency.
5. The self is the central archetype that unites all parts of the psyche. The ego is the individual’s
conscious perception of the self.
6. Freud makes a distinction among the three components of the personality: id, ego, and superego.
7. In Erik Erikson’s theory. To achieve an individual identity, one must create a vision of the self that
is authentic

References:
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF, (Ma. Joycelyn A. Go-Monilla * Normaliza C. Ramirez)
www.dogtrainingobedienceschool.com
www.meme-arsenal.com
www.bsa-la.org

Prepared by: Checked by:

Arnold C. Eugenio Ferman Lazatin

CAS Faculty Program Head
Department of Humanities
and Social Sciences

Noted by:

Dr. Marietta B. Agustin

Dean
College of Arts and Sciences

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