UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

1ST SEMESTER - PRELIMS

personality of an individual.” On the other hand,

THE SELF IN DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES
the term self refers to “the person that someone
normally or truly is.. or the entire person of an
● The consciousness of the existence of the self has
individual.”
been almost automatic or reflexive. Thus, people
● The definitions provided suggest that the
are almost unaware of it. In our everyday lives, we
distinction that separates the two fall on the
are constantly acknowledging it.
social representation of the term (i.e., known to
● Three Scholars (i.e., theorists, scientists, and
others or only known to oneself).
philosophers) in different fields have attempted to
● Identity distinguishes or compares one from
explain and thoroughly expound on several issues
another, while the self refers to the total
and controversies about the nature, existence,
characteristics or qualities of a person known and
and dimensionality of self. The most prevalent
unknown to others (but known to oneself).
problems with self are nature vs. nurture, identity
vs. self, and dimensionalities of the self.
DIMENSIONALITIES OF SELF/IDENTITY

NATURE VS. NURTURE ● A person’s identity is highlighted by a dominant

trait that makes them distinguishable from others.
● Some insist that the self is predominantly a
● For example, a situation where you are trying to
product of natural processes to which people are
describe a person (whose name you cannot
inherently predisposed. The natural basis of the
recall). You will find yourself thinking of remarkable
self is anchored on biology and explains that
traits that make others identify or even guess who
human traits are passed from one generation to
you are talking about. You may describe that
another. These transmitted traits serve as a
person using physical attributes (e.g., tall, dark, fat,
blueprint of the self and predispose one to certain
etc.).
self-expressions (e.g., attitude, behavior,
● However, this attempt may be unsuccessful
tendencies, etc.).
because, in many instances, the physical
● The self is studied structurally and functionally,
descriptions you give can also be seen in other
from the molecular level to the entirety of human
people unless the physical description is unique
physiological systems.Genetics, for example,
and specific to that person (e.g., the tallest guy in
contributes so much information about the
the school, around 7 ft).
descriptions of the self. This field of biology
● In most cases, a person’s identity can be best
primarily deals with heredity as a process, as well
depicted using certain traits that would set them
as with the characterizations of organisms.
apart from others (e.g., the most arrogant, the
● The other side, meanwhile, argues that the self
most timid, the noisiest, etc.). Unfortunately,
should be principally viewed as an outcome of
describing a person in the “average” category will
various nurturing factors in one’s life. Different
be difficult. As the term implies, average connotes
social sciences stress how group life affects an
that one is just like everybody else in the group. In
individual’s behavior and attitude and emphasize
this case, several observable traits should be
the impact of various social institutions on the
combined to effectively describe the person (e.g.,
self.
the tall and dark guy in the class with a regional
● one can safely assume that the self is a product
accent.. and dressed up like...).
of nature and nurture.

IDENTITY VS. SELF

● Terms “self” and “identity” have been loosely

interchanged in various literatures. These two are
often perceived as synonymous.
● The two concepts are distinct and can be
delineated. Merriam-Webster Dictionary of the
term identity: “the qualities, beliefs, etc., that make
a particular person or group different from
others... or the distinguishing character or THE PHILOSOPHICAL SELF
● Philosophy has always sought to answer life’s
difficult questions and has relentlessly pursued
answers to these, no matter how seemingly futile
the quest may be. This chapter presents various
philosophers offering multiple perspectives on the
self.
● The philosophical quest aims to unravel who man
is and his nature by looking not just at the
everyday goals of man but to determine what
ultimately is man, his dreams, and his essence.
SOCRATES
● 469-399 BCE
● “Know thyself.”
● Known as the market philosopher because of his
penchant for engaging youths in philosophizing in
public markets
● He reminds us to “know thyself,” which posits that if
a person knows who they are, all fundamental
issues and difficulties in life will vanish, and
everything will be clearer and simpler. One could
now act according to their definition of the self
without doubt and contradiction.
● Socrates held the question of who a man is in such
high esteem that he also said, “An unexamined life
is not worth living”. Here, there is an urgent call to
examine one’s life, for it is in the examination that
we can know ourselves.
● He believed that man has a soul – which is divine,
immortal, intelligible, uniform, indissoluble, and
ever self-consistent and invariable – and a body –
which is human, mortal, multiform, unintelligible,
dissoluble, and inconsistent.
● This differential establishes the superiority of the
soul over the body. For him, there was a soul first
before man’s body. Man’s existence was first in the
realm of ideas and exists as a soul or pure mind.
This soul has knowledge by direct intuition, which
is stored in his mind.
● knowledge can be restored through the process of
the dialectic method, also known as the Socratic
method – a sort of intellectual midwifery trying to
coax knowledge out of man.
● This process is an exchange of questions and
answers that ultimately aims to make the person
remember all the knowledge they have forgotten,
including their former omniscient self. Answers will
always be subjective, and there is no right or
wrong answer to the questions posited by
Socrates. The quality and quantity of answers
depend on the person answering these basic
inquiries, and one’s subsequent actions are best
understood on how one defines oneself, thus the
constant reminder to “know thyself.”
● Self-knowledge, for Socrates, means knowing
one’s degree of understanding about the world
and one’s capabilities and potentials.
● Therefore, the self is achieved and not just
discovered, something to work on and not a
product of a mere realization. For him, possession
of knowledge is a virtue, and ignorance is a vice.
He argued that a person’s acceptance of
ignorance is a springboard for the acquisition of
knowledge later on.
● So, one must first have the humility to
acknowledge ignorance to acquire knowledge.
PLATO
● 427-347 BCE
● “Thinking – the talking of the soul with itself.”
● A Greek philosopher who was a student of
Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle, Plato
produced a substantial body of work that became
the basis for Western thought.
● Plato was one of the first philosophers who
believed in an enduring self that the soul
represents. He argued that the soul is eternal and
constitutes the enduring self because the soul
continues to exist even after death.
● An important part of his philosophy is the
dichotomy of the ideal world or the world of forms
– the permanent, unchanging reality – and the
material world - the constantly changing
representation. The material world is what we see
around us; for Plato, this is just a replica of the real
world found in the world of Forms.
● This dichotomy is reflected in his idea of the nature
of man. He believed that human beings are
composed of a body and a soul. The soul is the
true self -the permanent, unchanging self. The
changing body, however, is not the real self but a
replica of our true self. This is why it constantly
changes- getting older, changing shape, etc. The
body is seen as some prison. We can free
ourselves from the imprisonment of our bodily
senses through contemplation. Contemplation
entails communion of the mind with universal and
eternal ideas. We continue to exist even in the
absence of our bodies because we are Souls only.
RENE DESCARTES
● 1596
● “I think; therefore I am”
● This Frenchman was considered the Father of
Modern Philosophy and a brilliant mathematician
(Cartesian Geometry).
● “I think, therefore, I am,” also known as “Cogito
DAVID HUME
ergo sum”, emphasizes the consciousness of his
mind, which leads to evidence of his existence ● 1711 - 1776
even though he doubts the existence of ● “There is no self.”
everything. In other words, the existence of ● there is no stable thing called the self, for the self is
anything that you register from your senses can a complex set of successive impressions or
be questioned. One can always challenge the perceptions.
certainty of things, but the very fact that one ● the soul as a product of the imagination. No
doubts cannot be doubted. primordial substance houses the self, and any
● For Descartes, the mind and the body are concept of the self is simply memory and
separate and very distinct from one another, but imagination. What you think and what you feel
he also believes that the mind is conjoined with constitute what you are at this very moment.
the body in such an intimate way that they ● The existence of the mind and what’s inside the
causally act upon each other. mind is divided into two: impressions and ideas.
● The self, for Descartes, is nothing else but a - Impressions are those things we perceive
mind-body dichotomy. Thought (mind) always through our senses as we experience
precedes action (body). Humans think first about them
doing something and then do it. The thought sets - ideas are those we create in our minds
the direction for human actions, but humans are even though we are no longer
always free to choose. experiencing them.
● Descartes believed the self is “a thinking thing or a ● Hume argues that he finds a stream of
substance whose whole essence or nature is impressions and ideas when he looks into his
merely thinking.” He also reassured that the self is mind, but no impression corresponding to a self
different from the body. Hence, self and body exist that endures through time. The self keeps
but differ in existence and reality. The self is a changing, like how one looks, feels, and thinks –
feature not of the body but of the mind and, thus, they constantly change.
a mental substance rather than a physical ● An “enduring self” is just a fiction produced by our
substance. imagination. “I” will constantly change because
the different experiences one has for every
JOHN LOCKE constant change will affect and reshape that
person. Thus, we cannot observe any permanent
● 1634-1704
self because we continuously change.
● “What worries you, masters you.”
● this English philosopher thinks our identity is not
IMMANUEL KANT
only locked in the mind, soul, or body.
● the concept of a person’s memory in the definition ● 1724 - 1804
of the self. He subscribes to the memory theory ● “Dare to know!”
that holds that we are the same person as we ● German philosopher theorized that
were in the past for as long as we can remember ● consciousness is formed by one's inner and outer
something from that past. The idea is that as long sense.
as we have overlapping memories, we are the - inner sense is comprised of one's
same person. That memory makes you aware of psychological state and intellect.
your existence. You are connected to that past for - outer sense consists of one's senses and
as long as you and another person can remember the physical world.
that and still be mindful of the present. ● Consciousness of oneself and of one's
● For Locke, consciousness is the perception of what psychological state as empirical
passes in a man’s mind. self-consciousness.
● He concluded that personal identity is not in the ● One must be phenomenally conscious to be
brain but in one’s consciousness. He supports that aware of something in the inner sense.
consciousness can be transferred from one ● Consciousness of oneself and of one's state via
substance (body and soul) to another. acts of apperception is called transcendental
● the notion of tabula rasa – a concept that posits apperception.
everyone started as a blank slate, and the content - comes from the outer sense, and allows
is provided by one’s experiences over time. one to synthesize or make sense of a
unified object. It makes experience
 possible and allows the self and the world
to come together.
● The self is not an object located in one's
consciousness with other subjects. The self itself is
a subject. It is an organizing principle that makes a
coherent experience possible by using
faculties of the mind to synthesize sensations into
a unified whole.
● In refuting Hume’s idea about an enduring self not
existing, he stressed that self is something real, yet
it is neither an appearance nor a thing in itself
since it belongs to a different metaphysical class.
● Kant believes that man is a free agent, capable of
making a decision for himself.
SIGMUND FREUD
● 1856 - 1939
● “The ego is not the master in its own house.”
● This Austrian neurologist’s contribution
psychology, the Psychoanalytic Theory, led to
another understanding of the philosophy of the
mind. One of his famous ideas was the tripartite
division of man’s mind – the id, ego, and superego.
- Id has existed since birth, pertaining to
instinct.It operates on the hedonistic or
pleasure principle seeking immediate
gratification and avoiding pain. It serves
as a storeroom of wishes and obsessions
related to sexual and aggressive desires.
It ignores reality, harmony, common
sense, and reason. This structure does not
recognize good or evil, laws or rules,
morality or beliefs. An egoistic, coarse,
and barbaric brute emerges if it is
dominant.
- Ego operates according to the reality
principle. It is developed by
individual’s experiences and adheres to
the principles of reason and logic. The ego
ensures the continuous existence and
protection of the individual. If the ego is
successful, it produces a brilliant, creative,
and emotionally-balanced individual.
- Superego is the last layer to develop. It
operates according to the morality
principle. Superego is the reservoir of
moral standards. It ensures compliance
with society’s norms, values,
standards. If the superego is dominant, a
law-abiding, morally upright, god-fearing,
and socially acceptable individual
appears.
- If the ego behaves, then the superego
wins. If ego misbehaves, then Id won. This
battle occurs in the subconscious, and the
realm of the ego is found in the conscious.
GILBERT RYLE
the ● 1900 - 1976
● “I act; therefore I am.”
● A British philosopher, supported the basic notions
of behavioristic psychology. His theory is called
logical behaviorism or analytical behaviorism –
a theory of mind that states that mental concepts
can be understood through observable events.
● the properties of a person are better understood
as adjectives modifying a body than as nouns
(objects) parallel to it. Kindness, for example, is not
a thing that exists apart from and parallel to the
body but rather a collection of properties a body
has. Kindness includes properties such as being
generous, humble, courteous, loyal, and honest.
to Someone who never exhibited these traits would
not be called kind, and anyone considered kind
exhibits some of these traits.
● The self is the way people behave.
● For Descartes, the mind is a non-physical entity
within the body, producing human behavior. This,
to Ryle, is the error because a talk about the mind
is simply a talk about behavior. The mind is not
distinct from the body but refers to certain aspects
of our bodies. The separation of mind/soul and
body could be possible, but this is hardly the case
in practice. The only way we can know how the
mind works is through the person’s behavior;
hence we can only know a person through how
one behaves, tendencies, and reactions in certain
circumstances.
PAUL & PATRICIA CHURCHLAND
the
● 1942 - 1943
● “The self is the brain.”
● American neuroscientists Paul and Patricia
Churchland introduced eliminative materialism –
a radical claim that ordinary, common sense
understanding of the mind is deeply wrong and
that some or all of the mental states posited by
common sense do not exist. For them, it is false to
claim that folk psychology, or common sense
psychology, is the capacity to explain people’s
and. mental states.
● It becomes clear to Churchland that the term
“mind”, our moods, emotions, actions, and
consciousness, are deeply affected by the state of
our brain. Our feelings, actions, and physical state
are successfully altered by manipulating certain
parts of our brains.
 MAURICE MERLEAU - PONTY

● 1908 - 1961
● A French phenomenological philosopher,
distinguished the body into two types: the
subjective body, as lived and experienced, and
the objective body, as observed and scientifically
investigated.
● For him, these two are not different bodies. The
former is the body as-it-is-lived. He regarded the
self as embodied subjectivity. It sees human
beings neither as disembodied minds (existing
without body) nor as complex machines but as
living creatures whose subjectivity SOCIOLOGY
(consciousness) is actualized in the forms of their
● The scientific study of human life, social groups,
physical involvement with the world.
whole societies and the human world whose
● For him, a person is defined by movement and
subject matter is our own behavior as social
expression. To be a self is to be more than one’s
beings in relationship with many other people
body. It includes everything I will do with my body,
● Culture then is the melting point of anthropology
how I will act on it, and how I will make it work with
and sociology in understanding
other human beings.
● The self is grounded on the experiences from the
NORMS
past, the possibilities for the future, and the
present cognition. ● Social, behavioral, or cultural guidelines that
● The self is a product of our conscious human define what is considered acceptable and
experience. The definition of self is all about one’s appropriate
perception of one’s experience and the ● They dictate our behavior in the society
interpretation of those experiences. He opposed ● Can be explicit or implicit and are often learned
the dualist account of subjectivity. Mind and body through observation, socialization, and
are essentially correlated, and it is only possible to interactions with others.
understand subjectivity by considering this ● Creates a sense of order, cohesion, and
essential correlation. He also opposed the predictability within a group
Cartesian cogito. For him, consciousness is both
perceiving and engaging. CULTURE

● Made up of all the ideas, beliefs, behaviors, and

THE SOCIOLOGICAL SELF
products common to, and defining a group's way
of life.
ANTHROPOLOGY ● Defines a groups way of living, our actions then as
part of the group are supposed to be understood
● The inclusive study of the human race, its culture
based on our cultural context
and society, and its physical development.
● "Man created a culture on his own, altered it, and
COMPONENTS OF CULTURE
always has the power to change it as he deems it
fit."
MATERIAL CULTURE
● Culture is as dynamic as how humanity want
would want it to be
● Consists of human technology
● Everything we see is part
● Physical manifestation of culture
● The goods we buy products we use
● "Culture is very much dynamic. It changes from
time to time"
 others and place themselves in their roles to
NON-MATERIAL CULTURE
appreciate their particular role.
● Inclusive of the intangible human creations that
include beliefs, values, norms and symbols I AND ME
● Culture Affects Perception
● The self is a social process between the I and Me.
- "Isn't that too provocative*
● The “I” is the phase of the self that is unsocialized
- That's too much clothing?
and spontaneous. It is the subjective and acting
- Must be uncomfortable"
part of the self, an immediate response to others. It
allows the individual to express creativity and
SOCIAL SELF BY GEORGE HERBET MEAD
individualism still and understand when to bend
● 1863 - 1931 and stretch the rules that govern social
● The self is developed as one grows and ages and interactions possibly. It represents the self that is
is constructed by directly engaging in the world free and unique.
through interaction and reflections on those ● The “Me”, on the other hand, represents the
interactions. conventional and objective part of the self, which
● For the interaction to prosper, each person results from the progressive stages of role-playing
involved must correctly interpret the meanings of or role-taking and the perspective one assumes to
symbols and the intentions of others. It can only view and analyze one’s behaviors. It represents
succeed by the existence of common symbols but learned behaviors, attitudes, and expectations of
is accomplished through role-playing. others and society from the social interactions
- the process in which one takes on the role that the individual has experienced.
of another by putting oneself in the
position of the person with whom they GENERALIZED OTHER
interact.
● He described it as an organized community or
- By putting oneself in the position of others,
social group which gives the individual their unity
one can reflect upon oneself.
of self.
● The idea of self can only be created if the
● The attitude of the generalized other is the attitude
individual can get outside in such a way that they
of the community as a whole. At the macro-level,
can become an object to oneself.
it is considered that the self then becomes aware
● One must be conscious of oneself from the
at this stage of the cultural values, norms,
standpoint of others.
traditions, and beliefs, acting in consideration of
● Therefore, developing the concept of “self” lies in
everything that the society holds dear.
the ability “to wear other people’s shoes.”
● Since an individual sees themself as a member of
the group, their actions and decisions tend to be
DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF SELF
carefully analyzed so that it would mirror societal
The self is not inborn. Babies cannot interpret the meaning goals and values.
of other people’s behavior. It is usually learned during
LOOKING GLASS SELF BY CHARLES HORTON
childhood, which comes in the developmental stages of
the self: COOLEY
1. The preparatory stage (imitation), is where a
● 1864 - 1929
child imitates their parents’ behavior even when
● The self is developed as a result of one’s
they don't understand the meaning behind the
perceptions of other people’s opinions.
actions.
● We learn who we are through our interaction with
2. The play stage (significant symbols) involves the
others
child playing the role of others. In doing these, they
● the self, an individual’s awareness of one’s social
become aware that there is a difference between
or personal identity, is a social development.
themself and the role that they are playing.
● The self is built through social interaction, which
Symbols allow to communicate with others using
involves three steps:
gestures, words, and objects
- first, people imagine how they must
3. The game stage (Taking Role Of The Other) is
appear to others;
where the child comes to see themselves from the
- second, they imagine the judgment on
perspective of other people. To play the game, the
that appearance;
child must be aware of their relationship with
 - and finally, they develop themselves by ● Social identity theory states that the in-group will
assessing others. discriminate against the out-group to enhance its
● The concept of the looking-glass self provides an self-image.
idea of how the self develops in relation to the ● Tajfel and Turner identified three mental processes
perception of others. It should serve only as a involved in evaluating others as “us” or “them” (i.e.,
guide for reflection and should be taken to avoid in-group and out-group).
ending up living following other people’s - social categorization - People also
expectations. categorize other people to identify and
understand the social environment. With
PRIVATE, PUBLIC AND COLLECTIVE SELF BY HARRY this, people learn things about themselves
TRIANDIS by knowing their category.
- social identification - After learning their
● 1926 - 2019
category, people adopt the identity of the
● Private self, or individual self, is the cognition that
group they have categorized themselves
involves traits, states, and behaviors. It is an
with.
assessment of the self by the self. It shows one’s
- social comparison - after classifying
knowledge of attributes that differentiate them
themselves as part of the group and
from others.
identifying with it, they tend to compare
● Public self is the cognition concerning the
that group with others. Here they might
generalized others view of the self. It corresponds
begin to discriminate and criticize the
to an assessment of the self by the generalized
other groups.
other. It shows one’s relationship with others and
the role one assumes in that relationship. ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE SELF BY BRIAN MORRIS
● Collective self is the cognition concerning a view
of the self found in memberships in social groups ● 1936 - Present
(e.g., family, co-workers, tribe). For instance, a ● The self is not an entity but a process
person may be identified as a feminist. Attributes orchestrating an individual’s experience. As a
of being a feminist similar to other feminists are result, a person becomes self-aware and
emphasized, forming the collective self. self-reflective about their place in the surrounding
world.
SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY BY HENRY TAJFEL & ● “self” is defined as an individual’s mental
WILLIAM SUMNER representation of their person as
self-representation.
● 1919 - 1982
● “other” refers to how one perceives the mental
● Social identity has been defined as the person’s
representations of others.
sense of who they are according to their
membership in a particular group.
DIALOGICAL SELF BY HUBERT HERMANS
● According to the social identity theory, group
membership is an essential source of pride and ● 1935 - Present
self-esteem. It gives a sense of social identity--a ● an individual’s sense of self is established by
sense of belongingness to the social world. In this identifying oneself with the different positions they
view, the world is divided into “us” and “them” hold, internally or externally to themselves.
through the process of social categorization and - internal I-position refers to how one
forming social groups. functions in oneself,
● These social groups developed by William Graham - external I-position refers to how one
Sumner are further divided into the in-group and identifies themselves based on particular
out-group. external factors.
- An in-group is an esteemed social group ● The dialogic self approach calls for the I-positions
commanding a member’s loyalty. It is a to come in contact with each other – to be in a
group to which a person belongs. dialogue with one another for an individual to
- an out-group is a scorned social group to become fully aware of the different dimensions
which one feels competition or opposition. that constitute their self.
A group to which a person does not ● This approach is designed to stimulate the
belong. conversations between the internal and external
positions of the self.

SATURATED SELF BY KENNETH GERGEN
● 1935 - Present
● the saturated self is characterized by constant
connection to others.
● people establish multiple selves by absorbing the
numerous voices of people in their lives, either in
real life or through the media.
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SELF
● The self can be defined in many ways in different
contexts. In this process, the self is perceived
through how one sees and understands
themselves.
HUMANISTIC THEORY BY CARL ROGERS
● 1902 - 1970
● that the self does not exist at birth; it is developed
gradually during childhood, wherein one
differentiates the self from the non-self.
● considered the self as the center of experience.
According to him, the self is one’s ongoing sense
of who and what they are and how and why they
respond to the environment.
REAL SELF
● is who an individual is intrinsically.
● how one thinks, feels, looks, and acts.
● The real self is one’s self-image.
IDEAL SELF
● is the perception of what a person would like to be
or thinks they would be.
● an idealized image that has developed over time
based on the influence of the environment and the
people one interacts with.
According to Rogers, when your real and ideal selves are
similar, you experience congruence. High congruence
leads to greater self-worth and a healthy, productive life.
When there is a great inconsistency between your ideal
and real selves or if the way you are is not aligned with
what you want to be, then you experience a state Rogers
called incongruence. This could lead to maladjustment –
the inability to react successfully and satisfactorily to the
demands of one’s environment.
Self Concept
● is the totality of a complex, organized, and
dynamic system of learned beliefs, attitudes, and
opinions each person holds to be true about their
existence.
● Rogers believed that the self is composed of
concepts unique to every individual. Self-concept
includes three components:
1. Self-worth or self-esteem - is what one
thinks about oneself, which develops in
the early childhood stage resulting from
the child’s interaction with the parents.
2. Self-image - is how one sees the self,
including body image’s influence on inner
personality.
3. Ideal self - is the person that one wants to
be.
TRUE AND FALSE SELF BY DONALD WOODS
WINNICOTT
● 1896 - 1971
● that the healthy core of a healthy person’s true self
is hidden from the outside world, uninfluenced by
external (harsh) realities.
FALSE SELF
● The false self is put up to defend the core from
these realities and prevent it from any changes.
● self is the product of early experience.
● It is a defensive organization formed by the infant
because of inadequate mothering or failures in
empathy.
● false self develops when the child is constantly
expected to follow the rules.
● The false self is a mask or a persona, a form of
defense that continually seeks to anticipate
others’ demands and comply with them to protect
the true self from a world that is felt unsafe.
- The healthy false self feels that it is still
connected with the true self. Thus, it can
be compliant without feeling guilty that it
abandoned its true self.
- unhealthy false self - This individual may
seem happy and comfortable in their
environment but feels forced to fit in and
constantly needs to adjust their behavior
to adapt to the social situation.
TRUE SELF
● the true self as a sense of self based on
“spontaneous, authentic experience.”
● self is a sense of being alive and real in one’s mind
and body, having spontaneous and unforced
feelings. This experience of aliveness allows people
to be genuinely close to others and be creative.
 AGENTIC THEORY OF THE SELF BY ALBERT
BANDURA

● 1925 - 2021
● To be an agent means to be capable of
intentionally influencing one’s own functionality
and life circumstances.
● An agent recognizes their ability to make life
decisions.
● Self Efficacy
● The agentic theory of the self rejects the notion
that selfhood is culturally influenced or controlled
by urges; rather, it looks upon every human being
as capable of thinking, deciding, foreseeing, and
managing their actions, free to decide for
themselves. Bandura terms this capability as
human agency. An individual can exert influence
throughout their actions. there are four core
properties of human agency.
- intentionality, is manifested in how an
individual forms intentions with action
plans and strategies to realize them.
- forethought, refers to how individuals
position their goals in the future and
visualize themselves in a future state of
existence, ensuring that plans can
anticipate possible opportunities or
roadblocks.
- self-reactiveness, agents are planners,
forethinkers, and self-regulators. This
includes adopting personal standards,
constructing appropriate courses of
action, monitoring activities, and
regulating them using self-reactions.
- self-reflection, signifies that people can
self-examine their functioning. They
reflect on their life pursuits, the meaning
of the actions they take to accomplish
these pursuits, their thoughts, and
personal efficacy.