The Self as

Cognitive
Construct

KIMBERLY ANN S. CANTILERO

Lesson Objectives:

1. Identify the different ideas in psychology about the self;

2. Create your own definition of the “self” based on the
definitions from psychology; and
3. Analyze the effects of various factors identified in
psychology in the formation of the “self”.
Introduction

As discussed in the previous lessors, every field of study, at least in

the social sciences, have their own research, definition, and
conceptualization of the self and identity. Some are similar while
some specific only in their field. Each field also has thousands of
research on self and identity as well as related on synonymous
terms. This lesson provides an overview of the themes of
psychology regarding the said concept.
William James (1890)

“I” and “Me”

WILLIAM JAMES (1890)
– According to him, the self has 2 aspects;

1) "I" - the thinking, acting and feeling self;

2) "ME" - the physical characteristics as well as
psychological capabilities that makes who you are.
(Gleitman, Gross, and Reisberg 2011; Hogg and Vaughan 2010)
Carl Rogers (1959)

Identity and Self - Concept

CARL ROGERS (1959)
– He introduced the “Theory of Personality” whereas;
1. "I" - the one who acts and decides.
2. "ME" - what you think or feel about yourself as an
object.
(Gleitman, Gross and Reisberg 2011)
Other concept similar to self are IDENTITY AND
SELF CONCEPT.

– IDENTITY - composed of personal characteristics,

social roles and responsibilities.

– SELF-CONCEPT - what basically comes to your

mind when you are asked about who you are.
(Oyserman , Elmore and Smith 2012)
SELF-SCHEMA
– Carl Rogers's idea.
– This is our organized system or collection of
knowledge about who we are.

(Gleitman, Gross, and Reisberg 2011; Jhangiani and

Tarry 2014)
Sigmund Freud

Id, Ego, and Superego

 FREUD’S PERSONALITY THEORY

ID EGO SUPERE
GO
PLEASURE REALITY PRINCIPLE MORAL PRINCIPLE
PRINCIPLE
PRESENT AT BIRTH MODIFIED BY INCORPORATES
DIRECT INFLUENCE VALUES AND
OF THE EXTERNAL MORALS OF
WORLD SOCIETY
UNCONSCIOUS SEEKS PLEASURE CONTROL ID’S
AND AVOID PAIN IMPULSES
G.H. Mead (1934)

Human Interaction
 THEORY OF SYMBOLIC
INTERACTIONISM
– According to G.H. Mead(1934),that self is created and developed through
human interaction.
There are three reasons why self and identity are social products.
(Oyserman,Elmore and Smith 2012)
First, society helped in creating the foundations of who we are
Second, we need others to affirm and reinforce who we think we are.
Third, what we think in important to us may also have been influenced by what
is important in our social or historical context.
Carver and Scheier (1981)

Self - Awareness
 SELF-AWARENESS

TWO TYPES OF SELF THAT WE CAN BE

AWARE OF:

1.PUBLIC SELF - commonly geared toward having a good presentation of

yourself to others.

2.PRIVATE SELF - internal standards and private feelings and thoughts.

 THREE OTHER SELF SCHEMA
– ACTUAL SELF- Who you are at the moment.

– IDEAL SELF - Who you like to be.

– OUGHT SELF - Who you think should be.

 SELF-AWARENESS may be…

It can help you from Self-consciousness

doing something occurs.
DANGEROUS.
Jhangiani and Tarry (2014)

Social Comparison
Theory
 "I am who I am"
(Jhangiani and Tarry 2014)

SELF
– the sense of personal identity and of who we are as individuals.
SOCIAL COMPARISON
THEORY
– Help us to learn about ourselves, the appropriateness of
our behaviors and our social status by comparing
aspects of ourselves with other people.
(Jhangiani and Tarry 2014;Hogg and Vaughan 2010)
– Entails SELF EVALUATION MAINTENANCE THEORY
- It is when we feel threatened when someone
outperform us, especially when that person is close to
us. (Tesser 1988; Jhangiani and Tarry 2014;Glitman )
 WE REACT IN THREE WAYS

– 1 We DISTANT ourselves or we REDEFINE our relationship

with them.
– 2 We RECONSIDER the importance of the aspect or skill
which you were outperformed.
– 3 We STRENGTHEN our RESOLVE to improve that certain
aspect of ourselves.
 TWO TYPES OF SOCIAL COMPARISON
(Jhangiani and Tarry 2014;Glitman )

UPW Comparing Comparing

ARD ourselves to those ourselves to those
who are BETTER who are WORSE off DOW
off than us than us
NWA
RD
Baumeister, Smart, and Boden (1996)

Self - Esteem
 DEINDIVIDUATION
– Loss of individual of self awareness and individual accountability in group.
(Festinger, Pepitone, Newcomb 1952;Zim Bardo 1969;Jhangiani and Tarry 2014)
– It occurs because LARGE crowd provides ANONYMITY

SELF-ESTEEM
– Own positive or negative perception or evaluation of ourselves.
(Jhangiani and Tarry 2014;Glitman Gross and Reisberg 2011)
 ORGANIZED CHART

Hobbies
Religion

SELF
Nationality
Family
QUIZ
1.The one who conceptualized the self as having
two aspects.
2-3. What are the two aspects of self?
4. It is composed of personal characteristics, social
roles and responsibilities.
5. The one who captured the concept of self –
schema.
QUIZ
6. It is what basically comes to your mind when
you are asked about who you are.
7-8. What are the two types of self that we can be
aware of according to Hogg and Vaughan.
9. It is comparing ourselves with others.
10. It is a trait characterized by overly high self-
esteem or self-admiration and self-centeredness.
APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT
Instruction: Discuss each part of the diagram
reflecting to your life.
HOBBIES

FAMILY
SELF RELIGION

NATIONALITY
APPLIATION AND ASSESSMENT

Do a research and list ten (10) things to boost your self-esteem or improve your
self-concept. Cite your sources. Analyze which of those tips are moe likely to
backfire and make someone conceited or narcissistic and revise them to make the
statements both helpful to the individual as ell as society in general.