Psychological Self

Understanding the Self C31

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the chapter, the students are expected to:
1. describe the sense of self in the psychological perspective
2. differentiate the basic aspect of ME-self and I-self
3. understand the difference between REAL self and IDEAL self
4. contrast TRUE self from FALSE self
5. demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing the development of one’s
psychological self and identity by developing a Theory of the Self

MAJOR PERSPECTIVES OF PSYCHOLOGY

1. Psychodynamic Perspective
2. Behavioral Perspective
3. Cognitive Perspective
4. Humanistic Perspective
5. Neuroscience Perspective

 Psychodynamic (Psychoanalytic Perspective)

- Psychodynamic perspective is an approach emphasizing the interaction of the
emotional and motivational forces that affect behavior and mental states, especially
on a subconscious level
- Psychoanalysis a psychological theory and therapeutic method developed by
Sigmund Freud, based on the ideas that mental life functions on both conscious and
unconscious levels and that childhood events have a powerful psychological influence
throughout life.
- Psychodynamic theory states that events in our childhood have a great influence on
our adult lives, shaping our personality. Events that occur in childhood can remain in
the unconscious, and cause problems as adults.
 Neuroscience Perspective
- The neuroscience/biological perspective relates to the way that people act in terms of
how they came to be. With this perspective, genetics in the human body affect the
way that they react to certain situations or the way that they act in different situations.
This means that the genetics that have been passed down to that individual as a result
of their parents will influence the way that they act throughout their entire life.
 Behavioral Perspective

- According to the behavioral perspective, the way we behave and learn can be
explained through our interactions with the environment. Our actions are always
responses to stimuli, which either occur naturally or because of a learned response.
- behavior is but a response, behaviorism also suggests that anyone can learn to
perform any action with the right conditioning. Instead of attributing talents, skills, or
behaviors to genetics, personality, or cognition, behaviorists believe them to be
simply a product of conditioning.
- BEHAVIOR: (CONDITIONING) MANNERISM, HOW AN UNIQUE
INDIVIDUAL REACTS IN A GIVEN SITUATION
 Classical conditioning involves associating an involuntary response and a stimulus, while
operant conditioning is about associating a voluntary behavior and a consequence.

 In operant conditioning, the learner is also rewarded with incentives, while classical
conditioning involves no such enticements. Also, remember that classical conditioning is
passive on the part of the learner, while operant conditioning requires the learner to
actively participate and perform some type of action in order to be rewarded or punished.

 For operant conditioning to work, the subject must first display a behavior that can then
be either rewarded or punished. Classical conditioning, on the other hand, involves
forming an association with some sort of already naturally occurring event.

Examples:
 In animal conditioning, a trainer might utilize classical conditioning by repeatedly pairing
the sound of a clicker with the taste of food. Eventually, the sound of the clicker alone
will begin to produce the same response that the taste of food would.

 In a classroom setting, a teacher might utilize operant conditioning by offering tokens as

rewards for good behavior. Students can then turn in these tokens to receive some type of
reward, such as a treat or extra playtime. In each of these instances, the goal of
conditioning is to produce some sort of change in behavior.
 Cognitive Perspective

- Cognition is defined as 'the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and

understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.
 ELEMENTS IN COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

 Humanistic Perspective

- The humanistic perspective is a way of evaluating an individual as a whole, rather

than looking at them only through a smaller aspect of their person. It is a branch of
psychology that relates to the idea of being entirely unique and your own individual.
- Humanistic psychology is a perspective that emphasizes looking at the whole person,
and the uniqueness of each individual.
- Humanistic psychology begins with the existential assumptions that people have free
will and are motivated to achieve their potential and self-actualize.
 The Self as a Psychological Construct according to Selected Psychologists

- The cornerstone of human behavior is the SELF.

- In psychology, the Self is defined as the way a person thinks and perceives his or her
traits, beliefs, and purposes in the environment he or she lives in.
- SELF: It is our sense of personal identity of who we are as individuals.

 William James' duality theory of self

- could be categorized into the self as an agent that observes, which is referred to as the
perceiver, the "I”
- and the person's mental picture of self as an object that can be
observed, the "Me.”
 George Herbert Mead Theory about self
- also developed the concept of self, he explained that one's identity emerges from
external and social interactions and internal feelings of one's self.
- Self is not evident at birth, but it emerges over time through language, play, and
games as discussed in Topic 2, the Social Self.

 Self is truly dynamic and intricate. According to James and Mead, who we are
refers to our actual self, and it is the balance of both the 'me' and the 'I'
 REAL AND IDEAL SELF
- Humanistic Psychologist, Carl Rogers, was the proponent of the Self Theory.
- He believed that Self is the humanistic term for who we really are as a person.
- Self: This is made of many perceptions and personality characteristics that are
consistent with one another. To be aware of one's self is to have a concept of oneself,
or otherwise known as SELF-CONCEPT
- The answer to "WHO AM I?" is self-concept. It expresses all our thoughts and
feelings about ourselves.

 Different components of SELF-CONCEPT:

1. Self-image (how you see yourself)
- Self-image influences how an individual think, feels, and behaves in an environment.
However, it does not necessarily indicate reality.
- We might perceive ourselves as either arrogant or kind or beautiful or ugly.
- A person's self-image is influenced by many factors, such as physical characteristics,
personality traits, parental influences, and social roles.

Example:
a. Carla, an 80-year-old grandmother, believes that she is still strong and alert, but in
reality, she is quite weak and clumsy.
b. A teenage girl looks thin, but in reality, may have a self-image of being obese

2. Self-Esteem / Self-Worth (how much value you place on yourself)

- This includes how we compare ourselves to others and how others respond to us.
- If we receive a positive response, we are more likely develop positive self-esteem,
and if others perceive us as inadequate, our self-esteem is negatively affected
 - A positive view of ourselves, disregarding what others may think, conveys
confidence in our abilities and manifests self-acceptance, and thus, induces us to
develop high self-esteem.
- On the contrary, if we view ourselves negatively, this inclines the opposite, which are
lack of self-confidence, pessimism, insecurity, worrying about what others might
think.

 Real self - represents actual experiences about what and who we really are, how we
think, and how we feel and act; it makes us most comfortable by simply being us.
 Ideal self - our conception of who we want to be and what we want to become. It consists
of our goals and ambitions in life and is dynamic.
 The earliest roots of incongruence are in childhood.
- This is when the parents' affection for their children must also live up with the
parents' expectations, and the children begin to misrepresent the memories that leave
them feeling unworthy of their parent's love.
- On the contrary, unconditional love helps foster congruence and children will feel
that they are loved and accepted as they are.
- A preference to see ourselves consistently with our self-image may make us use
defense mechanisms, like denial or repression, to feel less threatened by undesirable
feelings.

TRUE AND FALSE SELF

- Dr. Donald W. Winnicott was an English psychoanalyst who introduced the
concepts of TRUE SELF and FALSE SELF in human personality.

 TRUE SELF - also referred to as authentic self:

- it describes the core of who you are, a sense of conscious, instinctive, and authentic
experience. This is the part of you that is aware that, "I, myself, feel this; I, myself,
want this," which makes the experience uniquely yours, and therefore, TRUE. At the
same time, it is strongly guarded by the false self and, at first, might be difficult to
reach.
 FALSE SELF - also referred to as a social mask and adapted self:
- it is a part of self that has modified behavior, inhibited feelings, and drives your needs
aside to fit in with others. This includes the values, feelings, and thoughts that are not
your own, which conforms to societal and family standards.
 SIGNS OF A FULLY FUNCTIONING PERSON

- According to Rogers, people who exhibit this tendency have a self-image that is
congruent with reality.
- They understand their strengths, but they also recognize and acknowledge that they
have weaknesses.
- Even as they continue to build upon their personal strengths, they work on taking on
challenges and experiences that allow them to grow and gain new understanding.
- These individuals realize that they are not perfect, but they are still happy and
satisfied with themselves.
- This contentment does not indicate idleness, however, for these individuals are
always striving to achieve their best possible selves.