Social, Environmental, and other Life Factors • The identity of a person can be best

(S.E.L.F.) depicted using certain traits that would

NATURE VS. NURTURE set him or her apart from others.
Nature - self is predominantly a product of natural SOCIAL FACTORS
processes to which people are inherently Social factor - Is an agent of one’s being. It refers to
predisposed (self is anchored on biology). the influences of significant people in one’s life.
Nurture - Self is an outcome of various nurturing • strong foundation of one’s being.
factors in the context of one’s life. • shape one’s own identity through
• Group life affects an individual’s behavior modelling, imitation, and traits
and attitude, social sciences stressed out. integration.
3 major levels of society The characteristic that were acquired from the
• Macro-level analysis is used to look at influences of the social groups during the formative
societies at large. (one-to-one interactions Social science
between individuals) • He suggested that the self is
• Meso-level analysis involves the study of fundamentally an intellectual entity
groups, communities, and institutions. whose nature exists independent from
(network analysis) the physical world.
• Micro-level analysis focuses on the social Aristotle - narrative of the soul and guides us in
interactions of individuals or very small understanding his concept of the soul that is the
groups. (examination of society as a whole) human person is a rational animal in other words
IDENTITIES human are simply an animal that thinks.
Identities - are the traits and characteristics, social • Aristotle defines the soul as the principle
relations, roles, and social group membership that of life it cost the body to live.
define who one is. • Aristotle distinguishes 3 levels of soul
• the distinguishing character or namely vegetative soul, sensitive soul and
personality of an individual the qualities rational soul.
or beliefs ,etc. that make a particular EMPIRICISM VS. RATIONALISM
person or group different from others Empiricism - There is no such thing as innate
• Known to others; distinguishes or knowledge; instead knowledge is derived from
compares one from the another experience– either perceived with five senses or
identities make up one’s self concept variously processed with the brain.
described as what comes to mind when one thinks of Rationalism - There is innate knowledge; however,
oneself there are three different sources of innate
- Oyserman, Elmore, and Smith (2012,p.69) knowledge
Self - refers to the person that someone normally or
truly is or the entire person of an individual Social Self
- Refers to the total characteristics or Human development is largely influenced by
qualities of a person both known and unknown to membership in crucial social groups that shape
others (but known to oneself) various aspects of the self: from belief systems,
DIMENSIONALITIES OF THE SELF/IDENTITY values orientations, and behaviors.
• The identity of a person is highlighted by CULTURE
a dominant trait which makes him/her Culture - Culture has a great impact on a human
distinguishable from others. being, and this manifested in his or her thoughts,
behaviors, and expression.
 • A dominant characteristics of culture is Social media – define as a website and application
that is socially transmitted and learned by that makes it easier to create and share information,
groups of people, bound by ethnicity, ideas and interest.
geography, and personal orientations - Allow people to create other forms of self
BIOECOLOGICAL SYSTEM THEORY expression via virtual community and
Bioecological system theory – development reflects networks.
the influence of several environmental system - Has features that allow people to
BRONFENBRENNER’S ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM communicate to specific groups sharing
- Explains an individual societal development common interests and became member of
using biological environmental and ecological virtual communities, be it locally or globally.
lenses Online disembodiment – it is when through social
- Explain the bidirectional influence on media, people may act differently since interaction
individual system to each other in social media do not happen face to face and there
• Macrosystem – settings in which the is no physical presence required.
individual lives DIGITAL IDENTITY
• Mesosystem – relationship between Role identities – these are characteristics and rules
Microsystems or the connection between on individual creates as member of a particular social
contexts group.
• Exosystem – involves links between social • In an online environment. Once role identity
settings in which the individual does not is vitally important in order to protect himself
have an active role and individuals or herself in an online environment.
immediate context. • Online activities such as chatting, blogging
• Macrosystem – describes the culture in and even social shopping online would
which individuals live. require a person to establish a “digital
• Chronosystem – the battering of identity”.
environmental event and transitions over ONLINE INDENTITY – identity a person claims in
the life course as well as Social historical cyberspace.
circumstance. ONLINE DISINHIBITION EFFECT – when people adopt
INDIVIDUALISM VS. COLLECTIVISM MODEL fake identity identities, they are likely to engage in
Individualism – people who are individualistic are behaviors that they would not do in real life. (SOLER,
observed to be competitive and self-reliant. 2004)
Collectivism – the collectivist orientation value, categories of online disinhibition
relationship, and harmony. They prioritize interest to a. Benign disinhibition – people tend to
maintain healthy relationship. disclose more on the Internet.
b. Toxic inhibition – causes Individual to occupy
CULTURE AND CONNECTION
virtual space that they would not explore
Western culture – the self is seen as fundamentally
otherwise
distinct or separate from other individuals and is
FACTORS OF ONLINE DISINHIBITION
derived from a sense of stable internal attributes. • Dissociative anonymity – “ who am I?”
Eastern culture – South. Is seen as fundamentally • Invisibility – “ You can’t see me” invisibility
connected with and related to others. And dust. gives us the courage to do things that we
Contingent on the individual’s possession relative to perhaps would not do otherwise physically
others. invisible Also means less Inhibited
expressions.
The social digital self • The emotional hit and run (K. Munro,
unpublished observations, 2003.)
Solipsistic introjection personal interjection – “ it is -“ we are our bodies”, he attempts to
all in my head.” People tend to assign an identity to incorporate the physical and psychological
other person that is a reflection of their own. aspect of self.
Dissociative imagination – “ it is all a game.” - understanding should not be
Minimize authority – “ we are all equal here.” unidimensional; the “self” is a product of
both idealists and realist standpoints.
The Material/ Economic Self
Psychoneuroimmunology – describe the shaping of
UTILITY VS. SIGNIFICANCE
the self as similar to how human immune system
Utility – Prince trained with how things serve a
particular purpose. function.
Significance – with the meaning assigned to the SOCIAL SCIENCE
object, it has more to do with expression and Social sciences – concerned with human functioning
meaning assigned to the object it has more to do in the context of society and social institution.
with expression. • Psychology – the study of human
behavior. See the self as esthetical
construct.
What Science Says About The Self - The term “self” has been used
Scientific perspectives of the self as an object of several
Science is defined as the intellectual and practical psychological constructs such
activity encompassing the systematic study of the as self-awareness, self-
structural and behavior of the physical and natural construal, self-esteem self-
world through observation and experiment. efficacy, and self-regulation.
According to science self is classified into 2: - Self-awareness – describe the
• Physical science – focuses on biological consciousness of an individual
factors that make up the human body about your strength,
underlying growth and maturation weakness, potential
mechanism. - Self-concept – description of
• Social sciences – it’s concerned with how one look like sound like
institutional culture and the interpersonal and behave like. It is an
relationship of people living within society. implicit personal theory that
BIOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL SCIENCE holds towards oneself.
DNA – a self replicating material present in nearly THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE
all living organisms. (no two individuals share the • Psychoanalysis – (proposed by Sigmund
exact same DNA) Freud) focuses on the “unconscious”,
Neurophilosophy – attributed to Paul and influencing behavior unknown to the person.
Patricia Churchland is concerned with the • Behaviorism – school of thought; maintains
association of brain and mind. that the study of behavior should be made
• In order to understand the working of from an observable and measurable
human mind people must first perspective. It attributes behavior to
understand the brain it’s function and environment conditioning.
wave activity. • Social cognitive theory – considers behavior
Maurice Merleau–Ponty – aimed to untie as a function of the environment and internal
idealism with imperialism, use empirical attributes. Social cognitive theory was
studies and researchers to supplement what developed by Stanford phychologist Albert
philosophy failed to cover. bandura.
 - The theory views people as political science – is concerned about the
the active agent of both participation of individuals in establishing a
influence and are influenced government and making political choices
by the environment - study the self once participation in
- Major component of the government ideologies and advocacies are
theory is observational seen as significant contributors to his or her
learning. Selfhood
HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE economics – describe and analyze the production
- Draws its assumption from the observed distribution and consumption of goods and services
criticism of psychoanalysis and behaviorism - economic activity affects people value
- believe that every individual has the ability to system and sense of self
reach self-actualization and confidence and
that each persons in inherently good or
possesses something that is good Unfolding The Biological Self
- It deviates from psychoanalytic framework as Physical self – is shaped by biological and
it (humanistic perspective) focuses on environmental factor.
strengths and inherently good nature of - Triggered by genetic transformations in
people instead of representing the share of biological development through heredity.
the unconscious in psychoanalysis Heredity – transmission of traits from the parents to
- From behaviorism it posits that man has a offspring
free will that he is able to overcome the • traits - are made up of specific
environment boundaries through human information embedded with one’s
agents genes
- In the study of self all three soul schools of • gene – basic unit of heredity
thought is psychology explained the variation genotype – specific information imbedded with
of selfhood one’s genes, it can be determined through blood
sociology – provides tool for understanding the testing
human experiences and society phenotype – physical expression of a particular traits
- The study of collective behavior people and can be directly observed turn
within society and focuses on social problems maturation – known as the completion of growth of
encountered by individuals genetic character within Organism
- Sociology focuses on present societal
concerns and factors that shape human
behavior Sexual Self
Anthropology – anthropology examined the THE SOCIO-BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE SELF
developmental advancement society has made and Sexual self – a vital aspect of one’s identity,
how they impact people who existed in the society. encompassing the biological physical emotional and
- The study of human being in their ancestor social domains.
through time and space and social relations THE BIOLOGY OF SEX
and culture Secondary sexual characteristics – sexually
- focuses on individual and their society as well dimorphic characteristics that are not directly
as specific cultural tools embedded within involved in reproduction
generation SEXUALITY AND GENDER ORIENTATION
Biological sex – assignment upon birth and is
dependent on physical features
Gender – identity that is learned and embraced by
the individual .it goes beyond biological domain and
is both personal and social construct
Gender roles – refer to societal expectation of how
men and women should act.
- Aspect of sexual orientation
Sexual orientation – inherent or immutable enduring
emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to other
people
Gender identity – how individuals perceive
themselves and what they call themselves.

Cognition, memory, and intelligence

Cognition – is a complex array of mental processes
involved in remembering, perceiving, thinking, and
how those processes are employed. (Ashcraft and
Radvansky, 2010.)
- It covers the higher order of thinking process
with an individual. A major focus of this study
is the function of memory.
Memory – it’s the faculty of my thoughts which
information which is acquired and retained for later
use.
- Human memories is limited within specific
condition. People select information to be
retained and disregard those are deemed
relevant and useless.
Memory function as three levels.
1. Sensory -
2. Short term – PC temporary storage system
that processes incoming sensory memory.
Sometimes it is called working memory.
3. Long term – information stored in long term
memory is often permanent and allowed to
be repeated retriever across the situation