IMD 121

THE SELF IN HUMAN

COMMUNICATION

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Chapter Two:
The Self in Human Communication

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 Chapter One Goals
● Discuss the role of self-concept,
self-awareness, self-esteem and
self-disclosure in communication.

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 SELF IN HUMAN COMMUNICATION
● Self-Concept
● Self-Awareness
● Self-Esteem
● Self-Disclosure

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 Self-Concept
● An individual’s self-evaluation or
self-appraisal.
● Your feelings and thoughts about your
strengths and weaknesses, your
abilities and limitations

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 Self-Concept (Cont)

● The sources of Self-concept

– Others’ image of you
– Comparisons with others
– Cultural teachings
– Self interpretations and self evaluations

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 Self-Concept (Cont)

● Others’ images of you

– Your image can be seen when ‘others’ reveal
through their behaviors & the way they treat and
react to you.
– ‘Others’ refer to those that significant to you.
– If others think highly of you, you’ll see the positive
self-reflected image in their behaviors or
otherwise…..

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 Self-Concept (Cont)
● The looking-glass self
– Image of self that others have revealed to
you

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 Self-Concept (Cont)
● Comparisons with others
– Compare yourself with ‘others’ to see how
effective you are or how competent you are
(social comparison).

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 Self-Concept (Cont)
● Cultural Teachings
– Cultural have their own beliefs, values and attitudes.
– They have a benchmark in all aspect which individual
should achieve.
● When you fail demonstrate/do what your culture or
organization say/teach = you’re fail (the development of SC is
–ve).
● Get punishment
● When you succeed/able to achieve what your
culture/organization say/teach = you’re success (the
development of SC is +ve).
● Get reward
● Gender & Organization Culture– masculinity culture &
Femininity culture.
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 Self-Concept (Cont)
● Self-Interpretation and Self-Evaluation
– We also react to own behavior based from our
belief.
– The interpretation & evaluations contribute to the
development of SC.
– E.g ; Lying is wrong – guilty feeling = SC is –ve
Helping people – satisfy/happy = SC is +ve

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 Self-Awareness
● The degree to which a person
know about himself or herself.
● Self Awareness can be
explained with a tool called
Johari Window.
● The four panes are not
separate from one another but
interdependent.
● OS, HS, US, BS.

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 Self-Awareness (cont)
● JOHARI WINDOW
– OPEN Self
– BLIND Self
– UNKNOWN Self
– HIDDEN Self

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 Self-Awareness (cont)
● Growing in Self-Awareness
– Listen to others
● See feedback from others (v&nv), their comments and suggestions.

– Increase your “open” self

● Increasing openself – chances others will reveal what they know
about you.

– Seek information about yourself

● Encourage your friend to reveal what they know about you.

– Dialogue with yourself

● You know better about yourself
● Ask self-awareness question.

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 Self-Esteem

● Self-Esteem is the value you place on

yourself; usually refers to a positive
self-evaluation.
● People with high self-esteem think very
highly of themselves, whereas people with
low self-esteem view themselves
negatively.

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 Self-Esteem (cont)
● Five suggestions to increase one’s
self-esteem;
– Attack self-destructive beliefs
– Seek out nourishing people
– Work on Projects that will result in success
– Remind yourself of your successes
– Secure Affirmation

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 Self-Disclosure
● A type of communication where you reveal
information about yourself and move
information from the hidden self into the open
self.
● Communication must involved two persons
and more, information must be received &
understand by another individual
● Disclosing not only about yourself but you
may also disclose information about those
close to you.
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 Self-Disclosure (cont)
● Overt statements
● Slips of the tongue
● Unconscious nonverbal movements
● Public confessions

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 Self-Disclosure (cont)
● Factors influencing Self-Disclosure
– Who you are
● Highly sociable & extroverted people = more disclose
● Less sociable & introverted people = less disclose
● Competent people more disclose because they have
greater self-confidence & more positive thing to reveal
and they’re willingly to risk negative reactions.

– Your culture
● Different culture view self-disclosure differently.
● Some culture views that disclosing of one’s inner
feelings as a weaknesses.

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 Self-Disclosure (cont)
● Factors influencing Self-Disclosure
– Your gender
● Women disclose more than men especially about certain
topics.
● Men & women also avoiding self-disclosure.
– Your listeners
● SD can occur in a small group.
● With one listener, we can monitor our self-disclosure by
looking at their response.
● In a group, we may get their support – encouraging each
other to disclose.
● People more likely to disclose when the person’s you’re with
disclose (Dyadic Effect).
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 Self-Disclosure (cont)
● Factors influencing Self-Disclosure
– Your topic and channel
● People disclose some topics than other.
● Generally, the more personal & negative the topic, the
less likely people would be to self-disclose.
● Online channel encourage people to disclose intimately.

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 Dyadic Effect
● You are more likely to disclose when the
person you are with discloses
● Leads you to feel more secure and
reinforces your own self-disclosing behavior

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 Self-Disclosure (cont)
● Self-Disclosure Rewards
– Self-knowledge
● For deeper understanding of your own behavior.
– Improved coping abilities
● Helps you to deal with problems.
– Communication enhancement
● Try to understand about people deeply by their
disclosed.
● Then, you’re be able to understand attitude and
nonverbal of your partner so as your communication with
them will be effective

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 Self-Disclosure (cont)
● Self-Disclosure Rewards
– More meaningful relationships
● Through self-disclosure, you tell others that you trust,
respect & care enough about them.
● In turn, it leads other individuals to self-disclose and
start a meaningful relationship.

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 Self-Disclosure (cont)
● Self-Disclosure Dangers
– Personal risks
● The more you reveal about yourself to others, the more
areas of your life expose to possible attack
– Relationship risks
● Person who seem supportive may turn out to reject you.
– Professional risks/material losses
● People may lost power, influence, authority, asset when
disclosing.
– Self-disclosure is irreversible;
● you cannot self-disclose and then take it back.

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