GE1 – UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

Topic: The Self as a Cognitive Construction

I. LESSON OVERVIEW
Understanding the self Module 4: Deals with 2 prominent figures in
Psychology, William James and Carl Rogers, offer distinct yet complimentary
perspectives on how self is constructed. Many theorists and psychologists have
contrasting beliefs about self, like multiple and unified self, true self and false self.
II. OBJECTIVES
At the end of this module learners should be able to:
1. Compare and contrast the concept of self between William James and Carl
Rogers.
2. Create a list of the different aspects of self and integrate this concept to form
a comprehensive understanding of self-identity.
3. Display awareness of the different concept of self and imbibe it with everyday
life.
1. Preliminaries: Opening and Closing Prayers
Greetings! Magandang Buhay w/ Magalang Bow
Quotes/Bible Verse

PRELIMINARY ACTIVITY
The Self as a Cognitive Construction
Instructions:
In a piece of paper, briefly explained how you defined the self and what
factors you believed shape your identity. Write about 4 to 5 sentences.
Activity: "Belief Snapshot"
Objective:
To introduce the concept of cognitive construction by having students briefly reflect
on their self-perceptions.
Materials Needed:
 A few index cards or slips of paper
 Pens or markers
Steps:
1. Write a Belief (3 minutes):
o Hand out an index card or slip of paper to each student.
o Ask students to write down one belief they hold about themselves
(e.g., “I am a good team player,” “I am bad at public speaking”).
2. Reflect on Origins (2 minutes):
o Have students briefly jot down where they think this belief comes from
(e.g., personal experience, feedback from others, societal
expectations).
3. Share and Collect (3 minutes):
o Collect the index cards and quickly read a few aloud to the class
(without naming names) to illustrate the variety of beliefs and their
origins.
Wrap-Up:
Explain that today’s class will explore how these beliefs are cognitive constructions
and how they shape our self-concept and behaviors.
III. LESSON PROPER

Psychology
Scientific study of human behavior and mental processes
It is a discipline that deals with human development, social behavior ,cognitive
processes, educational development, research procedures and clinical development
William James
Established one of the earliest school of thoughts named functionalism
Functionalism
Deals with mental states
More concerned about function of the mind rather its structure
Self-consciousness consists of
I
The doer of experience but can recall what happened in the past
It is the agent that experiencing the immediate present
Is aware of everything the person does
Me
Refers to the self-concept
Divided into 3
1.material self
Refer to our bodies and our extended selves such as tangible objects like gadgets,
clothes etc.. people like your family ,relatives ,classmates or places like where are
you now
2.social self
Refers to the various roles we are playing the society and how we are
acknowledged, appreciated or recognized by others.
3.spiritual self
Also known as psychological self
Refers to our inner self which includes our perceived skills ,abilities, values, habits
or anything about how we think or feel about ourselves
Carl rogers
Humanistic psychologist believed that we have our concept of self
Self-concept
Organized perceptions and beliefs about oneself
3components
1.self-worth or self esteem
How we put value or regards to ourselves

2.self-image
How we see ourselves
3.ideal self
Is the ought to be person
The one who you would like to be

Real self
Who we are at present
Self-image
The way we think, behave, feel and look
Ideal self
Visualized image that we can be developed over time through experience and
learning
Kind of self you want to be
Unified self
John Locke, Rene Descartes and Immanuel Kant are unified self-theorist who
believed that the Individual is a one person who thinks, hopes ,behaves etc. and all
of these are part of unified being
True self
Also known as the real self
Vulnerable self
Authentic self
Original self
Thoughts ,beliefs ,behaviors, languages ,talents ,abilities of the individual
False self
Fake self
Pseudo self
Superficial
Characterized by being pretentious
IV. OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT
1. This theory deals with mental state it is more concern about the function of the
mind rather than its structure:
A. Functionalism
B. Structuralism
C. Realism
2. It is a discipline that deals with human development, social behavior, cognitive
processes, educational development, research procedure, and clinical
development
A. Sociology
B. Anthropology
C. Psychology
3. According to William James ________ is the doer of the experience but can recall
what happened in the past.
A. I
B. Me
C. We
4. Refers on how we put value or regard to ourselves
A. Self worth
B. Self image
C. Ideal self
5. Is how we see ourselves whether it is good or bad, ugly or handsome
A. Self worth
B. Self image
C. Ideal self
6. It is the one who you would like to be
A. Self worth
B. Self image
C. Ideal self
7. Refers to our bodies and our extended self such as tangible objects like gadget
and people like your family or places like where you are right now
A. Spiritual self
B. Social self
C. Material self
8. Refers to our inner self which includes our perceive skills, abilities, values, habits
or anything about how we think and feel about ourselves
A. Spiritual self
B. Social self
C. Material self
9. Refers to the various roles we play in the society and how we are acknowledged,
recognize, or appreciated by others
A. Spiritual self
B. Social self
C. Material self
10.Is called the narrator or interpreter because it verbally narrates the current
situation or experience
A. Private self
B. Public self
C. Unified self
True or False
1. The real self should be aligned with the ideal self so that the individual’s
mental well-being is in equilibrium state.
2. Our parent , our admiration from other people can influence certain aspects
of your life.
3. According to Carl Rogers, I is a thinking, acting and feeling self.
4. Classmates, family, relatives, girlfriends are examples of your spiritual self.
5. According to Carl Rogers, self concept has three components, and these are
material self, social self and spiritual self.
6. The closer the real self to the ideal self, the more congruent is the result of
achieving self-esteem.
7. According to Rita Carter a major self refers to the character with thoughts,
desires, intentions, emotions, ambitions and belief.
8. John Locke, Rene Descartes and Immanuel Kant are unified self-theorists who
believe that the individual is a one person who thinks, hopes, behaves.
9. The false self emerge during the first stage of life when the environment fails
to satisfies his needs and could not accurately gratify that they seek an
emotional needs.
10.William James established one of the earliest school of thoughts named
structuralism.

Answer Key:
Test I Test II
1. A 1. True
2. C 2. True
3. A 3. False
4. A 4. False
5. B 5. False
6. C 6. True
7. C 7. True
8. A 8. True
9. B 9. True
10.A 10. False

PREPARED BY: NOTED BY:

Jodan C. Rubio-Lpt MR. ROMMEL J. CONSTANTINO