Lesson 4: PSYCHOLOGICAL VIEW OF SELF

Self-Theory (William James)

- Human beings has the capacity to be a thinking subjects and the subject of their thinking
- “I” – responsible for the thinking and makes awareness and self-awareness possible
- “Me” – oneself is the object of his or her thinking
To understand the self, it can be contextualized in three categories:
1. Constituents of the self (can be viewed in a pyramid form in this order :)
 Spiritual self – one’s thoughts, beliefs and feelings
 Social self – the image of an individual in the eyes of other people which determine his reputation in the
society
 Material self – one’s body, clothes, family, home, and other material possessions one values as his or
her own
2. Self-feelings- the feelings and emotions they arouse
3. Self-seeking- the actions they prompt

Self-Theory (Carl Rogers)

- Regarded as humanistic and is a move towards recognizing human potential for psychological growth
Self
- The self does not exist at birth; developed gradually
- Made up of many self-perceptions, abilities, and personality characteristics that are organized and
consistent with one another
Real self – the image or picture of the self-based on a person’s actual experiences and represents how
he/she really or actually sees himself/herself
Ideal Self – self based on one’s hopes and wishes. It reflects how one likes to see himself/herself to be
Self-concept
- How people see or describe themselves
- The subjective perception of who people are and what they are like
- “the person I think I am or the person I wish to be”
- The development of self-concept starts at home
- It is very important that you provide you children with the environment and opportunities that will
enable them to develop good self-concepts
Aspects of Self concept
 Existential self - begin when an individual recognizes ones existence as a separate entity from others
and realizes that he or she will continue to exist over a period of time and space
 Categorical Self – starts after a child recognizes ones existence as a separate entity and becomes aware
that he or she is an object in this world. Like objects with physical properties, one begins to categorize
oneself in terms of age, weight, height, etc.
Components of Self-concept
1. Self-worth or self-esteem
 How much people value themselves and their worth as persons
 Level of importance attributed to oneself and one’s abilities
2. Self-Image
 How one see herself or himself
3. Ideal Self
 The person that one wants to be. Is continuously changing
Positive Regard
- Believed to be important for the healthy development of one’s self-concept and for successful interpersonal
relationships
- Includes love, sympathy, warmth, acceptance, and respect from; family, friends, and other significant people
Conditional Positive Regard – positive regard received as a result of acceptable behaviour or living up to the
expectations and standards of others.
Unconditional Positive Regard – the love and acceptance received by a person regardless of who he/she is
or what he/she does

True Self and False Self (Donald W. Winnicott)

- People reveal particular sides of themselves depending on the situation
True Self
- Real self
- Authentic self
- Original self
- Vulnerable self
- The core of who you are
- It is one’s spontaneous and natural self-expression a sense of being alive in mind
False self
- Social mask
- Adaptive self
- Fake self, ideal self, perfect self
- Behaviors are altered, feelings are repressed, and one’s needs are set aside to fit in with others
- When a person needs to comply to the norms and standards, this is activated

Psychoanalytic Theory of Self (Sigmund Freud)

Parts of Personality:
Id – Internal Desires
Ego – reality
Superego – conscience
Freudian Stages of Psychosexual Development
Oral (0-1) - Mouth
Anal (2-3) - Anus
Phallic (3-6) - Genitals
Latency (10-12) – preoccupation with developing skills and other activities
Genital (Puberty) – heterosexual relations
 Erik Erikson
- The Psychosocial Stages of Self Development
- a crisis is a crucial period of increased vulnerability and heightened potential
Crisis Period Of Life Important Life Relationship With
Events
Trust vs. Mistrust Infancy Maternal/ Maternal
(0-18mnths) Feeding figure
Autonomy vs. Shame Early Childhood Toilet Training Paternal
and Doubt (18 mnths-3 yrs)
Initiative vs. Guilt Pre School Exploration Family
(3-5yrs)
Industry vs. Inferiority Elementary School Age School School
(6-11 yrs) Neighbourhood
Identity vs. Role Adolescence Social Peer group
Confusion (12-18 yrs) Relationships
Intimacy vs. Isolation Young Adulthood Relationships Partners/sex/competitio
(19-40 yrs) n
Generativity vs. Middle Adulthood Work and Partner
Stagnation (40-65 yrs) Parenthood
Integrity vs. Despair Old Age/Maturity Reflection on Life Mankind
(65-death)

Agentic Theory of the Self (Albert Bandura)

- People are not merely passive entities molded by environmental forces or driven by inner influences
- Rejects the notion that selfhood is culturally influenced or controlled by urges rather, human beings are
capable of directing their self. This capability was termed ;

Human Agency

1. Intentionality – how an individual forms intentions with action plans and strategies to realize them
2. Fore thought – how an individual positions his or her plans in the future. Visualizing oneself in the
future state of existing, anticipating possible opportunities and prepare for possible roadblocks
3. Self-reactiveness – we are not only planners and fore thinkers but regulators as well. For a successful
outcome to happen, one must self-regulate his or her efforts in the achievement of a goal. This
includes adapting to circumstances, constructing appropriate course of action, and regulating
reactions.
4. Self-refection – one is capable of examining their own functioning
- The self is a person and not as a distinct entity responsible for bearing information and regulating
behaviour
- Individuals exercise control over their own functioning

References (Further Readings):

Dalisay B. , Arcega A. (2018) Understanding the Self. C&E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City, Philippines ISBN:978-971-98-0-885-5
Corpuz R., Estoque R., & Tabotabo C. (2019) Understanding the Self. C&E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City , Philippines ISBN 978-
971-98-1184-8