MODULE 2: Unfolding the Biological Self

This module tackles two important representations of self: the physical and sexual. The first
section identifies biological and environmental factors that affect the physical self as well as
issues and challenges that individuals face with regard to their physical characteristics. The
second section discusses sexual attributes, characteristics, gender, and responsible sexual
behavior.

Section 1: The Physical Self

This section identifies and explains the biological and environmental factors that shape the
physical self. It also delves into socio-cultural issues associated with physical well-being.

The Biological Blueprint

The physical self is shaped by biological and environmental factors

Heredity is defined as the transmission of traits from parents to offspring. The traits are made up
of specific information embedded within one’s gene.

Genotype refers to the specific information embedded within one’s genes; not all genotypes
translate to an observed physical characteristic.

Phenotype is the physical expression of a particular trait.

Each individual carries 23 pairs of chromosomes, which are threadlike bodies in the nucleus of
the cell and the storage unit of genes. The 23rd pair, also known as sex
chromosomes, determines the sex of an individual.

Within each chromosome is the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is a nucleic acid that

contains the genetic instructions specifying the biological development of every individual.

Maturation is known as the completion of growth of a genetic character within an organism or

the unfolding of an individual’s inherent traits or potential.

Environmental Conditioning

As you grow up, you are exposed to environmental influences that shape yoir physical self,
including those from your social networks, societal expectations, and cultural practices.

Family, being your first social group, forms a crucial foundation of your development, including
that of your physical self.

As you grow older, you get exposed to a larger social group with new practices and standards.
As a result, you may begin engaging in acts that would make you attractive and acceptable to
others.

One aspect of physical beauty is a person’s body type. Contemporary media has portrayed slim
bodies as the ideal body type for women and muscular bodies for men. Thus, adolescents indulge
in activities that would enable them to achieve these ideal body types.
However, some adolescents may resort to unhealthy habits just to achieve the ideal body type. It
is important to remember that physical beauty is only skin-deep; that what matters is feeling
good about oneself and embracing a healthy perception of one’s physical worth.

Achieving Physical Well-being

Healthy eating. Following a healthy diet results in healthy skin, ideal weight, and better stamina.

Embracing a healthy lifestyle. Physical activities such as walking, running, going to the gym,
and engaging in sports also contribute to a healthier body.

Maintaining proper hygiene. Taking care of your body by consistently following a hygiene

regimen can also help you feel good about yourself.

Being confident. Be secure in yourself, embrace a positive outlook toward various situations and
problems, and love and accept who you are.

Section 2: The Sexual Self

This section tackles one of the most crucial aspects of human development, the sexual self. It
highlights biological and environmental factors that shape sexual development. Tips on
regulating sexual behavior are also provided.

The Biology of Self

At birth, the sexual genital (penis for male, vagina for female) is a biological feature that
distinguishes males from females. Moreover, during puberty, observable changes in the human
body also known as secondary sexual characteristics begin.

When physiological changes are trigerred within the adolescent’s reproductive system, he or she
is likely to experience sexual urges, become more sensitive to sexual stimuli, and feel sexual
arousal.

Humans are likely to engage in sexual activities to satisfy sexual urges. However, the kind of
sexual activities they engage in may vary.

A person should be aware of his/her sexuality and sexual attributes in order to make responsible
decisions. Adolescents need to realize the importance of having informed choices.

Sexual Identity and Gender Orientation

Biological sex is one’s assignment upon birth and is dependent on physical feature. On the other
hand, gender is an identity that is learned and embraced by individual.

Gender roles refer to societal expectations of how men and women should act. Everyone has a
basic idea of gender roles: men are assumed to be strong and dominant while women are
perceived to be submissive and demure.

Sexual identity and gender orientation underlie one’s concept of self. A person expresses his or
her sexuality through individuality; one’s belief and behavioral lifestyle are based on his or her
own perceptions of sexuality.

The Consequences of Sexual Choices

Sexual intercourse (copulation) is the reproductive act in which the male organ (penis) enters
the female’s reproductive tract (vagina). Adolescents couples who engage in sexual intercourse
are usually overwhelmed by the sensations they feel during the act.

However, if the woman is fertile during the time of intercourse, pregnancy is likely to occur and
it lasts approximately nine months before the birth of the child. Having a child entails a big
responsibility and should not merely be a consequence of an impulsive moment. Physical risks to
having an early pregnancy may impact an adolescent’s development, including miscarriage,
emotional stress, and health risks to both mother and infant.

Aside from pregnancy, another consequence of impulsive and careless sexual intercourse is the
risk of acquring sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs). Among common STDs are:

Syphilis

Gonorrhea

Chlamydia

Genital Warts

The most alarming sexually transmitted disease is the acquired immune deficiency

syndrome (AIDS) caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It can be transmitted by
contact between broken skin, wounds, or mucous membranes and HIV-infected blood or blood-
contaminated body fluids.

It is important that everyone makes responsible decisions with regard to sexuality and sexual
behavior. Responsible sexual behavior entails the following:

Respect for one’s body. It means taking care of one’s body and avoiding activities that
undermine one’s worth and respect.

Maturity in thoughts and deeds. It refers to being objective, rational, and calm, instead of
being swept by one’s emotion.

Being guided by one’s personal beliefs and core values. Everyone, especially an adolescent,
should always be grounded by his/her personal principles and self-worth.

Being future-oriented. Instead of focusing on the present, a person should always weigh his or
her present actions with possible consequences in the future.

MODULE 4: Unfolding the Mental Self

This module focuses on the intellectual aspects of the self. As intelligent beings, humans strive
and successfully cope with the demands of the environment across time. People’s intellectual
abilities mark the superiority of humans over other animals in the planet. Thus, a thorough
understanding of this gift to humanity warrants serious attention. This module also covers
discussion on how human beings learn, and how learning abilities develop one’s being.

Section 1: Cognition, Memory, and Intelligence

This section discusses the nature of cognition and metacognition, its underlying mechanisms, and
how it contributes to one’s sense of self. This further tackles the mechanism of human memory
and the different types of human intelligence.

Cognition

People are born with innate capabilities that empower them to manage themselves in various
settings and situations.

Cognition is a crucial part of an individual’s development process which influences behavior,

just as how behavior also impacts it, assuming bi-directional connection. The way information is
taken in and how it is analyzed and processed is a function of human cognition.

Cognition is defined as the complex array of mental processes involved in remembering,

perceiving, thinking, and how these processes are employed (Ashcraft & Radvansky, 2010). It is
an umbrella term to cover all high-order thinking processes.

Memory

If cognition covers all higher-order thinking processes within an individual, a major focus of its
study is the function of memory. It is tbe faculty of the mind through which information is
acquired and retained for later use.

Memory functions in 3 levels:

Sensory memory is the level that allows infomation from the external environment to be
perceived by an individual through senses, usually in the form of chemical and physical stimuli,
often with focus and intent.

Short-term, working memory is where information is temporarily stored, where information is

simultaneously remembered and is in a readily-available state, typically from 10 to 15 seconds,
up to one minute. It can store up to 5-9 items, after whic information is discarded if there is no
conscious and deliberate effort to retain it.

When there is a deliberate effort to store information and it is done consistently and with
practice, then this information is transferred to long-term memory. Information stored in long-
term memory is often permanent and allows for repeated retrievals across situations.

Intelligence

The term is referred to as an individual’s capacity for understanding, learning, planning, and
problem solving with logic, creativity, and self-awareness.

It is characterized as the appkication of knowledge to be able to adjust to the environment.

It is the process of applying knowledge in the proper context whenever the need arises.

A number of theories have already been presented regarding intelligence.

Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences

Robert Stenberg’s Triarchic theory of intelligence

According to Sternberg (1895), intelligence is defined as “a mental activity directed toward

purposive adaptation to, selection and shaping of, real-world environments relevant to one’s
life.”

Both the theory of multiple intelligences and the triarchic theory of intelligence explain the
nature of intelligence, and the personal and environmental factors that shape it.

Section 2: Human Learning
This section provides an overview of human learning, the factors that contribute to the learning
process, and how its shapes the individual self.

Learning

If cognition, memory, and intelligence are underlying mechanisms that allow people to perceive,
process, and apply information for daily adaptation, then learning is a natural consequence of
these mechanisms.

Learning is defined as a relatively permanent change in a person’s knowledge or behavior as a

result of experience. This definition connote 3 things:

The change is long-term

The source of change comes from within the external structures of memory or knowledge of the
individual. 

The change is attributed to the personal experiences of the learner in his/her environment. 

People learn in many ways, and several theories and models have been forwarded to understand
and explain how learning occurs. One such theory is the social cognitive theory which
emphasizes the value of the social environment in one’s learning process that is built on
observational learning. Based on this theory, there are 4 stages in obsrvational learning:

When an individual focuses on information that he/she perceives to be interesting and useful
(Attention),

Stores and gives a mental representation of the information (Retention),

Recalls and rehearses the information given (Motor Reproduction), and

Repeats the entire process constantly and consistently (Motivation), then learning happens.

Learning happens even beyond the classroom; it happens in daily situations. According to the
social cognitive theory, there is an interaction of personal (cognition, personality, motivational,
orientation), environmental (family, schools and other settings, peers and social relationships),
and behavioral factors (feedback and consequence) that accounts for behavioral change.
The notion of learning is underlined by notions of self-efficacy and human agency. Self-
efficacy is defined as the extent to which people believe that they can confidently learn and

master a particular skill.

According to Albert Bandura, self-efficacy can be developed through the following:

Mastery experience. Accomplishing simple tasks that lead to more complex tasks.

Social modelling. Observing an identifiable model who accomplishes the task.

Improving physical and emotional states. Being relaxed and calm before pursuing a
challenging task.

Verbal persuasion. Providing encouragement and feedback during the accomplishment of a

challenging task.
Apart from self-efficacy, human agency is another valuable principle in the learning process.
People are not products of inner forces or environments; they are self-regulating and

proactive. 

Thus, in the learning process, studentsbare equally accountable for their performance as much as
their teachers. While teachers are considered agents of motivating the learning process, students
have the responsibility to be equally involved as well. It is in this perspective that students are
considered agents of their own learning, and they are expected to invest in their own learning,
and they are expected to invest in their own learning process.

This leads to the question of how much of an investment should students make in the learning
process. There are 2 strategies in learning that students can use:

Surface learning. Students simply accept information presented to them and memorize them in
an isolated and unlinked manner.

Deep learning. The deeper understanding of information by creating significant meaningful

links across different concepts and how it can be applied in practical ways.

To adopt deep learning strategies, students can engage in the following habits:

Taking doen notes

Asking questions during class sessions

Creating cognitive maps

Engaging in collaborative learning activities with mentors and peers

Going beyond the mandatory course requirements