Understanding the Self
Chapter 4: The Physical Self
Physical Self
- The self is the individual viewed as both
the source and the object of reflexive
behavior.
- The self is active (initiates reflexive
behavior) and passive (object toward
whom reflexive behavior is directed).
The Nature and Genesis of Self
- The self is the source of action when we
plan, observe, and control our own
behavior.
- The self is the object of action when we
think about who we are.
Self-Schema
- The influence of self on thought occurs
through the operation of the self-schema.
- The self-schema influences:
- The speed and certainty with which we
process information.
- How we interpret feedback from others.
- he storage in and retrieval from memory
of information.
Ideal vs real self
- The ideal self is a person’s conception of
how they would like to be. This ‘self’ is
partly molded by heroes (or advertising
depictions) in one’s culture.
- The actual self refers to our more
realistic appraisal of the qualities we have
and don’t have
Self/product congruence
- Self-image congruence models suggest
that products will be chosen when their
attributes match some aspect of the self.
- The ideal self seems to be more relevant
for highly expressive social products such
as expensive perfume.
Body image
- Sometimes these activities are carried to
an extreme, as people try too hard to live
up to cultural ideals. One example is
found in eating disorders, where women
in particular become obsessed with
thinness.
- A person’s conception of their body also
provides feedback to self-image. A
culture communicates certain ideals of
beauty, and consumers go to great
lengths to attain these. Many consumer
activities involve manipulating the body
whether through dieting, cosmetic
surgery or tattooing.
Prejudice
- The belief that a person or group, on the
basis of assumed racial ethnic, sexual, or
other features will possess negative
characteristics or perform inadequately.
- Types of prejudice include sexism,
racism, and ageism.
Plasticity: Responsive change to stimulation
- Lack of normal experiences
- Abnormal brain development
- Hubel & Weisel’s kittens
- Stimulating experiences key
- Plasticity greatest at critical period
- Late prenatal, early infancy
- Brain always responsive to
stimulation
Later Brain Development
- Brain grows post-birth
- Birth: 25% of adult weight
- Age 2: 75% of adult weight
- Age 5: 95% adult weight (full
weight by 16)
- Myelination through
adolescence
- Dendritic growth (more
synapses)
- Lateralization: 2 hemispheres
(interdependent)
- Left: language, complex thought
- Right: spatial skills, visual motor,
emotions
The Aging Brain
- Normal aging
- Gradual, mild degeneration
- Not senility
- Brain weight decreases
- Plasticity throughout lifespan
- Individual variation
The Infant: Reflexes
- Survival: aid in survival
- Eye-blink
- Rooting
- Primitive: no clear use
- Babinski
- Stepping
- Forerunners of useful
voluntary behavior
- Unrelated to later
expression of behavior
- Fade in early months
The Infant: Behavioral States
- Health = organized/unique pattern
- Sleep-wake pattern key
- By 6 mo: Sleep-wake patterns
established
- Birth-6 months 50% sleep is REM
- Regulate sensory
stimulation
- Growth (brain)
- Ability to learn
- Operant conditioning
- Sucking increases to sweet taste
Growth in Infancy
- Fits and starts (no steady)
- First few months 1 ounce/day, I
inch/month
- By age 2: About 1/4 adult height
- Inadequate nutrition =
growth retardation
- Catch-up growth
- Principles of Growth
- Cephalocaudal: Head to feet
- Proximodistal: Center out
- Orthogenic: Undifferentiated to
differentiated
Motor Skills in Infancy
- Rhythmic stereotypies key
- Repetitive movements before, not
after skill develops
- Dynamic systems approach
- Skills develop over time via self-
organization process
- Sensory feedback to movements
critical
- Nature (maturation) & Nurture
(experience)
- Connected to perceptual-cognitive
development
Growth in Childhood
- Slows down, but is steady
- 2-3 inches’ height & 5-6 lbs./year
- Large and small muscle control improves
- Better coordination, movement
- Reaction time decreases
- Adaptation to a changing environment
- Hand-eye movements improve
Variations in Timing (early & late
development)
- Causes
- Genetic differences
- Environmental influences
- Secular trend
- Nutritional status
- Family stress
- Psychological implications
- Early easier for boys than girls
- Late easier for girls than boys
Psychological implications
- Girls have poorer body images
- Body fat, cultural myths contribute
to negative body image for many
young women
- Boys have more positive views of their
changing bodies
- 62% view semenarche positively
v. 23% girls & menarche
- Puberty often leads to increased
independence, conflict
- Early v. late development (differences
fade over time)
- Early easier for boys than girls
- Girls can develop
problematic behavior from
older peers
- Late easier for girls than boys
- Boys tend to be more
anxious, less
confident/athletic
Adolescent Physical Behavior
- Noticeable increases in strength
- Continues for boys
- Levels off for girls
 - Biological differences: Advantages for
boys
- Gender-role socialization
- If athletic, advantages for girls
Adulthood
- Aging steady but not apparent before 40s
- Hair & skin changes, weight gain
- Weight and muscle loss in the
60’s
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Low education levels
- Osteoporosis: Calcium, exercise
- Osteoarthritis
Adulthood: Functioning & health
- Physiological systems decline from
20s
- Wide individual differences
- Exercise combats decline
- Reserve capacity
- Changes not universal
- Vast majority of older adults retain
adequate function
- 70 or older: 88% men 82%
women can walk 1/4 mile
- 92% men 88% women can
climb 10 stairs w/o rest
- Menopause
- Gradual process taking 5-10
years
- Periods more/less
frequent & less regular
- Estrogen levels decline
- Lack of ovulation and
conception impossible
- Hot flashes key symptom
(Psychological disturbance not
common)
- HRT: many risks & benefits
- Male Climacteric gradual
- Levels of testosterone declines
- May never be completely infertile
Aging:Psychological implications
- Ageism internalized
- Majority function independently
- Majority have high sense of well-being,
contentment
Physical Behavior in Older Adults
- Slowing down
- Balance and strength decline
- Exercise beneficial
- Disease, disuse, and abuse
- Birren study of men age 65-91
- Increased vulnerability to disease
- Use it or lose it
- Abuse in lifestyle
Key terms:
Anorexia- defined as a serious mental illness
where people are of low weight due to limiting
their food intake.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder- they are
preoccupied by a perceived physical flaw that is
either absent or so trivial that only the one
suffering from it as a problem, being so much
distressed about it.
Body Shaming- criticizing yourself or others
because of some aspect of physical appearance
Hereditary- the transmission or passing on traits
from the parent to the offspring.
Chapter 5: The Sexual Self
Sexuality
- Commonly defined as "the ways people
experience and express themselves as
sexual beings" (King, 2014)
- A central aspect of being a human
throughout life encompasses sex,
gender, identities and roles, sexual
orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy
and reproduction.
Sex and Gender
Sex- refers to a person's characterization as
female or male at birth, based on the
appearance of external genitalia or other
biological characteristics including chromosomes
Gender- refers to social characteristics that may
be aligned with a person's sex and adopted by
an individual as their gender identity

Development of Secondary Sex
Characteristics
Puberty
- Is the one to three-year process of
hormonal and physical change that
causes the young person to reach sexual
maturity
Secondary Sex Characteristics
- Are traits that differ between the two
sexes but are not part of the reproductive
system;
- They include breasts in females and
facial hair in males
- SSC is manifested in the stage of
puberty, there is a concurrent
development happening in the brain.
Erogenous Zone
- Being aware of the erogenous or sexually
stimulating zones of both sexes seem to
be interesting or awkward when
discussed in class
- The quality of the sensation depends on
who and how the zones are being
touched.
Sexual Violence
- Any sexual act, attempt to obtain a
sexual act, unwanted sexual comments
or advances, or acts to traffic
Sex
- Is also at times called "Love Making"
giving premium to the act of being based
in and done out of love
- 3 Stages of Romantic Love
- Lust
- Attraction
- Attachment
Sexual Response Pattern
- Pertains to the physical and emotional
responses one experiences during a
sexual activity
Diversity of Sexual Orientation
- Sexual Orientation
- Refers to our sexual preferences
towards males, females, or both.
- Gender Identity
- One's concept of being male,
female, both or neither and is
"entirely determined by
socialization (nurture), not
biological factors (nature)
Types of Sexual Orientation
1. Homosexual (gay/lesbian)
- Sexually attracted to members of
the same sex
2. Bisexual
- Sexually attracted to people of
both sexes
3. Heterosexual (straight)
- sexually attracted to members of
the opposite sex
4. Pansexual/ Omnisexual
- Can be sexually attracted to any
sex or gender identity
5. Asexual
- Not sexually attracted to any sex
or gender
Types of Gender Identity
1. Cisgender/ CS
- Gender identity consistent is with
the sex they were assigned at
birth
2. Transgender/ Transexual
- gender identity does not match
the sex they were assigned at
birth
3. Agender
- People who do not identify with
any gender
4. Non- Binary
- people who "do not identify strictly
as a boy or a gir—l they could
identify as both, or neither, or as
another gender entirely"
Sexually Transmitted Infection (STIs)
- Engaging in sexual contact, either
vaginal, oral, or anal, can give temporary
intense pleasure and with it, a possibility
of transmitting "more than 30 different
bacteria, viruses and parasites" that may
result to a lifetime of sexually transmitted
infections
- In our country, the number of HIV and
AIDS cases increases every year. In
August 2017, the Philippines was said to
have the highest HIV growth rate in the
Asia-Pacific
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Gonorrhea
- Chlamydia
- Trichomonas
- HIV
- Hepatitis
- Herpes
- Syphilis
- Pain with urination
- Pain with sex
- Discharge from genitals
Family Planning/ Contraceptive
- FP programs intend to provide accessible
information sexual and reproductive
health for people to choose from
depending on their needs and
preferences
- Contraceptives if focused on the ways
to prevent pregnancy in line with the FP
program
Chapter 6: Consumer Culture and the
Material Self
Diderot Effect
- social phenomenon related to consumer
goods. The effect comprises two ideas.
- The first idea posits that goods
purchased by consumers will be
cohesive to their sense of identity,
and as a result, will be
complementary to one another.
- One purchase be gets another. Be a
master of your possessions not a slave to
them.
- The first step towards philosophy is in
incredulity
Material Self
- William James, an individual's selfhood
can be broken down into several
fragments with the material self being
one.
- The material Self Hierarchy
Body
Clothing
Family
House
Other properties
Microcosmus
- By Herman Lotze
- States that when we bring an object into
the surface of our body, we invest that
object into the consciousness of our
personal experience taking in its contours
to be our own and making it part of the
self.
- The fabric and style we wear affects our
attitudes and behaviors.
Best Buyss: Consumer Culture and the Self
Necessity
- Mother of consumption
- Essentials (food, clothing and shelter)
- Captains of Consciousness
- Advertising and the social roots of
consumer culture by Stuart Ewan,
public relation experts Edward
Bernays was quoted that mass
psychology, although is still jot
considered as an exact science,
can indeed be used to manipulate
collective behavior without the
public knowing
The Role of Product and Services
- Now above their purpose, for they are
become the means through which we
express our lifestyle
- Brands are not anymore just mere
veneers on deeper identities but havr
become surrogates to who we are
(Barber, 2007)
Agrarian Orientation
- Basic subsistence is the way of life
- Food is not so much bought as they are
planted and eventually harvested
The Semiotics of Consumption
Our everyday interaction is governed by signs
and symbols
- Meanings- are based off conventions
and are by nature, arbitrary
- Words- are unmotivated signs, with no
fixed definitions
- Signifier- can be a phrase, sound, or
image
- Signified- the concept or abstraction
attached to it
- The relationship between the two is never
stable and can change overtime either
synchronically (at a given point) or
diachronically (over a relative period of
time)
Semiotic Diagram
Relational
- meaning assigned to a word, one cannot
be defined in complete isolation from
others
- Terrorist can only be clarified if compared
or contrasyed with similar ones such as
"guerrillas" "freedom figthers" and
"paramilitaries".
Paradigmatic Chains
- A continuum of words with identical
functions that can serve as substitute for
each other, though some may not be as
neutral when used
- This is justified by how symbols are
frequently seen as being imbued with
very specific historical or cultural
significations, depending in one's
sociocultural/ political background.
Promotion > Advertisement > Commercial>
Propaganda
The Paradigmatic Chain
Langue and Parole
Langue
- Is language as a structure that dictates
the rules and conventions
Parole
- Is any given linguistic fragment or item
extracted from that very structure
*The "Filipino" language is the language and a
remark or verbal utterance belonging to its the
parole
Denotation and Connotation
Denotation (or the "object language")
- Defined as the literal interpretation of
something
Connotation
- Pertains to culture-specific meanings and
ideologies, attached to it for our poses of
myth-making
- Anchorage and Relay
Anchorage
- Underlines the importance of text in
making sense of an image
Relay
- Puts emphasis on a more complementary
relationship
The Buyer Decision Proces The Marxist Perspective
Need Recognition- This refers to the point when
the consumer becomes aware that he/she needs
a product.
Information Search- At this stage, the
consumer looks at the options available in the
market for him to choose from.
Evaluation behavior- With the kind of choices
that the consumer has in today’s markets, it is
imperative for the consumer to rationally analyze
and evaluate his/her options. These evaluations
are done to filter out the choices which might not
be applicable to the consumer.
Purchase Decision- This is the point where the
consumer makes a choice and purchases a
certain product.
Post Purchase Behavior- This point could well
be called the climax of the buying decision
process as it is the deciding point if this would be
a one-time buy or become a habit. At this stage,
the consumer evaluates his purchase on the
perceived value that the product had for him/her
i.e. if the benefits were more than the cost or not.
The Calvinists Principle
- Consumption and wealth accumulation
are divine acts, must only done in
moderation
- To avoid the extremes of either complete
material abstinence or excess, one must
play it right down the middle
- Person's hard work justifies his/her
Consumption
- If some academic disciplines consider
consciousness as the factor that
determines society, karl marx suggest, it
is society that determines consciousness.
- The material life, with its modes of
production, defines the processes of the
self: social, political or spiritual
- Revolutionary End- the latter prevents the
former from developing what is refers to
as class consciousness
Commodity Fetishism
- A rather primitive belief that inanimate
objects can be imbued by God-like
powers.
- Pertains to how certain goods are given
high monetary value with no regard for
the labor that went into its creation, thus
effectively becoming Fetishized
commodities stripped off their human
essence
- Ex. Iphone
Alienation
- Labor in capitalist societies is often
imposed and non-voluntary, hence why
most employees avoid it like plague when
outside the premises
- Individuals work to afford gratifying
commodities (from vacations to luxury
items) but never for its own sake. The
work becomes completely separate (or
"alien") from the individual as it contains
little to no need-satisfying value
labor
consumption
alienation
as escape
Keywords: Idea of God first – creation of man, born out of
Asceticism- a lifestyle of radical simplicity, often fear of the unknown and unintelligible.
characterized by mental and physical discipline Religios Belief in the Philippines:
Class consciousness- the self-awareness of
individuals belonging to a specific class, used in
this context as the workers collectively becoming Rank Religion Population (%)
more conscious of their rights and their
ideological opposition to the ruling class 1 Roman Catholic 80.6
Proletariats- workers who have no means of
production of their own and are therefore forced 2 Protestant 8.2
to sell their labor power to buy stuff and pay the
bills 3 Muslim 5.6
Ruling Class- centralizes power to itself and
performs the majority of political functions in a 4 Other 1.9
given society
5 Tribal Religions .2

Chapter 7: The Spiritual Self 6 None .1

Spirituality
- The concept of the “whole person” is
Discovery of The Meaning of Life
usually associated to the idea of human
1.by creating work or doing a good deed
beings as having physical and
2.by experiencing something or encountering
psychological aspects.
someone
- Spirituality is belief in someone else’s
3.by the attitude we take toward unavoidable
experience
suffering
- Religion is having your own experience
Chapter 8: The Political Self
Religion – an organized group who believes and
Political self
performs the same religious or spiritual rituals.
- Defined according to the needs of the
Ritual – patterned, recurring sequence of
citizen taking into account the variance of
events.
practices and traditions.
Religious Rituals – rituals involving
manipulation of religious symbols such as
Seeking The Filipino Identity
prayers, offerings, and readings of sacred
According to the 1987 Philippine
literature
Constitution, Art. 4, Sec. 1, these are the
Witchcraft – anything that involves doing
citizens of the Philippines:
something evil.
•Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of
Magic – methods that somehow interface with
the Philippines.
the supernatural and by which people can bring
•Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino
about particular outcomes.
mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship upon
Soul - considered as spirit which is seen as the
reaching the age of maturity; and
part of human beings that will exist even after
•Those who are naturalized in accordance of
death.
law.

Belief and Practices in Supernatural Being

Indio to Filipino
and Power
Rizal – was a person of enlightened education-
Which came first God or the idea of God?
one of the illustrados, whose heightened
God first – belief in “the creation”
conscience made it difficult for him to forget the
poor plight of his people.
Spanish Colonization  Americanized 
Japanese Colonization  British 
Assimilation of American Lifestyle 
Independence and Democracy
Democracy
-the inception of democracy was derived from
American traditions and continued by the elites.
Three things that should be provided by the
government before we can see democracy as
a privilege:
(1) maintenance of peace an order
(2) protection of life, liberty, and property
(3) promotion of general welfare
Filipino Citizenship vs Me, Family, Cultural
Citizenship
Citizenship – an identity defined by a bundle of
rights and duties and by an awareness of others
in a similar position.
- One’s political identity
-
Characteristics of a Filipino Citizen
•honesty
•loyal to a larger community
•collective pride
•national identity
Typical Good Citizen
•diligent taxpayer
•honest voter
•one who follows traffic rules
•knows how to assert one’s rights and defend
those who cannot defend themselves
•cares for the environment
•honors equality between men and women
Philippine Political Culture
Community
- was understood to be as nation, though
there was also insistence for that
community to include the local
community
Two Categories of Communities:
•Minority - They are a culturally, ethnically, or
racially distinct groups that coexists with but is
subordinate to a more dominant group. They are
usually marginalized and perceive themselves as
(whether rightly or wrongly) as unrecognized by
the national government. Some examples of
such groups are Ifugao of Kala, Bukidnon of
Iloilo, and Muslims.
•Majority – would often be characterized by
Tagalog/English speakers and with
Christianity/Catholicism as the basis of faith.
Movement Toward the Common Good
- There is an idea that for as long as one is
happy and not hurting others, then they
are still good citizens. However, this
results in the lack of community
conscience where one has to deeply care
tor the community and not just the family.
- This is a bit surprising, considering the
traditionally held honored valueslike
pakikisama, bayanihan, etc. This will not
help the cause of democracy as a
political animal, we do necessarily live in
a community and feed off on each other's
rights and duties.
Art 2, Sec 12
The state recognizes the sanctity of family life
and shall protect and strengthen the family as a
basic autonomous social institution ...
Developing a Democratic Culture
Necessary values for establishing a democratic
culture:
1. Respect for and affirmation of individuals.
2. Recognition of the inherent dignity of all
human beings.
3. Concern for the public good.
4. Willingness to listen to others.
Constitution
- The highest law of the land
Organization
- The essence of social systems and
political life is the interdependence
between members of a community; the
fact that they share something in
common. In a state of independence,
 there is no organization, no society, and
no politics.
- Politics is always formed out of some
underlying social interdependence.
- Interdependence means what one does
effects another and vice versa. In such a
case no person is an island, but all to
some extent have to share some
dimension of their self with others.

Democracy
- A form f government whose ideal is that
all the adult members of a state should
enjoy the right to participate in deciding
on public matters

Nationalism
- Loyalty and devotion to one’s nation

National identity
- May be viewed as the set of meanings
and predispositions defining one’s
attachment or sense of belonging to a
national community

Participative democracy
- Emphasis on the participation of the
members to the different political process

Race jealousy
- A consciousness to prove that Filipinos
are equal with the other race.