Psychological

Perspectives of the Self

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

 PSYCHOLOGY

 The scientific
study of behavior
and mental
processes
 Behavior – overt
 Mental Process -
covert
William James

 The self is composed

of the "me"
(empirical self) and
the "I"
(transcendental self)

 Parts of the empirical

self:
 the material self
 the social self
 the spiritual self
 What is the self?

 I-self
 That part of you who knows who you are

 Thinking self

 Me-self
 That part of you based on your personal experiences
 Material – physical attributes & possessions
 Social – how a person acts in a social situation
 Spiritual – most intimate / important; one’s purpose,
moral behavior
 Activity: My “IDEAL SELF”

 Describe what you will be or what you want to

be in the next ten years, including your goals
and ambitions, places you want to go to, and
the things you want to have, among others.
Include views and ideas about who and what
you spire in the future.
Carl Rogers

 Real self vs Ideal self

 Real self
 Who one truly is &
what one can do.
 Ideal Self
 What one should be
(goals / aspirations)
 Self-concept
 The image of one’s
self
 Incongruence

Real Self Ideal Self

 Congruence

• Open, authentic, communication in

which the way I present myself to
the world matches what I think
and feel at a deeper level.
• Rogers writes, "I have found, in
my relations with persons, that in
the long run it does not help to
pretend to be something I am
not."
Moving Towards Congruence

Real Self

Ideal Self
 Rogers' Self Theory

The most innate tendency of humans is

a drive towards self-actualization
Donald Winnicott

 True Self vs. False

self
 Is what you are
thinking consistent
with what you doing?
 Albert Bandura

 The self as a proactive and agentic.

 Agency
 The ability of a person to play a part in his/her self-
development and self-renewal.
 4 features of human agency:
1. Intentionality – ability to plan
2. Forethought – ability to anticipate consequences of
one’s actions
3. Self-reactiveness – ability to make choices and
motivate one’s self
4. Self-reflectiveness – ability to reflect or examine
one’s thoughts and actions.
Albert Bandura

 Self-efficacy
 A person’s belief about
his or her capabilities
to perform a task.
 High self-efficacy
individuals believe
they can perform well
while low self-efficacy
individuals doubt their
ability to perform.