IDENTIFY ELEMENTS OF YOUR SELF-CONCEPT

Instructions: For each category below, try your best to supply three words or phrases
that describe you. You should aim for a total of 30 items.
What cultural or ethnic descriptors are relevant to you (e.g., American, Hawaiian,
Japanese)?
1: White(American/Canadian0 2: Chinese 3: Native/Indigenous Overall: Mixed
How would you describe your personality (e.g., neurotic, stable, extraverted)?
1: Introverted 2: Chaotic 3: Distractible
What gender or sexual-orientation words describe you (e.g., female, gay, bisexual)?
1: Female 2: Queer 3: Bisexual
How would you describe your social behaviors (e.g., friendly, shy, talkative)?
1: Reserved 2: Exhibitionist 3: Judgmental
What moods or feelings best characterize you (e.g., upbeat, considerate, pessimistic)?
1: Amused 2: Fatigued 3: Stressed
How would you describe your physical condition or appearance (e.g., fit, tall,
attractive)?
1: Average 2: Round Features 3: Brawny(muscly but not exactly fit)
What talents do you possess or lack (e.g., good artist, natural writer, horrible singer)?
1: Good Rollerskater 2: Very Creative 3: Good Procrastinator(trying to work on that)
How would you describe your intellectual capacity (e.g., curious, poor reader, good at
math)?
1: Good with computer science 2: Adept(quick learner) 3: Application(apply what I learn to
everyday life)
What beliefs do you hold strongly (e.g., vegetarian, Christian, egalitarian)?
1: Generosity/Compassion 2: Equity/Equality 3: Misanthropy
What social roles are most important in your life (e.g., student, parent, restaurant
server)?
1: Daughter 2: Friend 3: Student

IDENTIFY YOUR “TOP 3”

Instructions: After determining your 30 items, choose your “Top 3”: the three
elements of your self-concept that BEST describe you and are the most important
descriptors of you.
My “Top 3” elements of my self-concept:
1: Mixed 2: Generosity/Compassion 3: Introverted
What factor(s) (e.g., biology, reflected appraisal, social comparison, or something
else) do you think have contributed to this element of your perceived self? Explain.
My introversion is something that I have joked about for a while now. The fact that I am so
introverted is sort of an inside joke for me. The main reason for that is that I used to be
very extroverted. There are a lot of real and more profound reasons for my introversion,
but I (jokingly) blame my middle school experience for turning me into an introvert.
I was very social and had a lot of friends in middle school, there was something going on
every weekend or holiday. I’d hang out with friends, family, and acquainted peers. I was
approachable and I could recharge my social battery around others. So I think my current
introversion is a result of all of that constant interaction. In short, I experienced major
social burnout and got more introverted.
There is a factor that may have played a larger role in my introversion though; COVID-19.
The pandemic hit at the peak of my extroversion, and then suddenly, I had to be alone.
Because of the circumstances, I had to spend a lot of time alone, and I got used to being by
myself. I even found that I enjoy it. I can put on a mask of extroversion so I’m not presented
as an introvert, but behind I am comfortable being alone and I am happy with that.

Purpose: To identify similarities and differences between your private self and public self.
Directions: Imagine that you were asked to create a “box” that represents who you are; the
inside of the box would represent your perceived self, while the outside of the box would
reflect your presenting self. Answer the following questions.
Part 2:
1. What words or images would you place on the inside of your box?

a. I am kind of imagining my box as my bedroom, my bedroom is very private

but perfectly represents my perceived self.

b. The words that would be in this box would be short but meaningful, words of
activism, strength, and wisdom. Phrases like “My Body My choice”, “Power to
the People” and “Climate Action Now” would definitely be inside of the box.

c. The images inside of the box would consist of loved ones in pictures, posters
of my favorite movies and bands, there would also be little doodles and
colorful artwork.

2. What words or images would you use to decorate the outside of your box?

a. To be honest there wouldn’t really be a lot outside of the box. The space
outside of the box is like a dry-erase board. Certain pictures and words are
 added into the space depending on the situation and people, but a lot of
them just get erased after a while. I present myself differently in multiple
ways, so the space around the box reflects that.

3. Are there any characteristics you would like to change in either your perceived self
or presenting self? Why or why not?

a. I’d like to change the way I present myself a bit. I don’t really present myself,
but when I do I try to be extroverted and don’t really show my real interests
or views. I guess I’d like to break the box, or at least think out of it.

4. What are the major similarities and differences in the inside and outside of your
box? In other words, compare and contrast your perceived/private self with your
presenting/public self. How do you feel about the similarities and/or differences?

a. There aren’t a lot of major similarities between the box and the space around
it. The space around the box can be similar to the box, it just depends on the
situation and the people. The differences between the two are clear though,
The box is vibrant, energetic, chaotic, and full to the brim. The space is mostly
empty and calm. I am a bit impartial to the outside of the box since I can’t
always control how others view me. I can try to be someone outside of the
box, but ultimately I can control how others view the space outside of the
box.

5. Overall, do you think it is better for our perceived selves to be similar to our
presenting selves, or do you think it is better for there to be differences between the
two? Explain.

a. Overall, I think it is better for our perceived selves to be similar to our

presenting selves. If our perceived selves never show, then how would we be
able to communicate and form genuine connections with people? Our
perceived and presenting selves are different, but they aren’t completely cut
off from each other. The more similar our perceived and presenting selves
are than the more genuine we are. And that is how we meet and surround
ourselves with the people who will support us and genuinely like to be
around us.

b. I do think it is important to change your perceived self based on the situation

though. Sometimes people have to present themselves a certain way in
social situations. Whether it be for safety reasons, professionalism, etc. I
 think it is also good to have some differences between our perceived and
present selves.

Section #2:

1. I disclosed this to my mom. We are very close, she is a single parent, and I am an
only child.
2. Based on the model, I am quite satisfied with the breadth and depth of our
relationship. As I disclosed, we’re pretty close. I basically tell her everything, and so
does she. We have trust, and we have similar views. We talk about issues, both
worldly and personal, on a regular basis. The topics we discuss range from short
story-times about our days to full-blown discussions on political issues and
controversial topics. So our depth level and breadth level were similar to the model.
I noticed that the level of breadth was higher than the level of depth in the
relationship, but this makes sense for us.