PSYCHOLOGY

 It is derived from two Greek words, psyche meaning soul/mind; and logos meaning
study”.
 Psychology means the study of souls but now it is study of mind.
 Study of psychology is concerned with specific study of behavior and mental process.
Psychology focus on the individual, cognitive functions and other possible factors that
affect the individual.
Who am I?

 A lot of people say, “I am who I am”, yet this statement still begs the question “if you are
who you are, then who are you that makes who you are?”
 “SELF” is the “sense of personal identity and of who we are as individuals (Jhangiani
and Tarry 2014).”
 Identity- concept of an individual about himself and often referred to as “self-identity”
 “Self-identity” - is the belief of what the individuals thinks and feels about him. And can
also be influenced by how others perceive an individual
 Self-development is a continuous process throughout the lifespan; one’s sense of self
may change, at least somewhat, throughout one’s life.
 Self-representation has important implications for socio-emotional functioning
 throughout the lifespan.

WILLIAM JAMES (1890)

 One of the earliest psychologists to study the self and conceptualized the self as having
2 aspects - the “I” and the “me”.
 According to James, the “I” is the thinking, acting, feeling self. While the “me” is the
physical characteristics as well psychological capabilities that makes who you are.
James’s further assumptions on the self:

“I” (the self in action)
- Self in process, in the moment
- The impulsive, spontaneous, and
indeterminate part of the self
- Non-reflective
- Part of the self that produce individuality.
Me” (the self as an object in the world)
- The structured and determinate part of
the self
- A product of interaction and conscious
reflection
- We know the “I” only through the “me

Attitudinal Change

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering
their attitudes of the mind”. - William James

CARL ROGERS - “When I look at the world I'm pessimistic, but when I look at people I am
optimistic.”

 Carl Rogers’s theory of personality also used the same terms like William James
According to his theory, the “I” as the one who acts and decides while the “me” is what you
think or feel about yourself as an object.

Self-schema – is our organized system or collection of knowledge about who we are. It may
also include our interests, work, course, age, name, and physical characteristics.

Example:

a. When someone states your first name even if they are not talking about you, your attention
is drawn to them.

b. If you have provincial language and you hear someone using it, it catches your attention.

c. If you consider yourself a book-lover, a bookstore may always entice you out of all other
stores in a mall.

Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR)

 is a term attributed to Carl Rogers, the creator of person-centered counseling and one
of the founders of humanistic therapy.
 refers to accepting and supporting another exactly as they are, without evaluating or
judging them.
Identity and Self concept Overview

IDENTITY is composed of personal characteristics, social roles and responsibilities, as well as

affiliations that define who one is.

SELF-CONCEPT - how someone thinks about or perceives themselves. “the individual’s belief
about himself or herself, including the person’s attributes and who and what the self is."

IDENTITY- concept of an individual about himself and often referred to as “self-identity” or the
self-belief of what the individuals thinks and feels about himself.

ROLES- are also part of his identity. (E.g. birth order in the family, nature of work, occupation
or title, academic and social standing)

SELF, IDENTITY, and SELF-CONCEPT are NOT FIXED in one-time frame.

For example, when you are asked about who you are, you can say

 “ I was a varsity player in 5th grade” which pertains to the past,

 “ a college student” which may be the present, and
 “a future politician” which is the future.

EXPERIENCES OF THE SELF

The Self-concept includes two different experiences of the self:

1. THE EXISTENTIAL SELF - The concept that you are unique/different from others (Persian
poet RUMI pondered, “Who am I in the midst of all this thought traffic?”), Subjective (I).

2. THE CATEGORICAL SELF -concept (and the concept of others) tends to focus on his or her
own visible characteristics, Objective (ME).
SELF-CONCEPT

The real self is WHO WE ACTUALLY ARE. It is HOW WE THINK, HOW WE FEEL, LOOK, AND
ACT.

Self-Concept/Self-Schema Composed of 3 Things:

1. Self-Image(Real Self) – who you are at the moment (e.g. – as a student you are interested
in basketball but academically challenge in most of your subjects), It includes: Physical
description, Social Roles, Personal traits, existential statements

2. Ideal Self – who you like to be (e.g.- to practice more and play with the varsity team) is how
we want to be.

3. Ought Self ( Self-Esteem/Self-worth) – who you think you should be (e.g. – to pass your
subjects as responsible student) A person’s ideal self may not be consistent with their actual
experience (real self), or what is even possible. This is called incongruence.

Self-actualization refers to the need for personal growth and development throughout one's
life. It is the highest level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which was developed by psychologist
Abraham Maslow.

Self-Esteem and Self-Worth refers to the extent to which we like, accept, or approve of
ourselves; or how much we value ourselves.

Social Comparison Theory

One of the ways in which our social relationship affects our self-esteem is through social
comparison. According to the Social Comparison Theory, we learn about ourselves, the
appropriateness of our behaviors, as well as our social status by comparing aspects of
ourselves with other people.

There are types of social comparison:

1. Downward Social Comparison - is the more common type of comparing ourselves with
others.

2. Upward Social Comparison - comparing ourselves with those who are better off than us.

SOCIAL COMPARISON also entails what is called Self-Evaluation Maintenance Theory. In this
theory, we can feel threatened when someone out-performs us, especially when that person is
close to us (i.e, a family or a friend). In this case, we usually react in 3 ways:

• We distance ourselves from that person or redefine our relationship with them. Some
will resort to the silent treatment, change of friends, while some may also redefine by
being closer to that person, hoping that some association may give him some kind of
acknowledgment also.

• Reconsider the importance of the aspect or skill in which you were outperformed. If
you got beaten in a drawing competition, you might think drawing is not really for you
and you will find a hobby where you could excel, thus, preserving self-esteem.

• Strengthen or resolve to improve that certain aspect of ourselves. Instead of quitting

drawing, you might join seminars, practice more often, read books about it, and add
some elements in your drawings that makes it unique, among others. Achieving your
goal through hard work may increase your self-esteem, too.
CARVER AND SCHEIER (1981)

Carver and Scheier have identified 2 types of self that we can be aware of:

1. The Private self – your internal standards and private thoughts and feelings

2. The Public self – public image commonly geared toward having a good presentation of
yourself to others.

Self-consciousness

Self-consciousness is when self – awareness can be too much that we are concerned about
being observed and criticized by others.

• Looking outside – e.g. seeing other people who are better and dreaming to become the same.

• Looking inside – reflecting on what the heart desires

SIGMUND FREUD

 Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis

 Provided not only a revolutionary way of understanding human personality but also
how society affects our psychology.
 Freud's theory of human personality revealed another facet of society.
 Based on Freud's formulation, the individual human mind—the source of our
subjectivity—is created by social and cultural forces that operate beneath the level of
the unconscious self.
 Freud further concluded that mental disorder might be caused purely by psychological
factor rather than organic factors.
Freud’s view of human nature

 Freud’s view of human nature is that human beings are biological organisms motivated
by the satisfaction of bodily needs and with motivating forces that drive behavior.
True Self Vs False Self

 The true self is the core of you who are, the original you, unshaped by upbringing or
society.
 Your false self can also be called your adapted self.
SUMMARY:

✓ Study of psychology is concerned with specific study of behavior and mental process.
Psychology focus on the individual, cognitive functions and other possible factors that affect
the individual

✓ William James was one of the earliest psychologists to study the self and conceptualized the
self as having 2 aspects – the “I” and the “me”. the “I” is the thinking, acting, feeling self. While
the “me” is the physical characteristics as well psychological capabilities that makes who you
are. Carl Rogers’s theory of personality also used the same terms “I” and “me”. The “I” as the
one who acts and decides while the “me” is what you think or feel about yourself as an object.

✓ Carver and Scheier have identified 2 types of self that we can be aware of: The Private self –
your internal standards and private thoughts and feelings and the Public self –public image
commonly geared toward having a good presentation of yourself to others.

✓ In the concept of True Self vs. False Self, the true self is the core of you who are, the original
you, unshaped by upbringing or society. This is the state you were born in and it is a state that
still exists inside you. Your false self can also be called your adapted self. This is the parts of
you that have altered behavior, repressed feelings, and pushed your needs aside to fit in with
others.