lOMoARcPSD|18590683

Understanding The Self - Prelims Reviewer

Understanding Self (Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic
University of the Philippines)

Studocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university

Downloaded by Eniego Leysa paduganan (eniegoleysa@gmail.com)
 lOMoARcPSD|18590683
UTS Review Sheet – PRELIMS - A unified, indissoluble, immortal entity
UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives that remains the same over time
A. Philosophy - That is in the very likeness of the divine
B. Sociology - Strive for wisdom and perfection
C. Psychology - Reason is the soul’s tool to achieve such
D. Anthropology state
E. Oriental/Eastern Thought o Plato
A. PHILOSOPHY  3-Part Soul/Self (Psyche)
 HOW DO YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION: Who am I? In - The three are in a dynamic relationship
what ways do I get to know myself? with each other: in agreement or in
 Ancient Philosophy (1000 BC to 500 AD): The Ancient conflict
Triumvirate (Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato) and Post- - But it is the responsibility of the Reason to
Aristotelians restore harmony among the three
 The Ancient Triumvirate: - Harmony: justice in the individual, social,
o Socrates and political levels
 “Know thy self” - Reason: the divine essence that lets us
- Man must live and stand according to his think deeply (wisdom), make wise choices,
nature and achieve a true understanding of
- Man must look at himself eternal truths
 “An unexamined life is not worth living” Two - Physical Appetite: accounts for the basic
fundamental questions: biological needs such as hunger, thirst and
- To find what? sexual desire
 Invitation to introspection: Platonic - Spirit/Passion: accounts for the basic
theory of reminiscence emotions such as love, anger, ambition,
 Knowledge is within, inherent in man; aggressiveness, and empathy
not outside o Aristotle
 Wisdom is learning to reflect  The mind (self) is Tabula Rasa – a blank slate
- By what means?  Self is composed of matter and form
 The Socratic Method - Matter is in a continuous process of
developing and becoming
 The Process of Completion is through
experiences
- Knowledge is acquired through the sense
 Self comes from a First Cause, the source of
all changes although unchangeable itself
 The goal of the human self is reached in
happiness through moderation or balance of
things
 Two Aspects of Reality  “Happiness depends on ourselves”
- Physical - Changeable, transient, - Happiness is the central purpose of
imperfect World of Senses/Matter human life and a goal in itself
- Spiritual - Unchanging, eternal, perfect  Post-Aristotelians:
World of Ideas/Form o Maintains the dualism between body and soul
- Dualistic Reality: Body and Soul o More ethical in the ideas
o Moral norms: attainment of happiness
 Our Soul (Soul) o Stoicism
 Apathy or indifference to pleasure
Downloaded by Eniego Leysa paduganan (eniegoleysa@gmail.com)
 Teaches the development of self-control and
fortitude as a means of overcoming
destructive emotions.
 Where many people worry endlessly about
things out of their control, the Stoics think
their energy is better spent thinking of
creative solutions to problems, rather than
the issues themselves.
 Stoics acknowledge that people don’t have
control over all, or even much, of what
happens in life. And they emphasize that
worrying about things outside of their control
is unproductive, or even irrational to a person
who wants to attain tranquility.
o Hedonism
 “Eat, drink, and be happy. For tomorrow, you
will die.”
 Pleasure is the most important pursuit of
mankind, and the only thing that is good for
an individual.
o Epicureanism
 Moderate pleasure
 Epicurus advocated living in such a way as to
derive the greatest amount of pleasure
possible during one's lifetime, yet doing so
moderately in order to avoid the suffering
incurred by overindulgence in such pleasure.
 Emphasis was placed on pleasures of the
mind rather than on physical pleasures
 Medieval Philosophy:
 Theo-centric
o From the scientific investigation on nature and
search for happiness to the question of life and
salvation in another realm, in a better world (i.e.,
the afterlife)
o Influence from ancient thought:
 The (human) self endures through time
o More imposing than informing, because it was
trying to aim at paganism and barbarism
o There was an aim to merge philosophy and
religion (Christian, Jewish, Muslim)
o St. Augustine – Theologian, Philosopher
 Integrates Platonic ideas with the tenets of
Christianity
 Platonic Realm of Idea = Christian Philosophy
of a Transcendent God

 The self strives to achieve union with God
through faith and reason
o St. Thomas Aquinas
 Self-knowledge is dependent on our
experience of the world around us (objects in
our environment)
 We don’t encounter ourselves as isolated
minds or selves, but rather always as agents
interacting with our environment
 The labels we attribute to ourselves are taken
from the things we encounter in our
environment (Examples: Gardener, Artist,
Kind, Loving)
 “The things that we love tell us what we are”
 Experiencing that something exists doesn’t tell
us what it is
 Knowing and learning about a thing requires a
long process of understanding; same with the
mind and the self – with experience and
reason
 Modern Philosophy (14th Century to the early 20th
Century)
o Genuine knowledge has to be based on
independent rational inquiry and real world
experimentation, rather than dependent on
knowledge handed down by authorities
 Anthropocentric
o Thinkers began to reject the scholastics’ (medieval
thinkers) excessive reliance on authority
o Period of radical social, political and intellectual
developments
o Rene Descartes
 “Cogito ergo sum”
 “I think, therefore, I am”
 Human identity: self-awareness
 The Self if a thinking thing which can exist
independently of the body
 Dualism
Downloaded by Eniego Leysa paduganan (eniegoleysa@gmail.com)
lOMoARcPSD|18590683
o John Locke
 The self endures because of memory
 Conscious awareness and memory of previous
experiences are the keys to understanding the
self
o David Hume
 Impressions – basic sensations of experiences
 The self is a “bundle or collection of different
perceptions, which succeed each other in an
inconceivable rapidity, and are in perpetual
flux and movement”
o Immanuel Kant
 A priori concepts
 The self actively organizes all the sensations
and thoughts into a picture that makes sense
to each one of us
 Self as subject, not object
o Sigmund Freud – Father of Psychoanalysis
 The self is multi-tiered/multi-layered:
- Conscious – refers to those thoughts and
feelings that we are aware of
- Preconscious – experiences that are
unconscious but could become conscious
with little effort
- Unconscious – contains all drives, urges or
instincts that are beyond our awareness
but motivate our feelings, thoughts and
behavior
 Contemporary Philosophy (Late 20th Century)
o Gilbert Ryle
 The self is defined in terms of behavior that is
presented to the world
 The self is a pattern of behavior, the
tendency or disposition for a person to
behave in a certain way in certain
circumstances
o Paul Churchland
 Grounded in neuroscience
 The mind/self is the brain
o Political Revolution
o Industrial Revolution
o Scientific advancements and growth of
materialism
o Theory of Evolution
o More humanist as a response to the so called
alienation of the human person
o Edmund Husserl
 We experience our self as a unity which the in
mental and physical are seamlessly woven
together
o Maurice Merleau-Ponty
 “Lived Body”
 An entity that can never be objectified or
known in a completely objective sort of way,
as opposed to the “body as object” of the
dualists
 “There is no duality of substance but a
dialectic of living being in its biological milieu”
B. SOCIOLOGY - The self as a product of modern society among
other constructions
 The Self in the Sociological Perspective
o Classical sociological perspective: the self is a
relatively stable set of perceptions of who we are
in relation to ourselves, others, and to social
systems
o The self is socially constructed in the sense that it
is shaped through interaction with other people
o As with socialization in general, the individual is
not a passive participant in this process and have
a powerful influence over how this process and its
consequences develop
 The Looking Glass Self (Charles Horton Cooley)
o A person’s self grows out of a person´s social
interactions with others
o The view of ourselves comes from the
contemplation of personal qualities and
impressions of how others perceive us
o Actually, how we see ourselves does not come
from who we really are, but rather from how we
believe others see us
 Johari Window (Joseph Luft & Harrington Ingham)
o Technique used to enhance the individual's
perception on self and others.
Not known to the
Known to the self
self
Known to others Open/Area Blindspot
Not known to
Hidden/Facade Unknown
others

C. PSYCHOLOGY - The self based on psychoanalytic approach
and cognitive construction
 The Structure of the Self (Sigmund Freud)
o ID (Biological Self) – Pleasure Principle
 Natural part of the self
 Animalistic nature of man
 Pleasure seeking part of the personality
 Determined by the genetic code ▪ Providing
the raw materials
 Setting the boundary conditions for
development
 Instincts, Impulsive, Instant gratification,
Infancy
 The id represents the basic need of man. If it
is not satisfied, it could result to stress and
tension. If satisfied, it could give you comfort
and joy.
 If the id is properly controlled it could bring
warmth and comfort
 If the id is angered or provoked it could
destroy not only himself but also his
surrounding
o SUPEREGO (Social Self) – Idealistic/Moralistic
Principle
 The superego incorporates the values and
morals of society which are learned from
one's parents and others
 Starts at preschool years, Standards/norms,
Should (what’s right to do), Small voice of
God
o EGO (Psychological Self) – Reality Principle
 The only region of the mind that is in contact
with reality; it operates to fulfil the reality
principle
 The ego constantly tries to reconciles the
irrational wants of the id and the superego
with the realistic demands of the world
 When the scale is out of balance, it is the
responsibility of the EGO to mediate the
conflict between the ID and SUPEREGO
 Weak ego will lead to ANXIETY
 To protect the ego from anxiety, we use
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
 Ego Defense Mechanisms
o Repression - when the ego is threatened, it
unconsciously forgets or block unpleasant feelings
Downloaded by Eniego Leysa paduganan (eniegoleysa@gmail.com)
lOMoARcPSD|18590683
o Displacement - redirecting unacceptable urges to
less threatening people or objects
o Regression - the ego may revert back to an earlier
stage during times of stress or anxiety
o Projection - attributing the unwanted impulse to
another person.
o Sublimation - suppression of unwanted impulses
by substituting it with a creative cultural
accomplishment
 Functionalism (William James)
o Focused on the operation of conscious activity
(Examples: Thinking and Learning)
o Study of man’s adjustment to his environment:
Materials, Capacities and Skills
 The self as a cognitive construction
o Symbolic Interactionism (George Herbert Mead)
 Two aspects of self awareness: “I and the
Me” self
- The “me” is the socialized aspect of the
person
- The “I” is the active aspect of the person
o Imaginary Audience - Adolescents are thought to
believe that others are always watching and
evaluating them, and that they are special and
unique
o Self-Concept – Mental Representation
 What we look like
 How we feel in different types of situation
 How we behave towards others
 What do we do at work
 What are the roles we have in the family or
society
o Real and Ideal Self (Carl Rogers)
 A person's ideal self may not be consistent
with what actually happens in life and
experiences of the person
 Hence, a difference may exist between a
person's ideal self and actual experience
 Carl Rogers believed that for a person to
achieve self-actualization they must be in a
state of congruence
 The Self as defined by Social Comparison (Leon
Festinger)
o Temporal Comparison - Considering your present
condition in relation to how you were in the past
o Social Comparison - Evaluating yourself in
comparison to others – using others as a basis for
evaluating your attributes
o How does the social comparison process work?
 Depending on the level of someone’s
motivation, he/she may have the tendency to
compare himself/herself with others either in
an UPWARD or DOWNWARD kind of
comparison
o Two Modes of Social Comparison
 Upward social comparison
- When we compare ourselves with those
who we believe are better than us
- Often focus on the desire to improve our
current level of ability
- A highly motivated person tends to engage
in upward comparisons, and usually
assume himself/herself as better or equal
to the “best person” Studies have shown
that if given a chance, people choose to
make upward comparisons instead of
downward ones
 Downward social comparison
- When we compare themselves to others
who are worse off than ourselves
- Often centered on making ourselves feel
better about our abilities
- A person who is unhappy or is
unmotivated usually engages in this to feel
better about himself/herself
- Two Modes of Downward social
comparison
 Passive Downward Comparison
 Happens when a person takes
into consideration the previous
condition in making comparison
 Example: A low performing
student comparing
himself/herself with a worse off
student
 Active Downward Comparison
 Happens when a person
compares himself/herself with
others by demeaning or causing
harm to them
 By derogating the target or
causing harm to him/her, this

person generates a situation in
which the target is worse off
than him/her, therefore giving
him/her the chance to make a
downward comparison
 Self-Evaluation and Self-Enhancement
o Motivation plays a role in this model and is
manifested by self-evaluation and self-
enhancement
o Self-evaluation occurs when someone looks for
positive traits in himself/herself based on the best
person he/she compares himself/herself with
o Self-enhancement, on the other hand, occurs
when the person questions which aspects of
himself/herself need to be improved to reach the
level of goodness of the person he/she is
comparing himself/herself with
 Self-Esteem
o Used to describe a person's overall sense of self-
worth or personal value
o In other words, it refers to how much you
appreciate and like yourself
o Self-esteem is often seen as a personality trait,
which means that it tends to be stable and
enduring
 Reference Group
o A group to which an individual or another group is
compared
o Sociologists call any group that individuals use as
a standard for evaluating themselves and their
own behavior a reference group
 The Creation of Identities
o One’s identity must balance the need to be similar
to one’s reference group with the need to be a
unique individual
o Children become aware of the need for a group
identity and are often afraid or acting differently
o Teens often seem torn between the need to
assert their own individual identity and the need
to conform to their reference group
o New identities are forged in relation to work,
parenthood, economic status, and ageing
D. ANTHROPOLOGY - The self and person in contemporary
anthropology & the self being embedded in culture
 Western Self vs. non-western Self
o Western Self – autonomous and egocentric
lOMoARcPSD|18590683
o Non-western Self - identity shared with others
and derived from a culture instead of a “self”
 Individualism vs. Collectivism
o Individualism
 A human being has an individualistic nature
and is an independent part of the universe
and the society
 Individual rights take center stage
 Independence is highly valued
 Being dependent upon others is often
considered shameful or embarrassing
 People tend to be self-reliant
 The rights of individuals tend to take a higher
precedence
 People often place a greater emphasis on
standing out and being unique
o Collectivism
 A human being is an integral part of the
universe and the society
 People are fundamentally connected
 Duty towards all others is a very important
matter
 Social rules focus on promoting selflessness
and putting the community needs ahead of
individual needs
 Working as a group and supporting others is
essential
 People are encouraged to do what's best for
society
 Families and communities have a central role
E. THE SELF IN ORIENTAL/EASTERN THOUGHT - The self as
embedded in relationships and through spiritual development
in Confucian thought
 Asian Schools of Thought
o Buddhism (Siddhartha Gautama)
 Buddha discovered why life is filled with
suffering and how humanity can escape from
this unhappy existence
 Experience in the transformations of
consciousness and stages of meditation
 Buddha denies the self: no self, no individual
 No-self is the nature of an intuitive and
subjective perception toward oneself beyond
the ordinary range of human experience that
is full of the anxieties and defensiveness
Downloaded by Eniego Leysa paduganan (eniegoleysa@gmail.com)
 To study the self is to deny the self - When
self becomes anxiety-free, one can act
spontaneously
 Everything is impermanent in the continuous
becoming of lived experience
 Implies emphasis on compassion for others
and conduct ourselves with restraint out of a
sense of responsibility
o Hinduism (Fusion of various Indian cultures and
traditions)
 Hindus believe that an individual’s action
(karma) – the bad or good actions that the
individual performed in a previous life
determines his or her caste
 In simple terms, the law of karma suggests
that a person's mental and physical actions
are binding
 The law of karma is very much verifiable in
real life
 We all have seen in our own lives, and in
nature too, that we reap what we sow
 Our successes and failures are mostly
products of our own thoughts and actions
o Taoism (Lao-Tzu)
 Relativity of opposites (i.e., yin and yang)
 Self does not exist without the existence of
the other
 Self as a separate identity is supported by the
equal and opposite sensation of otherness
o Confucianism (Confucius)
 It is only through the continuous opening up
of the self to others that the self can
maintain its wholesome personal identity
 A person who is not responsive to others is
self-centered
 Confucian self is relational and
interdependent
 Belief that certain sets of human
relationships are basis for moral community
 Filial piety is a foundational concept in the
thought of Confucius
- to be good to one's parents
- to take care of one's parents
- to engage in good conduct not just
towards parents but also outside the
home so as to bring a good name to one's
parents and ancestors

- to ensure male heirs
- display sorrow for their parents’ sickness
and death
- to bury their parents and carry out
sacrifices after their death
UNIT 2: Unpacking the Self
A. Physical Self
B. Sexual Self
C. Material/Economic Self
D. Spiritual Self
E. Political Self
F. Digital Self
A. PHYSICAL SELF - The self as impacted by the body
 “Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to
everything else.” –Leonardo da Vinci
 "I am not who I think I am. I am not who you think I
am. I am who I think you think I am.“ - Charles Horton
Cooley
 is the concrete dimension, the tangible aspect of the
person that can be directly observed and examined.
 “Physical Self/Body is an initial source of sensation and
necessary for the origin and maintenance of
personality” –William James
 Psychosexual Theory of Development (Sigmund
Freud)
o In the Psychoanalytical school, Sigmund Freud's
construction of self and personality makes the
physical body the core of human experience.
 Oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital stage
o The role of bodily organs is especially important in
early developmental stages of a persons life.
o Later in life, the development of physical as well
as intellectual skills help determine whether the
individual will achieve a sense of competence and
ability to choose demanding roles in a complex
society.
 Somatic Society (Bryan Turner)
lOMoARcPSD|18590683
o The sociology of the body become an established
discipline in the 1990’s.
o Bryan Turner, coined the term “somatic society”
which means the new found importance of the
body in contemporary society.
 Eating Disorders
o Anorexia Nervosa - characterized by loss of body
weight and refusal to eat. Appetite is usually
intact.
o Bulimia Nervosa - characterized by recurrent and
frequent binge eating with or without vomiting.
 Body Dysmorphic Disorder
o characterized by a distressing and impairing
preoccupation with an imagined or slight defect in
appearance.
 Body Shaming
o Criticizing your own appearance, through a
judgment or comparison to another person.
o Criticizing another’s appearance in front of them
o Criticizing another’s appearance without their
knowledge.
o Many people especially women spend
tremendous expenditure of time, effort and
money to alter their appearances to resemble an
ideal image.
o We are NOT our bodies. We live in our bodies, but
our bodies do not make up WHO we are.
B. SEXUAL SELF - Understanding one’s identity and sexuality
 Biological Perspective of One’s Sex
o At conception, egg and sperm unite to create a
new organism that incorporates some
characteristics of each parent.
o The first 22 pairs are called AUTOSOMES. The last
pair is known as the SEX CHROMOSOMES.
o Genetic basis for Sex Determination: X and Y
chromosome
 Human Reproductive System
Downloaded by Eniego Leysa paduganan (eniegoleysa@gmail.com)
 Secondary Sex Characteristics
 Erogenous Zones
o where the libido is centered (according to Freud)
o parts of the body that experience heightened
sensitivity and/or signal sexual arousal of some
kind
o Needs stimulation by engaging the person in
gratifying activities
 The Sexual Response Cycle
o Is a model that describes the physiological
responses, that occur during sexual activity.
o The hypothalamus is the most important part of
the brain for sexual functioning.
 It produces important sexual hormones that
are then secreted by the pituitary gland
o Sex hormones that influence sexual behavior
include:
 Oxytocin, Prolactin, Vasopressin
 Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and
Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
 Others include testosterone in males and
estrogen and progesterone in females.
o 1. Desire (Libido)
 The stage in which a man or woman begins
to want or "desire" sexual intimacy or
gratification, may last anywhere from a
moment to many years.
o 2. Excitement (Arousal)
 Muscle tension increases.
 Heart rate quickens and breathing is
accelerated.
 Skin may become flushed (blotches of
redness appear on the chest and back).
 Nipples become hardened or erect.

 Blood flow to the genitals increases, resulting
in swelling of the woman's clitoris and labia
minora (inner lips), and erection of the man's
penis.
 Vaginal lubrication begins.
 The woman's breasts become fuller and the
vaginal walls begin to swell.
o 3. Plateau
 The changes begun in phase 1 are
intensified.
 The vagina continues to swell from increased
blood flow, and the vaginal walls turn a dark
purple.
 The woman's clitoris becomes highly
sensitive (may even be painful to touch) and
retracts under the clitoral hood to avoid
direct stimulation from the penis.
 The man's testicles are withdrawn up into
the scrotum.
 Breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure
continue to increase.
 Muscle spasms may begin in the feet, face,
and hands.
o 4. Orgasm (Climax)
 Involuntary muscle contractions begin.
 Blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing are
at their highest rates, with a rapid intake of
oxygen.
 Muscles in the feet spasm.
 There is a sudden, forceful release of sexual
tension.
 In women, the muscles of the vagina
contract. The uterus also undergoes rhythmic
contractions.
 In men, rhythmic contractions of the muscles
at the base of the penis result in the
ejaculation of semen.
o 5. Resolution
 Swelled and erect body parts return to their
previous size and color.
 This phase is marked by a general sense of
well-being, enhanced intimacy and, often,
fatigue.
 Refractory period
 Lust, Attraction and Attachment
o Lust and attraction shut off the prefrontal cortex
of the brain, which includes rational behavior.
Downloaded by Eniego Leysa paduganan (eniegoleysa@gmail.com)
lOMoARcPSD|18590683
o The hypothalamus regulates the function of the
pituitary gland to secrete hormones.
o Chemistry of Lust, Attraction and Attachment
 The hypothalamus of the brain plays a big
role in stimulating the production of the sex
hormones testosterone and estrogen from
the testes and ovaries
 Attraction involves the brain pathways that
control “reward” behavior, which partly
explains why the first few weeks or months
of a relationship can be so exhilarating and
even all-consuming.
 High levels of dopamine and norepinephrine,
are released during attraction. These
chemicals make us giddy, energetic, and
euphoric, even leading to decreased appetite
and insomnia.
 Attachment is the predominant factor in
long-term relationships. While lust and
attraction are pretty much exclusive to
romantic entanglements, attachment
mediates friendships, parent-infant bonding,
social cordiality, and many other intimacies
as well.
 Primary hormones: oxytocin and vasopressin
 Oxytocin (cuddle hormone) is produced by
the hypothalamus and released in large
quantities during sex, breastfeeding, and
childbirth.
 Sex vs. Gender
o Sex (sometimes called biological sex, anatomical
sex, or physical sex)
 A person’s identity based on their physical
characteristics, genes and hormones.
 Male: Penis
 Female: Vagina
 Intersex: chromosomes and hormones of a
female/male but external genital is like that
of a male/female
 Also refers to sexual acts, as in ‘having sex’
 Primary and Secondary Sex characteristics
o Gender
 is the structure of social relations that
centers on the reproductive arena, and the
set of practices that bring reproductive
distinctions into social processes.
 A term that refers to social or cultural
distinctions associated with a given sex; it is
generally considered to be a socially
constructed concept.
 Gender underlies assumptions regarding
‘Masculine’ or ‘Feminine’ behavior
 Refers to the attitudes, feelings and
behaviors that a given culture associates
with a person's biological sex.
 Behavior that is compatible with cultural
expectations is referred to as gender -
normative;
 Behaviors that are viewed as incompatible
with these expectations constitute gender
non - conformity(APA, 2012).
 Sexual Diversity
o Sex and gender are often thought of as binary
categories; that is, we can be either male or
female, or feminine or masculine. However, this is
a FALSE assumption.
o Although sex can be quantified by DNA and
genetic testing, sometimes the results are difficult
to make sense of with regard to their social
implications.
o Gender Identity – Who you think you are
 One's innermost concept of self as male,
female, a blend of both or neither – how
individuals perceive themselves and what
they call themselves which can be the same
or different from their sex assigned at birth.
 Gender identity, in nearly all instances, is
self-identified, as a result of a combination of
inherent and extrinsic or environmental
factors.
 CISGENDER – A person whose gender
identity matches his or her assigned sex
 TRANSGENDER – A person whose lived
experiences do not match their assigned sex
 Transwoman - person whose assigned sex is
male and identifies as a woman
 Transman - person whose assigned sex is
female and identifies as a man
o Gender Expression – How you demonstrate who
you are
 Refers to the ways that humans choose to
display their gender identity to the world
usually expressed through: behavior,

clothing, haircut or voice and which
may/may not conform to socially defined
behaviors and characteristics typically
associated with being either masculine or
feminine.
o Sexual Orientation/Attraction - Who you are
romantically and sexually into
 Sexual orientation is all about who you are
physically, spiritually, and emotionally
attracted to (specifically into sexual and
romantic attraction), and the labels tend to
describe the relationships between your
gender and the gender types you’re attracted
to.
 Straight (Heterosexual) - Attracted to people
of the opposite gender
 Gay/Lesbian (Homosexual) - Attracted to
people of the same gender
 Bisexual- Can be attracted to both men and
women
 The Church and Sexuality
o Sexual Intercourse
 The two primary purposes of sexual
intercourse are: “UNITIVE”(unite the couple)
and “PROCREATIVE”(create more people).
 Pope Francis on Sexuality: Pope Francis has
repeatedly spoken about the need for the
Catholic Church to welcome and love all
people regardless of sexual orientation.
 Sexually Transmitted Infections
o 1 million STI cases everyday worldwide
(WHO,2016)
o Estimated 357 million each year are infected by 1
of 4 STIs: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis,
Trichomoniasis (WHO, 2016)
o Drug resistance is a challenge esp. for Gonorrhea
(WHO, 2018)
o Poor young females more vulnerable than well-off
counter parts (Abrigo, n.a.)
 Most Common Sexually Transmitted Infections -
transition of the terms from “STD” to “STI” in an
effort to clarify that not all sexually transmitted
infections turn into a disease
o SYPHILIS
 Caused by Treponema pallidum
 Painless open ulcers on the genitals, rectum,
mouth, or skin surface
lOMoARcPSD|18590683
o TRICHOMONIASIS
 Caused by Trichomonas vaginalis
 foul-smelling vaginal discharge
o GENITAL HERPES
 Caused by Herpes Simplex Virus
 Cluster of fluid filled blisters around genitals
o GONORRHEA
 Caused by Neisseria gonorrhea
 Pus-like discharge from the tip of the
penis/vagina
o CHLAMYDIA
 Caused by Chlamydia trachomatis
 Inflamed cervix with frothy discharge
o HIV and AIDS
 TRANSMITTED THROUGH: Unprotected sex ,
Drug addicts, Blood transfusion, Pregnancy,
Non-sterile instruments
 NOT TRANSMITTED THROUGH: Touching,
Food, Kissing, Insect bites, Swimming in
pools
 How to avoid STIs and AIDS
o ABSTINENCE - The most reliable way to avoid
infection is to not have sex (i.e., anal, vaginal or
oral).
o VACCINATION- Vaccines are safe, effective, and
recommended ways to prevent hepatitis B and
HPV.
o MUTUAL MONOGAMY - Mutual monogamy
means that you agree to be sexually active with
only one person, who has agreed to be sexually
active only with you.
C. MATERIAL/ECONOMIC SELF - The Self in association to
his/her possessions
 William James on the “Self” from his book The
Principles of Psychology (1890)
o “A man’s self is the sum total of all that he can call
his, not only his body and his psychic powers, but
his clothes and his house, his wife and children,
his ancestors and friends, his reputation and
works, his lands and horses, and yacht and bank-
account. All these things give him the same
emotions. If they wax and prosper, he feels
triumphant; if they dwindle and die away, he feels
cast down,—not necessarily in the same degree
for each thing, but in much the same way for all.”
 Material Self refers to tangible objects, people, or
places that carry the designation my or mine.
Downloaded by Eniego Leysa paduganan (eniegoleysa@gmail.com)
o BODILY SELF refers to any part of our body. These
entities are clearly an intimate part of who we
are.
o EXTENDED SELF refers to anything that is beyond
our body (Psychological ownership)
 Functions of Possessions
o Possessions can go beyond their functional value.
 Influence
 Power
 Sympathy
 Social status
 Emotion
 Materialism
o The importance a consumer attaches to worldly
possessions.
o The extent to which consumption becomes the
primary source of satisfaction, as well as the
dominant mode of motivation.
 Symbolic Communication Model: Possessions as
Symbolic Expressions of Identity
o There’s an observation that one’s possessions are
considered a part of oneself. They are symbols
and extensions of the personal and social aspects
of her identity/personhood.
o Possession help people define themselves.
o Possessions can enhance one’s image and develop
a positive sense of self.
o It can be a reassurance that one is the person
one’s wishes to be.
o Goods and possessions are used to fill in or to
compensate for the person lacks.
o Possessions and Self-Identity
 For example: A recent Ph.D., for example,
may prominently display his diploma in an
attempt to convince himself (and others) that
he is the erudite scholar he aspires to be.
 Even though you are not too smart or not
qualified, so long as you wear an expensive
watch, an high-class pair of shoes and you
have the latest model of cellphone.
 Conspicuous Consumption
o Consumers own high-priced, status-oriented
goods to impress others and to convince them of
their high social status.
 Loss of Possessions

o Acquisition of material possesions
o Possessions become symbolic expression of self-
identity
o Loss of possessions
o Loss of important aspect of self
o Negative reactions
 Possessions as Unstable Meanings
o Meaning is in a constant state of flux.
o Cultural categories of person that help shape
identity are subject to constant manipulation by
individuals, social groups, and marketing agents.
o Meanings of objects that are used to make visible
and stabilize the categories of culture are also
subject to frequent change through their
appropriation in advertising, in television
programming, and among social subgroups.
 Pets as Extensions of the Self
o Pets have become parts of the extended self. Pets
belong to the top 5 possessions.
o Positive relationship between self-esteem and
owning pets (Covert et al,1985)
o The dog as “co-therapist” (Levinson, 1962)
D. SPIRITUAL SELF - The practice of religion: belief in
supernatural being and power
 Religion and Spirituality
o Religion–an organized system of ideas about the
spiritual or supernatural realm, that is
accompanied by rituals. Through rituals, people
attempt to influence things that they think are
beyond their control.
o Spirituality – also concerns an aspect of the
divine and supernatural but is often times limited
to the individual, with no need for any formal
organization. This is the search for meaning and
direction in life and the ways
o The two are related: Although not separate from
one another, spirituality is much more profound
than religion.
 Religion: Rituals
o Religions have rituals/ritu.
o What ever is done repeatedly.
o 2 types of ritual
 According to the Calendar (Calendric)
 Based on crisis
Downloaded by Eniego Leysa paduganan (eniegoleysa@gmail.com)
lOMoARcPSD|18590683
 Examples of Catholic Rituals o aids individuals to find personal meaning of life,
o Fasting (Pag-aayuno) whatever life situation they may be.
o Healing (Panggagamot)  Someone – special someone, friend,
o Offering (Pag-aalay) children, and family
o “Panalanging walang patid”  Deed, Act or Work – finding fulfilment and/or
o Attending mass (Pagmimisa) being passionate about one’s work/deed
o Praying a novena (Pagnonobena)  Suffering – through
o Praying the rosary (Pagrorosaryo) • rumination/contemplation, we get to have a
o Senakulo deeper sense of our self and experiences.
 Philippine Mythology E. POLITICAL SELF - Developing a Filipino Identity
o Hula  Political Self – an increasing awareness of the deeply
o Tawas dysfunctional and divisive nature of many of our
o Kulam traditional political and economic institutions.
o Dwende  Politics – refers to the actions or activities concerned
with achieving and using power in a nation or society.
o Diwata
 Politics as imbibed by man implies several things:
o Ligaw na kaluluwa
o Concerned with power
o Faith healer
o Functions based on a particular social economic
 Philippine Ethnic Religious Leaders and Places
and cultural context
o BAYLAN UNDIN OF AGUSAN DEL SUR - leader in
o Based on one’s personality
rituals (“shamans”)
o Goes hand in hand with the society Politics,
o APUNG BENITA OF AYTA - one of the respected
Citizenship and the Self
“mag-aanito.”
 Active Citizenship
o PILGRIMAGE TO MT. BANAHAW - considered as
o Structured forms of engagement with political
holy mountain, where the spirits of Filipino
processes and everyday forms of participation in a
heroes dwell
society.
o THE MALE BABAYLAN (ASOG) - now considered as
o Engaging in such activities can also enhance
healers or herbalists
efficacy and competence of the younger
 The Meaning of Spirituality (Yabut, 2013)
generation, as they are considered to be the
o It is phenomenological experience.
“future leaders of the society”
o This has to do with the human being.
 Political Self among Filipinos in the Present
 Stages of Faith Development for Adolescence (Fowler,
o The SWS survey was conducted through face-to-
1981)
face interviews with 1,440 adults 18 years old and
o SYNTHETIC CONVENTIONAL STAGE (age 12 and
above.
up) conformity to authority and the religious
o One out of 4 Filipinos looks for senatorial
development of a personal identity. Any conflicts
candidates who "will not be corrupt"
with one's beliefs are ignored at this stage due to
F. DIGITAL SELF - Self and identity in the cyberspace
the fear of threat from inconsistencies.
 Cyberpsychology
o INDIVIDUATIVE-REFLECTIVE STAGE (age 21 and
o New field within applied psychology
up) stage of angst and struggle. The individual
o Branch of psychology that examines:
takes personal responsibility for his or her beliefs
 how we interact with others using
and feelings. As one is able to reflect on one's
technology
own beliefs, there is an openness to a new
 how our behavior is influenced by
complexity of faith, but this also increases the
technology
awareness of conflicts in one's belief.
 how technology can be developed to best
 Logotherapy
suit our needs

 how our psychological states can be affected
by technologies
 Cyberpsychology
o Mainly focused in the world wide web specifically
Social Media Other technologies involved:
 Online and offline gaming such as video
games
 Mobile computing
 Artificial intelligence
 Virtual reality
 Augmented reality
 Self and identity in the cyberspace
o Identity – development of one’s self-concept,
including one’s thought and feelings about oneself
ONLINE WORLD ONLINE WORLD
o Online Anonymity - Gives people the chance to
present any of these three selves and hence
permits individuals to better present aspect of
their true selves than they would feel capable of
doing in a face-to-face interaction
 Environments affecting the online behavior
o Identifiable Offline world
 any deviance from established social norms
may be punished or ridiculed.
 A person’s true self is often inhibited
o Anonymous Online World
 the masks people wear offline are often
discarded and their ‘true’ selves allowed to
emerge.
 E.g. negative rants in Twitter, Facebook
freedom walls
o Identifiable Online world
 People may tend to express their “hoped-for
possible selves” (socially pleasing identities)
 e.g. Edited and filtered photos in Facebook,
posting of achievements Understanding the
Self UNIT 2: Unpacking the Self
 Online Behavior Theories
o EQUALISATION HYPOTHESIS (Kiesler et al., 1984)
 With the removal of the social cues, a
reduction of associated stereotypes may
occur, and therefore may lead to increased
social power in the online world
 Individuals who hold less power in society
should have increased power in the online
environment
Downloaded by Eniego Leysa paduganan (eniegoleysa@gmail.com)
lOMoARcPSD|18590683
 E.g. posting of unique contents/complaints in
social media to gain attention
o SOCIAL IDENTITY MODEL OF DEINDIVIDUATION
EFFECTS (SIDE) THEORY (Zimbardo, 1979)
 Importance of the situational explicit
variables in a social situation
 Strengthens the influence of social norms
and their effect when social identity is strong
 E.g. joining Facebook groups with similar
beliefs/values
 Impression Management
o selectively-self presenting or editing messages to
reveal socially desirable attitudes and dimensions
of the self
 The role of anonymity in impression management
o 6 different types of Privacy (Pederson, 1979)
 Reserve
 Isolation
 Intimacy with family
 Intimacy with friends
 Solitude
 Anonymity
o Positive effect in the role of privacy or the amount
of contact that someone has with others
o Negative effect – increased aggression and anti-
social behavior
o Autonomy - where people can try out new
behaviors without fear of social
 Responsible use of social media Setting Boundaries to
your online self: Smart Sharing
o Guide Questions to consider before posting:
 Is this post/story necessary?
 Is there a real benefit to this post –is it funny,
warmhearted, teachable –or am I just
making noise online without purpose?
 Have we (as a family or parent/child)
resolved this issue? An issue still being
worked out in the home, or one that is either
vulnerable or highly emotional, should not
be made public.
 Is it appropriate? Does it stay within the
boundaries of our family values?
 Will this seem as funny in 5, 10, or 15 years?
Or is this post better suited for sharing with a
small group of family members? Or maybe
not at all?
 Responsible use of social media Are you a Good Web
Citizen?
o Guidelines for proper sharing of information and
using the internet
 Stick to safer sites
 Guard your passwords
 Limit what you share
 Remember that anything you put online or
post on a site remains forever, even if you try
to delete it.
 Do not mean or embarrass other people
online
 Be choosy about your online friends
 Be patient
 Digital World issues and conflicts
o Fear of missing out (FoMO)
 exists when an individual is anxious of being
left out and feels the constant need to know
what the others are doing
 It is an anxiety that emanates from the
feeling that you are not up to date because
of the phase social media and news pass very
quickly
o Screen Dependency Disorder
 Emerging problem (not yet included in DSM-
5 and/or ICD-10)
 dependent, problematic behavior, including
withdrawal symptoms, increasing tolerance
(for screen use),
 failure to reduce or stop screen activities,
lying about the extent of use, loss of outside
interests, and continuation of screen use
despite adverse consequences.
o Internet gaming disorder
 is a pattern of excessive and prolonged
Internet gaming that results in a cluster of
cognitive and behavioral symptoms,
including progressive loss of control over
gaming, tolerance, and withdrawal
symptoms, analogous to the symptoms of
substance use disorders.
 Conditions for further study (DSM-5)