L ESSON 3:

THE SELF
AS
COGNITIVE
CONSTRUC
Lesson Objectives:
1.Identify the different ideas in psychology about
the “self”;
2.Create your own definition of the “self” based
on the definitions from psychology; and
3. Analyze the effects of various factors identified
in psychology in the formation of the “self.”

2
WILLIAM JAMES
(1842-1910)
duality of self:
• “ I” is the acting and
feeling self
• “me” is the physical
characteristics and the
psychological capabilities
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that makes you who you
Other concept similar to “self” are
identity and self-
concept
• Identity is composed of personal
characteristics, social roles, and
responsibilities, as well as
affiliations that define who one is.
• Self-concept is what basically
comes to your mind when you are
asked about who you are. It also 4
Carl Rogers (1902-
1987)
he captured the idea of
self in his concept of
self-schema or our
organized system or
collection of knowledge
about who we are.
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 HOBBI
ES

FAMIL SEL RELIG

Y F ION
NATIO
NALIT
Y
6
George Herbert
mead (1863-1931)
o REGARDED AS THE
FOUNDER OF
SYMBOLIC
INTERACTIONISM
though he never
published his work on
it (LaRossa and Reitzes 7
 1993).

o Mead’s student, Herbert

Blumer, coined the term
“symbolic interactionism” and
outlined these basic premises:
humans interact with things
based on meanings ascribed to
those things; the ascribed
meaning of things comes from
our interactions with others 8
Theory of symbolic
interactionism
Symbolic interactionism is a
micro-level theory that focuses
on the relationships among
individuals within a society.
Communication—the exchange
of meaning through language
and symbols—is believed to be 9
the way in which people make
Sigmund Freud
(1856-1936)
• in his famous
psychoanalytic theory,
Freud states that
personality is composed
of three elements
known as the id, the
ego, and the superego. 10
 These elements work

Id – (internal desires) or
instinctive drives
concerned with achieving pleasures and
self-satisfaction. Id lives completely in the
unconscious.
Ego(reality)
operates based on the reality principle,
which strives to satisfy the id's desires in
realistic and socially appropriate ways. The
reality principle weighs the costs and
benefits of an action before deciding to act
upon or abandon impulses. 11
12
The Superego
(conscience)
concerned with morals, precepts,
standards and ideas. Also the critical
faculty of the personality.
Our sense of right and wrong.

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14
15
Freud's theory provides one
conceptualization of how
personality is structured and
how the elements of
personality function. In
Freud's view, a balance in
the dynamic interaction of
the id, ego, and superego is
necessary for a healthy
personality.
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 What
happens
if there
is an
imbalanc
e? Freud believed
that an imbalance
between these
elements would
lead to a
 maladaptive
r easons why self
and identity are
social product:
1. WE DO NOT CREATE
OURSELVES OUT OF
NOTHING. SOCIETY
HELPED IN CREATING
THE FOUNDATIONS OF
WHO WE ARE.
2. WHETHER WE LIKE TO
ADMIT IT OR NOT, WE
ACTUALLY NEED
OTHERS TO AFFIRM
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AND REINFORCE WHO