1.) What is self concept?

 It is an individual’s view of self. It is a subjective view and a complex mixture of unconscious

and conscious thoughts, attitudes, and perceptions. Self-concept, or how a person thinks about
oneself, directly affects self-esteem, or how one feels about oneself.
 Self-concept is one’s mental image of oneself. A positive self-concept is essential to a person’s
mental and physical health. Individuals with a positive self-concept are better able to develop and
maintain interpersonal relationships and resist psychological and physical illness. An individual
possessing a strong self-concept should be better able to accept or adapt to changes that may
occur over the life span. How one views oneself affects one’s interaction with others.
 (Nurses have a responsibility to assess clients for a negative self-concept and to identify the possible causes in order to help them
develop a more positive view of themselves. Individuals who have a poor self-concept may express feelings of worthlessness, self-
dislike, or even self-hatred. They may feel sad or hopeless, and may state they lack energy to perform even the simplest of tasks).

2.) Stages in self-concept?

3.) Characteristics of self-concept?

4.) Factors affecting self-concept

Many factors affect a person’s self-concept. Major factors are stage of development, family and culture,
stressors, resources, history of success and failure, and illness.
Stage of Development - As an individual develops, the conditions that affect the self-concept change. For
example, an infant requires a supportive, caring environment, whereas a child requires freedom to explore
and learn. Older adults’ self-concept is based on their experiences in progressing through life’s stages.
Family and Culture - A young child’s values are largely influenced by the family and culture. Later on,
peers influence the child and thereby affect the sense of self. When the child is confronted by differing
expectations from family, culture, and peers, the child’s sense of self is often confused.
Stressors – It can strengthen the self-concept as an individual cope’s successfully with problems. On the
other hand, overwhelming stressors can cause maladaptive responses including substance abuse,
withdrawal, and anxiety. The ability of a person to handle stressors will largely depend on personal
resources. It is important for the nurse to identify any stressors that may affect aspects of the self-concept.
Resources - An individual’s resources are internal and external. Examples of internal resources include
confidence and values, whereas external resources include support network, sufficient finances, and
organizations. Generally the greater the number of resources a person has and uses, the more positive the
effect on the self-concept.
History of Success and Failure - People who have a history of failures come to see themselves as
failures, whereas people with a history of successes will have a more positive self-concept. Likewise,
individuals with a positive self-concept tend to find contentment in their level of success, whereas a
negative self-concept can lead to viewing one’s life situation as negative.
Illness - Illness and trauma can also affect an individual’s self-concept. A woman who has had a
mastectomy may see herself as less attractive, and the loss may affect how she acts and values herself.
People respond to stressors such as illness and alterations in function related to aging in a variety of
ways. Acceptance, denial, withdrawal, and depression are common reactions.
Stressors Affecting Self-Concept
IDENTITY STRESSORS • Change in physical appearance (e.g., facial wrinkles) • Declining physical,
mental, or sensory abilities • Inability to achieve goals • Relationship concerns • Sexuality concerns •
Unrealistic ideal self. BODY IMAGE STRESSORS • Loss of body parts (e.g., amputation, mastectomy,
hysterectomy) • Loss of body functions (e.g., from stroke, spinal cord injury, neuromuscular disease,
arthritis, declining mental or sensory abilities) • Disfigurement (e.g., through pregnancy, severe burns,
facial blemishes, colostomy, tracheostomy) • Unrealistic body ideal (e.g., a muscular configuration that
cannot be achieved). ROLE STRESSORS • Loss of parent, spouse, child, or close friend • Change or
loss of job or other significant role • Divorce • Illness of self or others that affects role performance •
Ambiguous or conflicting role expectations • Inability to meet role expectations. SELF-ESTEEM
STRESSORS • Lack of positive feedback from significant others • Repeated failures • Unrealistic
expectations • Abusive relationship • Loss of financial security.
5.) Components self-concept?
Personal Identity – It is the conscious sense of individuality and uniqueness that is continually evolving
throughout life. People often view their identity in terms of name, gender, age, race, ethnic origin or
culture, occupation or roles, talents, and other situational characteristics (e.g., marital status and
education). Personal identity also includes beliefs and values, personality, and character. For instance, is
the person outgoing, friendly, reserved, generous, selfish? Personal identity thus encompasses both the
tangible and factual, such as name and sex, and the intangible, such as values and beliefs. Identity is what
distinguishes self from others. A person with a strong sense of identity has integrated body image, role
performance, and self-esteem into a complete self-concept. This sense of identity provides a person with a
feeling of continuity and a unity of personality. Furthermore, the individual sees himself or herself as a
unique person.
Body Image - The image of physical self, or body image, is how a person perceives the size, appearance,
and functioning of the body and its parts. Body image has both cognitive and affective aspects. The
cognitive is the knowledge of the material body; the affective includes the sensations of the body, such as
pain, pleasure, fatigue, and physical movement. Body image is the sum of these attitudes, conscious and
unconscious, that a person has toward his or her body.
Role Performance - Throughout life, people undergo numerous role changes. A role is a set of
expectations about how the person occupying a particular position behaves. Role performance is how a
person in a particular role behaves in comparison to the behaviors expected of that role. Role mastery
means that the person’s behaviors meet role expectations. Role development involves socialization into a
particular role. For example, nursing students are socialized into nursing through exposure to their
instructors, clinical experience, classes, laboratory simulations, and seminars. Role ambiguity occurs
when expectations are unclear, and people do not know what to do or how to do it and are unable to
predict the reactions of others to their behavior. Failure to master a role creates frustration and feelings of
inadequacy, often with consequent lowered self-esteem. Role conflicts arise from opposing or
incompatible expectations. In an interpersonal conflict, people have different expectations about a
particular role. People undergoing role strain are frustrated because they feel or are made to feel
inadequate or unsuited to a role. Role strain is often associated with sex role stereotypes.
Self-Esteem - It is one’s judgment of one’s own worth, that is, how that person’s standards and
performances compare to others’ standards and to one’s ideal self. If a person’s self-esteem does not
match with the ideal self, then low self-concept results. The two types of self-esteem are global and
specific. Global self-esteem is how much one likes oneself as a whole. Specific self-esteem is how much
one approves of a certain part of oneself.

1.) what is stress?

 It is the body’s physiological or psychological reaction to any stimulus that evokes a change.
 It is the emotional and physical strain caused by our response to pressure from the outside world.
 Common stress reactions include tension, irritability, inability to concentrate, frustration and a
variety of physical symptoms that include headache and a fast heartbeat.

2.) What is coping?

 Coping is action directed at the resolution or mitigation of a problematic situation .

 The ways we try to change or interpret circumstances to make them less threatening.
 In nursing it is Simply defined, coping, is the patient's ability to institute, maintain and regain
psychological homeostasis when this homeostasis is disrupted for one reason or another. Coping
can be adaptive and it can also be useless and maladaptive.

3.) Three general approaches for coping

4.) what is adaptive and maladaptive coping?

Maladaptive coping strategies are those that attempt to manage stress, but end up decreasing function
despite temporary respite from certain symptoms.
Adaptive coping strategies generally involve confronting problems directly, making reasonably realistic
appraisals of problems, recognizing and changing unhealthy emotional reactions, and trying to prevent
adverse effects on the body.
5.) what is adaptation?
It is an ongoing process by which individuals adjust to stressors in order to achieve homeostasis
(homeostasis; equilibrium between physiological, psychological, sociocultural, intellectual, & spiritual
needs).

6.) Differentiate GAS and LAS