Course Number: PSYCH 100

Course Title: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

Topic: The Material Self

A. Learning Outcomes
1. Explore the different aspects of self and identity

2. Demonstrate critical, reflective thought in integrating the various aspects of self and
identity

B. Learning Content

“Your self-esteem won’t come from body parts. You need to step away from the mirror
every once in a while, and look for another reflection, like the one in the eyes of the
people who love you and admire you.” –Stacy London

The Material/ Economic Self

“A man’s Self is the sum total of all that he can call his” – William James

Our material possessions significantly influence our sense of self. May it be conscious
or unconscious, some of our important decisions have been caused by economic
pursuits. William James, an American psychologist, defined the material self as referring
to tangible objects which we call as “mine”. They are viewed as extensions of ourselves
as our identities are associated with them.

Possessions and Behavior

Our relationships with objects have evolved over time. The following are based on
“The Psychology of Stuff and Things” (Jarret, 2013):

*Understanding Ownership

- By 2 years old: already understand the concept of ownership

- By 2 to 4 years old: children assume that the person who first possessed something is
always the owner, even if the object was already given away
- By 6 years old: exhibit “endowment effect”, the phenomenon characterized by
preferring objects which are already possessed over those which are not
*Envy/Jealousy

-Piaget observed that even babies show signs of aggression when their toys are taken
away from them and given to someone else. An observation on 22-months-old babies
in a day-care showed that almost 25% of conflicts was caused by defending a
possessed object or wanting to take another’s object.

*Attachment Object

-Most children have a “favorite” toy or object with which they have intense
relationships. A child would normally respond in horror if someone would get his
favorite toy or even make a copy of it. This may be explained by their magical
thinking, that somehow that special object has a unique essence. This kind of thinking
reappears in adulthood in the form of sentimental value, heirlooms, and mementos.

* Materialism
 When children aged between 8 and 18 were interviewed regarding what makes
them happy, materialism was seen to peak during middle adolescence (15-17 years old).
Interestingly, this is also the time when self-esteem tends to be lowest. The researchers
(Chaplin et al., 2007) also pointed out that letting adolescents have a sense of self-worth
and achievement seems to be effective in lessening their materialistic attitude.

*Sense of Identity

When research participants’ brains were scanned, the areas known to be

associated with thinking about the self were activated when they were shown objects
which were labelled with “mine”. This implies that we create associates between our
identities and things we own.

Moreover, the concept of product-image congruity specifies that we tend to buy

products which are congruent to our sense of self. Hence, we may sometimes use brands,
product designs, logos, and fashion styles to communicate our self-concept.

*Conspicuous Consumption

Conspicuous consumption is the public display of economic power by spending

much money on luxurious goods. This has been studied to communicate socio-economic
status. Also, an experiment proved that those who were wearing branded shirts were
more successful at convincing strangers to complete questionnaires, given a job, and
solicit money.

*Membership
Our possession of certain things can signal association with specific social groups.
Loyalty is one of the reasons why some fans are motivated to fall in line for many hours to
avail of a product or to spend much money on something with a logo. Moreover, some
individuals would like to be one of the “cool tribe” that is why they will do whatever it
takes to buy the limited edition.

*Loss
The more that our belongingness are linked with our identities, the more precious
they become. This explains why destroyed, lost, or stolen valuables can cause grief or
trauma. Greater than the loss of finances, people feel the psychological impact of loss.

*Disposal
There are also times when we intentionally let go of possessions. This may become a
symbolism of having a new start like when you gave away your toys when you were a
child or when you threw some mementos from a past relationship. Like a carapace, you
shed some of your belongings to have a new identity.

References
Go-Monilla, Ma. Joycelyn A. and Normaliza A. Ramirez. (2018). Understanding
the Self. Philippines: C & E Publishing, Inc.
Corpuz, Ronald M., et.al. (2019). Understanding the Self. Philippines: C & E
Publishing, Inc.
Macayanan, Jonathan V., et.al. (2018). Understanding the Self. Philippines:
C & E Publishing, Inc.

Prepared by

Quinn Fu G. Lim, MAPsych, LPT