Psychological Perspectives

Psychology
- In understanding the origin of psychology,
looking at the origin of the word itself is
important. Where did the field of study
known as psychology get its name? The
English word 'psychology' comes from two
Greek words, psyche (meaning breath,
soul, life, or spirit) and logia (meaning the
study of)

Psychology: The psychology of self is the study

of either the cognitive and affective representation
of one's identity or the subject of experience

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939); Psychoanalytic

Theory (Psychoanalysis)/ Psychosexual Theory
❖ Austrian neurologist and psychotherapist
❖ Founder of psychoanalysis
❖ Obtained his medical degree from the
University of Vienna
❖ He believed that human nature is
deterministic (belief that behavior is
motivated by unconscious inner forces
over which the individual has little control)
❖ Philosophical concept: Epicureanism
(hedonism)

Erick Erickson (1902-1994); German-American

developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst/
theory of psychosocial development
❖ Self-awareness and identity – social
environment (source) was crucial in
providing growth and adjustment.
❖ Ego identity – enables each person to
Sigmund Freud: Self (The Human Psyche)
have a sense of individuality (it is the
ID - an unorganized, raw, inborn part of
awareness of the fact that there is
personality and operates according to pleasure
sameness and continuity to the ego’s
principle.
synthesizing methods and continuity of
one’s meaning for others.
EGO - strives to balance the desires of the ID
and the realities of the objective, outside world;
operates according to the reality principle.

SUPER EGO – the final personality structure to

develop; it represents the rights and wrongs of
society as taught and modeled by significant
individuals.
Albert Bandura (Dec. 4, 1925 - ) Social Learning
Theory of Development/ Self-efficacy Albert Bandura’s Self- Efficacy Belief
❖ Albert Bandura was born December 4, ● Individual’s belief in his or her own ability
1925. to organize and implement action to
❖ 1949 – Graduated from the University of produce the desired achievements and
British Columbia with a degree in results (Betoret and Artiga, 2010)
Psychology.
❖ 1952 – Received his Ph.D. in Clinical
Psychology from the University of Iowa.
❖ 1953 – Began teaching at Stanford
University.
❖ 1974 – Served as President of the APA.

Albert Bandura’s Concept of Self

❖ Individual learns through observation
(observational learning) and imitation of
others (modeling)
❖ Self is learned through/ by observing the
behavior of others (Observational
learning)
❖ Self is learned by imitating the behavior of
others (model)

William James(1842-1910) - American

psychologist and philosopher, leading exponent of
pragmatism, introduce the concept of stream
consciousness
❖ Pragmatism – an approach that assesses
the truth of meaning of theories or belief in
terms of the success of the practical
application
 ❖ Empirical Self – refers to all various ways
people answer the question, Who am I?”

3 Components of the Empirical Self

1. Material Self – consists of tangible,
objects, people, or places that belong to a
person. Bodily self (physical entities) and
Extracorporeal self or Extended self
(psychological ownership of the entities)
2. Social Self – refers to how we are
regarded or recognized by others (who we
are in a given social situation). Relational
self (self defined in terms of specific
interpersonal relationship)
3. Spiritual Self – refers to the inner self or
psychological self; subjective or most
intimate self