PSYCHOLOGICAL

SELF
Prepared by: Ms. Faith Cantular
 PSYCHOLOGY
Is the scientific study of how people behave, think,
and feel. It includes topics such as how the brain
works, how your memory is organized, how people
interact in groups, and how children learn about
the world. In fact, everything that concerns the
human being is a concern of psychology.
Psychology will scrutinize all of these processes so
that human beings will understand how it is to be
“YOU”.
THE SELF AS A COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTION

Cognition refers to "the mental

action or process of acquiring
knowledge and understanding
through thought, experience, and
the senses".

ALL relating/ involving conscious

intellectual activity or mental
processes such as thinking,
reasoning, or remembering.

Self-theorists argue that it is

natural for humans to form
theories about themselves, both
as a single entity and as a group,
to make meaning of one’s
existence and experience.
 JEAN PIAGET’S THEORY OF
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Swiss clinical psychologist is known for his pioneering work in child
development.
Pioneered the “Theory of Cognitive Development” a comprehensive
theory about the development of human intelligence.

THEORY OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

It is a progressive reorganization of mental processes resulting
from biological maturation and environmental experience.
Children construct an understanding of the world around them.
Experience inconsistencies between what they already know and
what they discover in the environment and adjust their ideas
accordingly (McLeod, 2009).
Cognitive development is at the center of the human organism.
 3 COMPONENTS OF
PIAGET’S THEORY:
1. SCHEMAS/SCHEMES
the building blocks of knowledge; mental
organizations that individuals use to understand
their environments

2. ADAPTATION
involves the child’s learning processes to meet
situational demands

3. STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
They reflect the increasing sophistication of the
child’s thought process.
 3 COMPONENTS OF PIAGET’S THEORY:
1. SCHEMAS/SCHEMES
the building blocks of knowledge; mental organizations that individuals use to
understand their environments
 3 COMPONENTS OF
PIAGET’S THEORY:
2. ADAPTATION
involves the child’s learning processes to meet
situational demands
 ADAPTATION
Piaget describes two processes used by an individual in his/ her attempt to adapt.
ASSIMILATION ACCOMMODATION
happens when people encounter
the application of previous completely new information or
concepts to new concepts. when existing ideas are
challenged.

When the child encounters a horse, The process of accommodation then

they might assimilate this information allows the child to adapt the existing
schema to incorporate the knowledge
and immediately call the animal a dog. that some four-legged animals are horses.
 3 COMPONENTS OF
PIAGET’S THEORY:
3. STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
They reflect the increasing sophistication of the child’s thought process.
People form new schema or alter existing mental categories to accommodate new
information.
 Jean Piaget’s: Theory of Cognitive Development

SENSORIMOTOR REFLEXES: The PREOPERATIONAL ANIMATION: The

child learns by child uses
doing: looking, language and
touching, symbols, including
sucking. letters and
numbers.
The child also
has a primitive EGOCENTRISM is
understanding also evident.
of cause- and
effect CONSERVATION
relationships. marks the end of
the preoperational
OBJECT stage and the
PERMANENCE: beginning of
appears around concrete
9 months. operations
 Jean Piaget’s: Theory of Cognitive Development

CONCRETE FORMAL
OPERATIONAL OPERATIONAL Begins to think
The child abstractly and
demonstrates reason about
conservation, hypothetical
reversibility, problems.
serial ordering,
and a mature Begins to think
understanding more about
of cause-and - moral,
philosophical,
effect ethical, social,
relationship. and political
issues that
Thinking at this require
stage is still theoretical and
concrete. abstract
reasoning
Jean Piaget’s: Theory of Cognitive Development
HARTER’S SELF- DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT
Psychologist, author, and professor.
Detailed the emergence of self-concept and
asserted that the broad developmental
changes observed across early childhood,
later childhood, and adolescence could be
interpreted within a Piagetian framework.
She expanded her self-development concept
until adulthood.
 SUSAN HARTER’S SELF- DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT

1. EARLY CHILDHOOD 2. MIDDLE TO LATER CHILDHOOD

the child describes the the self is described in terms

“self” in terms of concrete,
observable characteristics,
such as physical attributes,
material possessions,
behaviors, and preferences
of trait-like constructs that
would require the type of
hierarchical organizational
skills characteristic of logical
though development
 HARTER’S SELF- DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT

4. EMERGING ADULTS
3. ADOLESCENCE

The marked characteristic

the self is now described of “Self” is having a vision
more abstractly, such as of a “possible self”.
inner thoughts, emotions, It is the “age of
attitudes, and motives. possibilities”.
WILLIAM JAMES AND THE ME-SELF; I-SELF

He is known to be “The Father of American

Psychology”,
A philosopher, psychologist, and university
professor.
Gave one of the earliest self- theory
psychological analysis.
According to James, the “self” has two
elements: “I self” and the “Me- self’.
 WILLIAM JAMES AND THE ME-SELF; I-SELF

The I-self
The I-self has 4 features:
1. A sense of being an agent or 3. A sense of continuity.
initiator of behavior. ”I am the same person from day to
”I believe my actions have an day.”
impact; that I cause an effect
in my environment”. 4. A sense of awareness about being aware.
”I understand what is going on in me
2. A sense of being unique. and around me; I know I understand it.”
”This is how I am different
from everything in my
environment; I perceive there
is only one Me.”
 WILLIAM JAMES AND THE ME-SELF; I-SELF
The Me-self
Self that is the object; a self
that you can describe (i.e.
physical characteristics,
personalities, social roles,
relationships, thoughts,
feelings).
William James called it the
“empirical self”.
Empirical is defined as
“based on, concerned with, or
verifiable by observation or
experience rather than pure
theory or logic."
The Dimensions of the the "Me- self”
MATERIAL
Consists of everything an individual call uniquely
as their own. Physical appearance and extensions
of it such as clothing, immediate family, and home.
SOCIAL
Social skills and significant interpersonal
relationships. Social recognition a person can get
from other people.
SPIRITUAL
Personality, character, defining values. A person's
inner or subjective being
CARL ROGERS’ HUMANISTIC
PSYCHOLOGY
This approach highlighted the individual’s innate drive
toward self- actualization and the process of realizing
and expressing one’s own capabilities and creativity.
Emphasized the active role of the individual in shaping
their internal and external worlds.

ACTUALIZING TENDENCY
Rogers coined the term “actualizing tendency” which
refers to the person’s basic instinct to succeed at his/
her highest potential; highlighted free will and the
great reservoir of human potential for goodness.
 CARL ROGERS’ PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
He believes that the world is in a center of constant
changes, and the person reacts to these changes.
As a result of this constant interaction with the
environment and others, an individual form a
structure of the self or self-concept- an organized,
fluid, conceptual pattern of concepts and values
related to the self.
SELF-CONCEPT
Self-concept is how we perceive our behaviors, abilities,
and unique characteristics. For example, beliefs such as "I
am a good friend" or "I am a kind person" are part of an
overall self-concept.
POSITIVE SELF-CONCEPT
the person would tend to feel good about themselves and
generally see the world as safe and positive.
NEGATIVE SELF-CONCEPT
then he/ she may feel unhappy with who he/she is.
 ROGER'S DIVIDED THE SELF INTO 2 CATEGORIES
IDEAL SELF VS. REAL SELF
Is the person that you would like Is the person you actually are.
yourself to be.
It is how you behave right at the
Concept of the “best me” who is moment of a situation.
worthy of admiration.
It is who you are in reality- how you
Idealized image of the self that the think, feel, or act at present.
individual has developed based on
what you have learned and
experienced.
 THE IMPORTANCE OF ALIGNMENT
CONGRUENCE
When your real self and ideal self are
very similar, you experience congruence.
High congruence leads to a greater
sense of self- worth and healthy,
productive life
INCONGRUENCE
When there is an inconsistency between
your ideal and real selves, or if the way
you are is not aligned with what you
want to be, then you experience
incongruence.
Incongruence leads to maladjustment.

MALADJUSTMENT
Refers to the inability to react successfully and
satisfactorily to the demands of one’s environment.
Inability to maintain effective relationships, function
successfully in various domains, or cope with
difficulties and stresses.
 MULTIPLE VS. UNIFIED SELVES

“Properly speaking, a man has many social selves

as there are individuals who recognize him and
carry an image of him in their head” (William
James, 1890).
On the other hand, ”But the concept of the self
loses its meaning if a person has multiple selves…
the essence of the self involves the integration of
diverse experiences into unity. In short, unity is
one of the defining features of selfhood and
identity”. (Roy Baumeister, 2010).
 GORDON ALLPORT’S
PERSONALITY THEORY
He proposed that every person
possesses “traits”.
A “trait” is the essential characteristic
that never, ever changes and sticks with
you all your life. It also shapes who you
are (how you think, feel, or behave).
In other words, a trait is a personality
characteristic that meets three criteria:
it must be consistent, stable, and vary
from person to person.
He further believed that personality
was biologically determined but could
be shaped by someone's environment.
 ERIC BERNE'S EGO STATES
(TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS MODEL)
Transactional Analysis Model is anchored on two notions:
Every person has three parts called “ego states” in his/her personality.
People communicate with one another assuming roles of any of these ego states.
PARENT EGO STATE ADULT EGO STATE CHILD EGO STATE
Is the voice of authority. Is the rational person. Behaviors, thoughts, and feelings
are replayed from childhood.
Comforting “nurturing It is the voice that speaks
parent” voice or a reasonably and knows how There are 3 child ego states;
“controlling/critical parent” to assert himself/herself. Natural Child
voice that tells what you Loves to play but is sensitive and
should and should not do. Behaviors, thoughts, and vulnerable
feelings which are in direct
Contains the attitudes and response to the here and Little Professor
behaviors that are observed now. A curious child who wants to try
and copied from the everything,
individual’s caretakers and Adaptive Child
figures. One who reacts to the world.
Could be trying to fit in or is
The “shoulds’ and the rebelling against authority.
‘oughts” of life.
 ERIC BERNE'S EGO STATES
(TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS MODEL)
CASE STUDIES:
PARENT EGO STATE ADULT EGO STATE
James decided to go and
Bob was the leader of see his aunt who lived in
his group of friends the next town – as he
and it was he who had never left his town
always set the time that before, he had to get his
they should meet, map out to work out how
where they should go, he would get there – this
and what they ‘should he did successfully and
do’. He often shook his he got to his aunt’s house
finger at his friends at the time he said he
reprovingly. People in would. Thus we can see
his circle of friends that James used his adult
eventually got fed up ego state to work out
with him and many left logically, given the facts,
the group. how to solve a given
problem.
CHILD EGO STATE
Fiona when a small girl
could get her father to do
anything she really wanted.
Indeed as she grew up she
was very good at
managing to get men to
do what she wanted. Later,
she was fired from several
jobs by her bosses who
said they felt she was
manipulating them.
 GREGG HENRIQUES' DOMAINS OF THE SELF
The human self has three related, but separable domains.

EXPERIENTIAL SELF PRIVATE SELF-CONSCIOUS PUBLICSELF/PERSONA

the theater of consciousness;
the first to experience its
beingness
jumping at a loud sound,
feel a surge of pleasure when
a song you love comes on the
radio, realize you're hungry,
feel a sneeze coming on.
the narrator or interpreter.
the self that narrates the
unfolding of events and tries
to make sense of the
experience
a tendency to introspect and
examine one's inner self and
feelings.
the image that you show to
the public.
this is the self that interacts
with others and will influence
how others see you.
“I'm very concerned about
the..."
D.W. WINNICOTT’S: TRUE VS. FALSE SELVES
Imagine that people are like
onions.
The center of the onion needs
to be protected by layers, and
at the center lies our true self.
These layers are our false
selves.
He proposed the healthy core
of a healthy person’s self is
hidden from the outside world,
uninfluenced by external
(harsh) realities,
The false self is put up to
defend the core from realities
and prevent it from any
changes
 D.W. WINNICOTT’S: TRUE VS. FALSE SELVES
FALSE SELF
A defensive organization is formed by the infant because of inadequate mothering or failures in
empathy.
Is a mask or persona that seeks to anticipate people’s demands and comply with them as a way of
protecting the true self from an unsafe world.

HEALTHY FALSE SELF UNHEALTHY FALSE SELF

This happens when the person has a false self but
can still function both as an individual; and in
society, then he./she has healthy false self.
It feels that the healthy false self is connected
with the true self.
An individual may seem happy or comfortable in
his/her environment but actually forced to fit in
and constantly needs to adjust his/her behavior
to adapt to the social situation is said to have an
unhealthy false self.
 D.W. WINNICOTT’S: TRUE VS. FALSE SELVES

TRUE SELF
Flourished in infancy if the mother is positively
responsive to the child’s spontaneous expressions.
Winnicott described “true self” as a sense of self” based
on the spontaneous authentic experience,”
It is an awareness that bodily functions are working.
It has a sense of integrity and wholeness.
A sense of being alive and real in one’s mind and body,
having feelings that are spontaneous and unforced.
A child whose mother is positively responsive and
supportive to the child's natural process of individuation
will grow up as an adult with a stable self-image, views
other people realistically, and accepts both the positive
and negative side of every person including oneself.