THE PHYSICAL SELF: BODY IMAGE AND SELF ESTEEM

Understanding the self of in different classification of physical aspects is one way to discover a
person’s real self.

The concept of Physical Self

● The understanding of the Physical self is shaped by biological and environmental factors.
● The Biological blueprint involves Heredity and its important factors. Heredity is defined as the
transmission of traits from parents to offspring. The traits are made up of specific information
embedded within one’s gene. Genotype refers to the specific information embedded within one’s
genes; not all genotypes translate to an observed physical characteristic. Phenotype is the
physical expression of a particular trait. Each individual carries 23 pairs of chromosomes, which
are threadlike bodies in the nucleus of the cell and the storage unit of genes. The 23rd pair, also
known as sex chromosomes, determines the sex of an individual. Within each chromosome is the
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions
specifying the biological development of every individual.
● Maturation is known as the completion of growth of a genetic character within an organism or
the unfolding of an individual’s inherent traits or potential.
● As you grow up, you are exposed to environmental influences that shape your physical self,
including those from your social networks, societal expectations, and cultural practices that will
lead a person to understand themselves.
● According to Santrock (2014), self-understanding is the individual’s cognitive representation of
self which consists of substance and the content of self-conceptions. Self-understanding can be
described as simple to perplex and involve a number of aspects of the self. It also changes
throughout the life span as the person grows older.
● As children advance in age, their interests change and with these come changes in their bodies.
The changes are rapid and before parents notice it, they are no longer babies but teenagers. An
obvious change in teenagers are the changes in Physical Self. The Physical Self refers to the
concrete dimensions of the body, it is the tangible aspect of the person which can be directly
observed and examined.
● Physical Characteristics are the defining traits or features of a person’s body. This is also the
first thing people see when they look at another person that could include facial features, hairstyle,
clothes, or figure. They encompass everything that one can describe about a person or group of
people, by just looking.
● Erik Erikson believed in the importance of the body from early development because the
physical as well as intellectual skills will somehow serve as a basis to whether a person has
achieved a sense of competence and be able to manage and face the demands of life
complexities. William James, on the other hand, considered the body as the initial source of
sensation and necessary for origin and maintenance of personality.
● A period of rapid physical changes is in Puberty. According to Santrock (2016), puberty is not
the same as adolescence because puberty ends prior to the end of the adolescent period. But
the recognized puberty as the most essential marker of the beginning of adolescence. The
changes experienced during puberty are different from girls and boys. Girls reach puberty earlier
than boys and experience menarche which is her first menstrual flow. Boys, two or three years
later, experience spermarche or semenarche which is his first ejaculation or nocturnal emission
(wet dreams).
● Puberty is a brain neuroendocrine process occurring primarily in early adolescence that triggers
the rapid physical changes. The Pituitary gland is the master endocrine gland that controls growth
and regulates functions of all the other endocrine glands including gonads. The chemical
substances secreted by the gonads promotes physical changes such as height, widening of the
hips and increase in fatty tissues in the breast of girls and responsible for boy’s growth of facial
and body hair, muscles, and changes in voice. The self as impacted by the body
● Different levels of connectedness characterize the relationship between self and body. These
connectedness may be in a positive or negative ways, or in helpful or destructive ways.
Nevertheless, it is between individuals as well as across situations. The potential of the physical
body to be regarded as an object introduces the possibility of trait and state body as well as the
state of the self.
● Perspectives in Understanding Physical Self:
1. Psychodynamic Perspective Freud’s theory of the ego was primarily known as body ego, that
solidifies the importance of body in understanding the self. The body and its evolving mental
representations form the basis of a sense of self (Krueger, 2002). The development of a body self
mainly has three stages: early psychic experience of the body in which sensations like tactile like
in infants enable babies to discriminate bodies from their surroundings, which contribute to the
sense of self. Next is defining body surface boundaries which is the stage of being awareness of
body image in contrast to surface boundaries. Last stage is the distinguishing of the body’s
internal states which is the stage of having cohesion of the body. In these images and experiences
of the body and the body, surfaces can be organized into holistic understanding of the body.
Theory suggests that Physical body both has objective and subjective components.
Individual’s conception and acknowledgment of their physical bodies substantiate their
assessment of the sense of totality which is an integral to his/her experience of the physical world.
Moreover, one’s experience of one’s physical body may be a key predictor of a variety of
behaviors.
2. Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective Focuses on perceptual, cognitive, and affective aspects
which is a multidimensional experience that can aid a more precise understanding of the body .
The cognitive-behavioral perspective makes multiple distinctions to facilitate precise conceptual
and operational definitions of body-image related variables.
The cognitive behavioral model of body image recognizes multiple determinants of body image
with a distinction between those determinants that are historical versus those determinants that
are proximal or concurrent that predispose or influence how people come to think, feel, and act in
relation to their body.
3. Feminist Perspective Relies on the social construction in which there is a possibility of
individuals to experience their bodies in distorted ways (especially, women). women’s
dissatisfaction with their bodies as a systematic social phenomenon rather than a result of
individual pathology (McKinley, 2002). Specifically, the duality established between the mind and
body in Western societies and the pairing of men with the “mind” and women with the “body”
contribute to women experiencing their bodies differently than men.
● Factors that affect perception of the Physical Self:
1. Personal Factors
a. Introspection and Self-reflection. Looking inward is one of the simplest ways to achieve self-
knowledge. According to Hewstone, et al., (2015) Introspection is the process is the process by
which one observes and examines one’s internal state (mental and emotional) after behaving in
a certain way.
b. Self-Perception Theory. As stated by Hewstone and Bem (2015) Selfperception theory
explains that since one’s internal state is difficult to interpret, people can infer their inner states
by observing their own behavior – as if they are an outside observer. Physical perception includes
all aspects of a person’s perception of his physical self.
c. Self-concept. According to Hewstone, et al., (2015), self-concept is a cognitive representation
of self-knowledge which includes the sum total of all beliefs that people have about themselves.
It is a collection of all individual experience involving one’s characteristics, social roles, values,
goals and fears. Physical concept is the individual’s perception or description of his physical self,
including his physical appearance.
d. Personal Identity. This is the concept a person has about himself that develops over the years.
This includes aspects of his life that he was born into like family, nationality, gender, physical traits
as well as the choices he makes, such as what he does for living, who his friends are and what
he believes in.
2. Social Factors
a. Attachment Process and Social Appraisal. According to Bowlby (1969), people learn about
their value and lovability when they experience how their mothers or caregivers care for them and
respond to their needs.
b. Maintaining, Regulating and expanding the self in interpersonal relationships .
c. The Looking-glass Self Theory. Charles Horton Cooley stated that a person’s self grows out
of society’s interpersonal interactions and the perception of others. The view of oneself comes
from a compilation of personal qualities and impressions of how others perceive the individual.
Therefore, in a looking-glass self, the self-image is shaped and reflected from the social world.
Other people’s reactions would serve as a mirror in which people see themselves particularly the
way in which they are perceived and judged by others.
d. Social Comparison. The work of Leon Festinger in 1954 introduced another way of
understanding oneself by comparing one’s traits, abilities, or opinions to that of others. Social
Comparison is a process of comparing oneself with others in order to evaluate one’s own abilities
and opinions.
There are two types of social comparison:
● Upward social comparison happens when an individual compares themselves to others who
are better than them.
● Downward social comparison happens when an individual compares themselves to someone
who is in a worse situation than they are in especially when they are feeling low. e. Social Identity
Theory (Collective Identity). This was formulated by tajfel and Turner 1973 which provides a
framework about how people achieve understanding about themselves by being a member of
their group. This idea assumes that as a member of the group they will not be discriminated
against by an out-group. It will enhance their self-esteem because they feel secured with the
shield of group membership where they belong. Social groups include gender, ethnicity, religion,
profession, political membership and business organizations.