LESSON 1: THE PHYSICAL

SELF: THE SELF AS

IMPACTED BY THE BODY
 HOW WELL DO I KNOW
MYSELF
1. Choose a partner and sit together face to face.

2.Get a piece of paper and make two columns. In the first column, write five characteristics
that best describe your physical self.

3. In the next column, write five physical characteristics that best describe your partner. You
can base these characteristics on his/her physical appearance.

How I Describe My Physical Self How I Describe my Partner

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
4.After completing the list, exchange papers with your partner. Put a tic mark on the characteristics that are
consistent (appear both in your first column and in your partner’s second column.

5.Underline descriptions that are not found in the list of how you see yourself. Discuss these descriptions
with your partner.

6.Share some of your insights about the activity using as guide the following questions:

a. Did you and your partner agree on the characteristics that you think physically describe you? Why or
why not?

b. What descriptions of yourself in your partner’s list do you have questions about?

c. Did you include in your descriptions negative aspects of yourself?

d. What did you learn about your physical self from this activity?
SELF UNDERSTANDING
According to Santrock (2014), self-understanding is the individual's cognitive
representation of the self which consists of the substance and the content of self-conceptions.
The development of self-understanding in adolescence can be described from simple to
perplex and involves a number of aspects of the self. It differs from the child's understanding
of self which changes throughout the life span as the person grows older. The following
discussions are facets that aim to unpack oneself to be able to understand the self as an
adolescent.
GROWING UP
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 no longer have babies but unpredictable teenagers. It is at this
stage that parents should respect their teenagers' privacy and allow them enough space to grow but at the same
time let them know that their parents are always there ready to LISTEN and to provide SUPPORT.

An obvious change in teenagers are the changes in their physical selves. 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 the person's body. The first thing a person
sees when he looks at another could be their facial features, hairstyle, clothes, or figure. These physical
characteristics can easily be distinguished with the naked eye. They encompass everything that one can describe
about a person or group of people, by just looking.
GROWING UP
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 the origin and maintenance of personality.

When children reach 10–12 years of age, puberty begins and they are now in the adolescent period. This
transition period in the human life span lasts from 18 to 22 years of age (Santrock, 2016). The age bracket of the
period of adolescence, however, may very across different groups. The World Health Organization describes,
adolescents is a young people whose age ranges from 10–19 years and are often thought of as a healthy group.
GROWING UP
According to healthy children.org, adolescence is divided into three periods:

1. The first is early adolescence (from 11 to 14 years old)

2. The second is middle adolescence (from 15 to 17 years old)

3. The last stage is the late adolescence (from 18 to 21 years old)

In the Philippines, the Youth in National-Building Act (1994) defined youth according to ages which cover
between 15–30 years. This age range was created by the National Youth Commission. Though there exists a
difference in the age range for what in the Philippine society may be considered as young, the physical changes
that these youth undergo in the period of adolescence are virtually the same as other adolescents anywhere in the
world.
PUBERTY: A PERIOD OF RAPID PHYSICAL CHANGES

According to Santrock (2016), puberty is not the same as adolescence because puberty ends prior to the
end of the adolescent period. But he recognized puberty as the most essential marker of the beginning of
adolescence. The changes that are experienced during puberty are different for girls and boys. Girls
reached puberty earlier than boys and experience menarche which is her first menstrual flow Boys, two
to three years later, experience spermarche or semenarche which is his first ejaculation or nocturnal
emission (wet dreams).
PUBERTY: A PERIOD OF RAPID PHYSICAL CHANGES
Santrock further explained that puberty is a brain-neuroendocrine process occuring primarily in early
adolescence that triggers the rapid physical changes that occur in the adolescent stage of human
development. The pituitary gland is the master endocrine gland that controls growth and regulates the
functions of all other endocrine glands, including the gonads (ovaries for girls and testes for boys).
Chemical substances (hormones) secreted by the gonads (sex glands) are distributed by the blood stream
throughout the body. These hormones (oestrogen for girls) promote physical changes such as increase in
height, widening of the hips and increase in fatty tissues in the breast of girls. It is also this influx of
hormones (androgen and testosterone for boys) which is responsible for the boy's growth of facial and body
hair, muscles and changes in the voice.
PUBERTY: A PERIOD OF RAPID PHYSICAL CHANGES

These rapid changes would either be classified as secondary sexual changes which are physical changes
that distinguish boys from girls and primary sexual changes which are changes in the reproductive organs
that prepare both boys and girls for procreation.

It is to be remembered that although human development is a progressive process, variations occur

because of individual differences in such factors as health, nurture and heredity.
 BODY IMAGE

Santrock stated that one psychological aspect of physical change in puberty is that "adolescents become
preoccupied with their bodies and develop images of what their bodies are like." They are at a stage of
forming their body image.

Body image refers to the way one sees himself/ herself or the way he/she imagines how he/she looks. How
they see themselves can either be positive or negative. Recent research revealed that adolescents with the
most positive body images are engaged in health enhancing behaviour such as eating a balanced diet and
exercising regularly. In general, girls are less happy with their body images than boys throughout puberty.
Moving towards the end of puberty, however, both girls and boys feel positive about their body images.
 BODY IMAGE

Adolescents with poor body images have negative thoughts and feelings about their appearance which can
either be true or not. A healthy body image is made up of positive thoughts, feelings and acceptance of
one's body and overall physical appearance.

Young adolescents usually experience an imaginary audience which refers to an egocentric state where the
individual imagines and believes that many people are actively listening to or watching him or her. In
social psychology, this phenomenon is called spotlight effect which refers to the belief that others are
paying more attention to the person's appearance and behaviour than they really are. People. especially
adolescents, sometimes tend to overestimate the extent to which. others notice them or their bodies (Myer,
2015).
My Body Image
Directions: Read the following and indicate whether or not it applies to you by writing YES or NO in the
space before each number.

1. I always check my body in the mirror. 6. I am satisfied with my body.

2. I put extra effort to maintain my body figure. 7. It matters to me how I dress.

3. I always post my photos on Facebook. 8. I make it a point to eat well.

4. I always use sunblock and moisturizers. 9. I always take time for physical activities.

5. I take it personally when I receive negative 10. I take vitamins every day.

comments about my body.

My Body Image
Evaluate Yourself: If most of your answers are YES, what does it mean about how you perceive your body?
If most of your answers are NO what does it mean?
My Body Image
How I see my body: Using the figures below, encircle parts of the face and body that you are proud of and
consider to be your best physical assets. Share this with the class.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT PERCEPTION OF THE
PHYSICAL SELF
1. Personal Factors
a. Introspection and Self-reflection. Looking inward is one of the simplest way to achieve self-knowledge.
According to Hewstone, et al., (2015), introspection is the process by which one observes and examines
one's internal state (mental and emotional) after behaving in a certain way. Studies, however, show that
introspection is limited because people are commonly motivated to keep unwanted thoughts and
experiences out of memory and consciousness. This means that people have a low self-insight on aspects
about the self where they wish were not true and many people tend to overestimate their positive aspects.

b. Self-Perception Theory. As stated by Hewstone (2015), Bem in 1972 self-perception theory explains
that since one's internal state is difficult to interpret, people can infer their inner states by observing their
own behaviour- as if they are an outside observer Physical perception includes all aspects of a person's
perception of his physical self.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT PERCEPTION OF THE
PHYSICAL SELF
1. Personal Factors
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 experiences involving one's characteristics, social roles, values, goals and fears. Thus, it
pertains to all characteristics the person enumerates when asked to describe who he is. Physical self-
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 a living. who his friends are and what he believes in.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT PERCEPTION OF THE
PHYSICAL SELF
2. Social Factors
a. Attachment Process and Social Appraisal. According to Bowlby (1969), people learn about their value and
lovability when they experiences how their mothers or caregivers care for them and respond to their needs.
These earliest interactions are important in developing who they are. Caregiving that is consistent and
appropriately responds to the infant's needs promote positive self concept; whereas caregiving that is neglectful
and unresponsive creates a negative self-concept believing that they are not worthy and that others cannot be
trusted. This is developed prior to achieving self-awareness.

b. Maintaining. Regulating and Expanding the Self in Interpersonal Relationships. Aside from the attachment
developed when individuals are still young, the sense of self is continuously shaped through ongoing
interaction with others or with significant relationship partners. They act as "private audiences with whom
people carry an internal dialogue. Oftentimes, however, people are not aware that they are being influenced by
these private audiences.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT PERCEPTION OF THE
PHYSICAL SELF
2. Social Factors
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 looking glass self, the
self-image is shaped and reflected from the social world. Other people's reaction would serve as a mirror in
which people see themselves particularly the way in which they are perceived and judged by others.

Later in in life, people internalize other people's appraisal of them through more cognitively reflected
processes. Reflected appraisal are inferences regarding other's appraisal of a person. It is gained by observing
how people react towards the individual. These reflected appraisals are internalized and become part of self
concept which guidez future behaviour (Santrock 2016).
FACTORS THAT AFFECT PERCEPTION OF THE
PHYSICAL SELF
2. Social Factors

d. Social Comparison. Hewstone et. al (2015) cited 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. Supposed a
person got a raw score of 70 in an exam of 100 items, the person has no idea what the score means until he
compares it to other people's scores. 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

 Downward social comparison

For a person to have a healthy self-image, it is important to never compare oneself to others. Rather one should
set realistic standards for himself.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT PERCEPTION OF THE
PHYSICAL SELF
2. Social Factors

 Upward social comparison happens when an individual compares himself to others who are better than him.
For example, an adolescent male who values a well-built, muscled physique compares himself to one who is a
body builder to inspire him to do workouts to get the 'abs' that he desires. On the negative. when an individual
compares himself with someone better than him, he may experience inferiority, envy or frustration.

 Downward social comparison happens when an individual compares himself to someone who is in a worse
situation than he is especially when he is feeling so low. This may make himself feel better knowing that he is
more fortunate than this person. On the other hand, comparing oneself to a less fortunate person may give rise
to feelings of superiority and arrogance. Facebook is the biggest venue of social comparison.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT PERCEPTION OF THE
PHYSICAL SELF
2. Social Factors

e. Social Identity Theory (Collective Identity) was formulated by Tajfel and Turner in 1979 which provides a
framework about how people achieve understanding about themselves by being a member of their group.
People have a need for a positive social identity that is why they connect to a wider social network. This idea
assumes that as a member of the group they will not be discriminated 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.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT PERCEPTION OF THE
PHYSICAL SELF
2. Social Factors
SELF
The person that someone truly is or the
entire person of the individual.
The total characteristics or qualities of a
person both known and unknown to others
but known to oneself.
IDENTITY
The total characteristics or qualities of a
person both known and unknown to others
but known to oneself.
The traits and characteristics, social
relations, roles, and social group
memberships that define who one is.
A way of making sense of some aspect or
part of self-concept (Leary and Tangney
(2012)
FACTORS THAT AFFECT PERCEPTION OF THE
PHYSICAL SELF
2. Social Factors

Above is a comparison of self and identity. The self belongs to an individual level analysis which includes self-
esteem, self-states, self-efficacy and the like. Identity is based on societal or cultural level analysis such as
cultural concept of oneself and cultural make up which makes a person who he is.

Leary and Tangney (2012) explained that identities are not the stable markers of what people expect to be, but
rather are dynamically created in the moment. Choices that feel identity-consistent in one situation may not
necessarily feel identity-consistent in another situation. This flexibility identities make the self useful. Identity
is a description of who a person is, his roles, likes and dislikes, as well as his history or experiences based on
his understanding of himself. The social milieu, therefore, is crucial in developing the individual's self-
knowledge either from direct or indirect feedback through interaction, interpretation of how others see them
and group identification.
 THE IMPACT OF CULTURE ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF-
ESTEEM: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEAUTY

After going through all the concepts and theories (both personal and social) that may affect the person's view of
his physical self, there's another factor that strongly impacts this perception, his cultural milieu. Culture is
defined as a social system that is characterized by the shared meanings that are attributed to people and events
by its members (Hewstone, 2015).

A significant aspect of culture that strongly influences adolescents who are in a face-to-face encounter with
their physical selves is how their culture conceptualizes beauty. Young adolescents are forced to adhere to
society's definition of beauty lest they be labelled ugly or 'pangit' in the local dialect. In this age of plastic
surgery or 'retoke, water-proof and oil-proof make-up, hair color and highlights, colored contact lenses and
photo shop, NOBODY is ugly.
 THE IMPACT OF CULTURE ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF-
ESTEEM: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEAUTY
Merriam and Webster defines beauty as the quality of being physically attractive or the qualities in a person or a
thing that give pleasure to the senses or the mind. Although the definition given is specific for what people may
generally believe to be beautiful, it should be noted that in every culture and in every individual, the standards
of beauty vary a lot. For it is said that 'beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. "Put simply what one may consider
beautiful may not be for another.

The bottom line is, for a young adolescent who is awkwardly experiencing physical changes, who is
inexperienced and innocent of the complexities of the world, BEAUTY is what social media dictates, what
fashion models look like, and how his/her favourite celebrity dresses and behaves. So, how this adolescent
compares would be the basis of his/ her body image and self-esteem.

The body image created by the adolescent which includes perception and feelings about oneself could either be
positive or negative. This is based on how the adolescent measures up to the cultural standards of an ideal body
image.
 THE FILIPINO CONCEPT OF BEAUTY
Eurocentrism is defined as "a tendency to interpret the world in terms of European or Anglo-American values
and experiences. Filipinos with eurocentric features are seen everywhere in media. With their fair skin and tall
noses, they grace the spotlight and sweep Filipinos with flat noses and dark complexions under the rug.
Billboards and advertisements showcase Filipino mestiza and mestizo artists who usually deceive foreigners on
how a majority of Filipinos look like. There is even a trend of seeing mixed Filipinos as the default attractive
standard-as evidenced by the Filipinos bringing home beauty titles from international competitions. This extant
standard of beauty has strong implications on how the Filipinos in the society perceive beauty.
 THE FILIPINO CONCEPT OF BEAUTY
The 'tisoy' and 'tisay' beauty standard is strongly promoted in media today by casting actors that do not
physically resemble the everyday Filipino. If ever. the Filipino-looking actor will be cast with a supporting or
minor role to the mestizo or mestiza-looking lead. Further, media is perpetuating the idea that the European
standard of beauty is the only thing that can be deemed as beautiful. The Filipino culture has been whitewashed
so much that it is as if their heritage and identities do not matter at all in the global schema. An aspect of
Eurocentrism called colorism is defined as "the prejudicial or preferential treatment of same-race people based
solely on the color of their skin". So, a person who is morena or dark-skinned in the Philippines is usually
advised to use pampaputi or whitening products. Oftentimes, they hear comments like "pumuti ka lang,
gaganda ka na" or "kung maputi ka lang, ang ganda mo siguro." Class muses and escorts are chosen not for
their pleasing personalities but particularly because of their fair skin.
 THE FILIPINO CONCEPT OF BEAUTY
Although associated with cleanliness, being fair-skinned gives the impression of beauty, health and wealth.
Skin color, not the combination of an individual's physical features, presently determines one's level of
attractiveness. Furthermore, mixed Filipinos are seen as more desirable because they are closer to looking
Caucasian which indicates wealth and good breeding. Young people who alter their physical selves are not
aiming to be of another racial background, but rather of not wanting to possess the physical features associated
with their racial group. Dark-skinned Filipinos tend to have a negative body image. They feel ashamed and
embarrassed of their bodies because they think they are i valued less compared to those with lighter skin. This
proves the importance of visibility and representation in mass media.
 THE FILIPINO CONCEPT OF BEAUTY
The message that society gives is that flat noses and dark complexions do not define beauty. This foreign
standard strongly impacts the Filipino youth resulting in a fixed mind set that what they physically are will not
be enough until they meet the Western standards of physical attractiveness. They will be seen as lacking in
beauty simply because of the structure of noses and the color of their skin. Eurocentrism and colorism indeed
have significant effects on the body image and identities of the common Filipino.
SELF-ESTEEM AND THE IDEAL BODY
IMAGE
Hewstone et al., (2015) defines self-esteem as the overall evaluation that a person has of himself which can be positive
or negative, high or low. Self-esteem is a measure of the person's self-worth based on some personal or social standard.
It is a global evaluative dimension of the self. Self-esteem is how valuable to himself and others the person perceives
himself to be. Needless to say, people with positive or high self-esteem are happier, have a sense of accomplishment
and purpose and relate well with others. According to research, however, the level of self-esteem fluctuates across the
life span and may not always match with reality (Santrock, 2014).
SELF-ESTEEM AND THE IDEAL BODY
IMAGE
There are several factors that may affect a person's self-esteem and physical appearance is one of them. It was
discussed that as children advance to the stage of adolescence, they form a body image. Factors that affect their
perceptions of their bodies are shaped both by the personal and social factors discussed in the first part of this lesson.
Adolescent's body image includes the following:

1. Perception of their physical self when they look in the mirror.

2. Feelings of like or dislike about the physical self that they see.
3. Their thoughts and how they relate to their physical self.
4. Perception of how other people view them physically.
SELF-ESTEEM AND THE IDEAL BODY
IMAGE
A person with a positive body image will have a high self-esteem and will often spend more time taking care of their
appearance. Also, the attention that he gets for his physical beauty elevates the level of his self-esteem. On the other
hand, when the person is not satisfied with what he sees which affects how he perceives himself and feels that he does
not measure up to how his culture defines beauty then he will have a negative body image and a low self-esteem. A
person with a low self-esteem may not perceive himself as beautiful. This evaluation of his physical self will make him
seek ways to attain a kind of body image that will be at par with society's concept of beauty. The sad thing is, an
adolescent may resort to extreme negative behaviours in order to meet the so-called status quo. His behaviour may
include extreme dieting and physical activity, use of laxatives, plastic surgery or use of steroids to quickly build
muscles, all for the sake of measuring up to an ideal.
SELF-ESTEEM AND THE IDEAL BODY
IMAGE
This behaviour is wrong, and for young people to put so much pressure on themselves to attain an unrealistic ideal to the point
of risking mental and physical health is unacceptable. The following are some aspects in culture that may have led to the
aforementioned misconceptions:

1. Society's ideals of the perfect physical form which are:

For women: For men:

 white perfect skin
 tall
 small waistline
 tanned perfect skin
 big breast and behind
 muscled physique
 long straight hair
 with 6-pack abs
 long manicured nails
 slender and tall
SELF-ESTEEM AND THE IDEAL BODY
IMAGE
2. Images of perfection adolescents see in all types of media i.e. print, television, film and internet. Mass media is a powerful
tool that reinforces cultural beliefs and values. Though young people may initially disagree with the set ideals of beauty,
repeated exposure via media lead them to believe in the misconceptions.

3. Since a standard has been set by society and reinforced by media, any characteristic that does not conform to the standard is
labelled as ugly. Body diversity in size and structure due to genetic heritability is not tolerated. Being pretty and white
skinned or tanned and muscular had become associated with the intelligent, successful, popular, healthy, and the disciplined.
Opposite characteristics are associated with the dull, lazy, ugly, and the weak.
SELF-ESTEEM AND THE IDEAL BODY
IMAGE
These misconceptions strongly affect how the young form their body image and its influence on their self-
esteem. Knowing that adolescence is the period where self-identity is formed, it is important for adults in the
environment to listen to this young people and provide proper guidance and support. The adolescent should not be
afraid to talk and disclose confusing aspects of his physical development to his significant others (i.e. parents and
trusted family members). It is from significant people, particularly those closest to him that he becomes aware of the
things in life that really matter.

Yes, beauty is important. But being beautiful still depends how a person defines beauty and the standards he sets
to meet this definition. It is a big mistake to base beauty on someone else's standard. People are different and each one
is uniquely beautiful. Adhering to the popular standards of beauty means that everybody will look the same which is
unrealistic and impossible. Having a positive body image comes in many shapes and sizes, and that physical
appearance says little about a person’s character or his value as an individual.
I Can Be Positive about My Body
Directions: Compare the sentences below with statements about your body:

Your Inner critic says:

1. I don’t _______________________________

2. I am not ______________________________

3. I have no _____________________________

4. I can’t ________________________________

5. I have difficulty in __________________________

Now, make the statements positive by rephrasing each one to “I am trying to think of…”

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.
THANK YOU!!