Psychological Perspective

of the Self
 William James’ Concept of Self:
The Me-Self and the I-Self
• William James suggests that the self is
divided into two categories:
– The I-self
• Refers to the self that knows who he or she is
• Thinking self
– The Me-self
• Is the empirical self which refers to the person’s
personal experiences
• Material self, Social self, Spiritual self
 William James’ Concept of Self:
The Me-Self and the I-Self
• Material Self
– Attributed to an individual’s physical attributes and
material possessions that contribute to one’s self-image
• Social Self
– Refers to who a person is and how he or she acts in
social situations
• Spiritual Self
– Refers to the most intimate and important part of the
self that includes the person’s purpose, core values,
conscience, and moral behavior.
 Carl Rogers’ Self Theory:
Real and Ideal Self
• Another aspect of self-understanding that is important in
adolescent years focuses on
self-concept
– Refers to the image of oneself
• Carl Rogers defines the self as a flexible and changing perception
of personal identity.
• He suggests that the self develops from interactions with significant
people and awareness of one’s own characteristics and level of
functioning.
• Human beings are always striving for self-fulfillment or self-
actualization.
• Central to achieving self-actualization is the development of self-
concept
 Carl Rogers’ Self Theory:
Real and Ideal Self
• Rogers suggests two components of self-concept:
– Real Self
• Consists of all the ideas, including the awareness of what one is and
what one can do.
– Ideal Self
• Is the person’s conception of what one should be or what one aspires
to be which includes one’s goals and ambitions in life.

• The closer the ideal self to the real self, the more
fulfilled and happy the individual becomes.
• When the ideal self is far from the real self, the
person becomes unhappy and dissatisfied.
 Multiple Versus Unified Self,
True Versus False Self
• The construction of multiple selves varies across
different interpersonal and intrapersonal roles
and relationships.
• Coping with different selves constitutes a
formidable task among adolescents.
 Multiple Versus Unified Self,
True Versus False Self
• True self and False Self
• The function of the false self is to hide and
protect the true self.
• Adolescents display a false self to impress
others.
• Adolescents develop different selves in various
relational contexts.
 The Self as Proactive and
Agentic
• Albert Bandura posits that humans, through their
agency are perceived as proactive agents of
experiences.
• Agency embodies the endowments, belief
systems, self-regulatory capabilities, and
distributed structures and functions through
which personal influence is exercised, rather
than reside as a discrete entity.
 The Self as Proactive and
Agentic
• The main features of human agency are:
– Intentionality
• Refers to acts done intentionally. Intentions center on plans of action with
the anticipation of possible outcomes.
– Forethought
• Enables the person to anticipate the likely consequences of prospective
actions. Through the exercise of forethought, people are guided in their
actions in the anticipation of future events.
– Self- reactiveness
• Involves making choices and choosing appropriate courses of action as
well as motivating and regulating them.
– Self-reflectiveness
• Gives the person the ability to reflect upon and the adequacy of his or her
thoughts and actions.
 The Self as Proactive and
Agentic
• Efficacy beliefs are the foundation of human agency.
• Self-efficacy refers to the individual’s belief that he
or she is capable to perform a which influences
whether he or she will think pessimistically or
optimistically and in ways that are self-enhancing or
self-hindering.
• Efficacy beliefs also play a central role in self-
regulation which is the ability of an individual to
control his or her behavior without having to rely on
others for help.
The Self as the Central Archetypes
Carl Gustav Jung
• Archetypes
– Are the universal models after which roles are
patterned.
• The archetype represents the hidden
potentialities of the psyche, or total personality.
• Archetypes reside in the personal unconscious
(forgotten experiences) that is common to all
human being, known as the collective
unconscious.
The Self as the Central Archetypes
• Four major archetypes:
– Persona
• Refers to the social roles that individuals present to others.
– Shadow
• Refers to the repressed thoughts that are socially unacceptable.
• Dark side of the psyche
– Anima/Animus
• Is the feminine side of the male psyche
• Masculine side of the female psyche
– Self
• Is the central archetype that unites all parts of the psyche.
 Sigmund Freud’s Construction of
Self and Personality
• The dynamic forces within the self are many and in
inevitable conflict.
• He argues that the mind is composed of three structures
through which personality is formed:
– The ID
• Refers to the component of the personality characterized by
its need to satisfy urges and desires. The id is the pleasure-
seeking side, impulsive, child-like, and demands instant
gratification.
 Sigmund Freud’s Construction
of Self and Personality
• The Ego
– Refers to the I and operates on the reality principle
and controls the id.
– Can conform with existing societal considerations
• The Superego
– Refers to the “conscience” and “moral judge” of one’s
conduct.
– Violation of rules leads to feelings of guilt.
– It strives for perfection rather than pleasure.
 Sigmund Freud’s Construction
of Self and Personality
• It appears that the id is the devil within the self,
the superego is the angel, and ego is the person
in the middle.
• Often in conflict with each other
• “Ego strength” refer to the ego’s ability to resolve
the conflict between the three structures.
• If this constant state of conflict is unresolved,
personality problems may arise.
 Sigmund Freud’s Construction
of Self and Personality
• The id, ego, and superego develop in a series of
stages.
• Psychosexual Stages of Development
• Freud also believes that each stage has needs
and that the dissatisfaction of needs may result
in fixation which could have lasting negative
effects on one’s personality.
 Psychosexual Stages of Development

• Oral Stage (birth to 1st year)

– Babies derive pleasure from oral activities like
sucking and biting.
– Overindulgence of oral needs may lead to oral
incorporative personality disorder such as
overeating, smoking, and alcoholism while
dissatisfaction may lead to oral aggressive
personality disorder such as sarcasm and
tactlessness.
 Psychosexual Stages of Development

• Anal Stage (2nd year)

– The child derives pleasure from the elimination of
body wastes.
– Through toilet training, the child learns the basic
rules of society.
– Anal fixations can lead to anal retentive
personality disorder such as having obsession
with cleanliness or anal expulsion personality
disorder such as clumsiness.
 Psychosexual Stages of Development
• Phallic Stage (3 to 6 years)
– Children during this stage derive pleasure from examining,
touching, fondling, or displaying their genitals.
– These behaviors are likely motivated by curiosity about the
differences between the anatomy of man and woman.
– Sex curiosity will remain high during the elementary years and
children will tend to ask questions regarding anatomical
structures, sex, and how babies are made.
– Parents and teachers need to properly educate children about
sexuality.
– Fixations at this stage may lead to abnormal sex behavior in
later life.
 Psychosexual Stages of Development
• Latency Stage (7 to 12 years)
– Sexual energy is repressed because children become occupied
with school.

• Genital Stage (adolescence to adulthood)

– Pleasure is again derived from the genital area and individuals
seek to satisfy their sexual drives from sexual relationships.
– Sexual problems may result as a consequence of inappropriate
sex behaviors.
 The Role of Erik Erikson’s Theory
in Understanding the Self
• Erikson’s theory proposes that individuals go
through eight psychosocial stages of
development.
• Each stage consists of developmental tasks that
one needs to accomplish to develop
successfully.
• During each stage, an individual also
experiences life crises which could have
negative consequences if not properly resolved.
 Psychosocial Stages of Development

• Trust versus mistrust (1st year of life)

– The child will develop trust if he or she is
properly cared for.
– If the child is not well-cared for, mistrust is
likely to develop.
 Psychosocial Stages of Development
• Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt (3 years)
– Autonomy means independence of thought and confidence to
think and act for oneself.
– Children begin to assert their independence during this stage.
– Erikson states that of parents allow their children to explore,
they will become more confident and secure in their own
abilities.
– If children are overly protected, they may become overly
dependent on their parents and feel a sense of shame or doubt
in their own abilities.
– Erikson believes that this stage has important implications in
the development of independence and identity during
adolescence.
 Psychosocial Stages of Development
• Initiative versus Guilt (3 to 5 years)
– Developing a sense of responsibility
among children lead to the development
of initiative.
– A child who is made to feel irresponsible
might develop feelings of guilt.
 Psychosocial Stages of Development
• Industry versus Inferiority (elementary
school years)
– Children face the task of developing knowledge
and skills taught in schools.
– When children are encouraged in their efforts,
they will develop a sense of industry.
– Children who receive little or no encouragement
from parents and teachers will doubt their own
abilities and are likely to develop inferiority.
 Psychosocial Stages of Development
• Identity formation versus Identity confusion
(Adolescence)
– Adolescents face the task of finding out who they are,
what they are, and what they want in life.
– They are confronted with many roles and
responsibilities.
– If parents provide proper support, adolescents will
develop positive identity.
– If they are not adequately supported, they will feel
insecure and identity confusion will likely develop.
 Psychosocial Stages of Development
• Intimacy versus isolation (adulthood)
– People explore personal relationships
– Erikson believes it is vital that people develop
intimate relationships with others.
– Those who are successful in this stage will
likely form relationships that are stable and
successful.
– Inability to develop intimate relationships during
this stage will lead to mistrust and isolation.
 Psychosocial Stages of Development
• Generativity versus Stagnation
(Middle Adulthood)
– Generativity involves a person’s desire to contribute
to the world by teaching, leading, and guiding the next
generation and doing activities that will benefit the
community.
– Developing a sense of generativity is important during
this stage.
– Those who fail to attain this generativity will feel
worthless.
 Psychosocial Stages of Development
• Integrity versus Despair (Old age)
– Focused on self-reflection in one’s life.
– Individuals reflect on the important events of
their lives.
– If they are satisfied and proud of their
accomplishments, they will feel a sense of
integrity.
– Those who are unsuccessful in this stage will
feel that their life has been wasted and will
experience regrets and despair.
END