The-self-as-a-cognitive-construct.UTSpptx

The sociological perspective of the self, how the different society viewed you

1. The self as a cognitive construct Sir Arnold C. Eugenio

2. I AM In confidence or in an attempt to avoid further analytical discussion, a lot of people say “I am who I am” Yet this statement still begs the question, “If you are who you are, then who are you that makes you who you are?”

3. Learning Outcome: At the end of this module, students are expected to be able to:

4. For a young person, it is almost a sin, or at least a danger, to be too preoccupied with himself; but for the ageing person, it is a duty and a necessity to devote serious attention to himself. - Carl Jung Nothing of me is original, I am a combination of all the person that I know. - Anonymous Self-control is strength. Calmness is mastery. You have to get to a point where your mood doesn’t shift based on the insignificant actions of someone else. Don’t allow others to control the directions of your life. Don’t allow your emotions to overpower your intelligence. - dogtrainingobedienceschool.com You are the one who put me together inside my mother’s body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this, I have no doubt. - Psalm 139:13-14

5. There are various definitions of the “self” and other similar or interchangeable concepts in psychology. Simply put “self” is “the sense of personal identity and of who we are as individuals”.

6. William James suggests that the self is divided into two categories: I-Self and Me-Self . The I-Self refers to the self that knows who he or she is which is also called the thinking self. The I-Self reflects the soul of a person or the mind which is also called the pure ego. The Me-Self, on the other hand, is the empirical self which refers to the person’s personal experiences and is further divided into sub-categories: the material self, social self, and spiritual self. The material self is attributed to an individual’s physical attributes and material possessions that contribute to one’s self-image. The social self refers to who a person is and how he or she acts in social situations. James believes that people have different social selves depending on the context of a social situation.

7. For example, a student may act differently in school and at home with his or her family. The 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. James believes that the path to understanding the spiritual self requires introspection.

8. REAL AND IDEAL SELF Another aspect of self-understanding that is important in adolescent year focuses on self-concept. This refers to the image of oneself. Psychologist Carl Rogers defines the self as a flexible and changing perception of personal identity. The self is the center of experience ( Rathus , 2017). He suggests that the self develops from interactions with significant people and awareness of one’s own characteristics and level of functioning. According to Rogers, human beings are always striving for self-fulfillment or self-actualization. When the needs of the self are denied, severe anxiety may arise. Central to achieving self-actualization is the development of self-concept.

9. Rogers suggests two components of self-concept: the real self and the ideal self. The real self consists of all the ideas, including the awareness of what one is and what one can do. On the other hand, the 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. In Roger’s view, 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 (Atkinson, Atkinson, Smith, Bem & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2009).

10. MULTIPLE VERSUS UNIFIED SELF, TRUE VERSUS FALSE SELF Self-understanding in adolescents also includes conceptualizing the self as multiple or unified and true or false. The construction of multiple selves varies across different interpersonal and intrapersonal roles and relationships. Coping with different selves constitutes a formidable task among adolescents. These challenges contribute heavily to the young person’s struggle for a unified self. The task of integrating one’s multiple selves naturally causes concern. Given the enormous challenges of self-integration, it is important that adolescents are supported in their effort to create a consistent, coherent, or unified theory of the self (Santrock, 2002).

11. Winnicott has found that the self is composed of the true self and the false self . The function of the false self is to hide and protect the true self. Researchers have found that adolescents’ perception of themselves can change depending on the situation. For instance, adolescents are more likely to show their false self during dating situations and are likely to show their true self when they are with their family and close friends. In other words, adolescents display false self to impress others. Adolescents develop different selves in various relational contexts.

12. THE SELF AS PROACTIVE AND AGENTIC Albert Bandura (2001) 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 core features of agency enable people to play a part in their self-development, adaptation, and self-renewal. The main features of human agency are intentionality , forethought , self-reactiveness , and self-reflectiveness .

13. 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 course of action as well as motivating and regulating them. Self-reactiveness gives the person the ability to reflect upon and the adequacy of his or her thoughts and actions. People are not only agents of action but also self-examiners of their own functioning. 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 task 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.

14. THE SELF AS THE CENTRAL ARCHETYPE Central to Carl Jung’s theory of the self is the concept of archetypes. Basically, archetypes are the universal models after which roles are patterned. The archetype represents the hidden potentialities of the psyche, or total personality. Jung suggests that the psyche continues to develop throughout life, but the psyche starts to show a definite form and content during adolescence. According to Jung, archetypes reside in the personal unconscious (forgotten experiences) that is common to all human beings, known as the collective unconscious. For Jung, there are four major archetypes: persona, shadow, animus/anima, and self. The persona refers to social roles that individuals present to others. The shadow refers to the repressed thoughts that are socially unacceptable. This archetype is often considered as the dark side of the psyche. The anima is the feminine side of the male psyche while the animus is the masculine side of the female psyche. The self is the central archetype that unites all parts of the psyche. The ego is the individual’s conscious perception of the self.

15. SIGMUND FREUD’S CONSTRUCTION OF SELF AND PERSONALITY According to Sigmund Freud, 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, ego, and superego. The id refers to the component of the personality characterized by its need to satisfy basic urges and desires. Freud believes that the id is the pleasure-seeking side, impulsive, child-like, and demands instant gratification. The ego refers to the I and operates on the reality principle and controls the id. The ego can conform with existing societal consideration. 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. It appears that the id is the devil within the self, the superego is the angel, and ego is the person in the middle. The id, ego, and superego are often in conflict with each other.

16. Freud uses the term “ego strength” to 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.

17. In Freud’s view, the id, ego, and superego develop in a series of stages. Freud calls these the psychosexual stages of development that the individual must resolve so that he or she can successfully move on to the next stage. 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. The first stage is the oral stage , which lasts from birth up to the first year of life. During this stage, 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.

18. The next stage is the anal stage , which occurs around the second year of life. During this stage, 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.

19. Freud calls the third stage the phallic stage which usually occurs around ages 3 to 6 . 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. During this stage, parents and teachers need to properly educate children about sexuality. Fixations at this stage may lead to abnormal sex behaviors in later life. The fourth stage is the latency stage , which lasts from 7 to 12 years of age. At this stage, sexual energy is repressed because children become occupied with school. The last stage is the genital stage , which starts from adolescence to adulthood . During this stage, 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.

20. THE ROLE OF ERIK ERIKSON’S THEORY IN UNDERSTANDING THE SELF Another important aspect of self-understanding involves views on the identity development of the self. In Erik Erickson’s theory, adolescence is a period of identity development. Identity formation is usually viewed as a process that requires adolescents to distance themselves from the strong expectations and definitions imposed by parents and other family members. To achieve an individual identity, one must create a vision of the self that is authentic which is anchored on the meaning of his or her goals for the future sense of having hold of one’s destiny in an effort to reach goals that are personally meaningful (Newman & Newman, 2009). Some of the ways adolescents try to establish their identity is through status symbols such as having “state-of-the-art” mobile phones, designer bags and clothes, and other material possessions.

21. Erikson’s theory that individuals go through eight psychosocial stages of development. While Erikson believed that each stage is important, he gives particular emphasis on the development of the ego. The ego is the positive force that contributes to identity formation and lays the foundation for certain strengths and virtues in life such as hope, will, purpose, competence, fidelity, love, care, and wisdom. 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.

22. Trust versus mistrust is the first psychosocial stage of development, occurring in the first year of life. According to Erikson, 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. Autonomy versus doubt is the second stage of development, occurring during the first three years of life. Autonomy means independence of thought and confidence to think and act for oneself. Children began to assert their independence during this stage. Erikson states that if 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. Initiative versus guilt is Erikson’s third stage of development, occurring around 3 to 5 years of age. During this period, 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.

23. Industry versus inferiority is the fourth stage of development, occurring around elementary school years. During this stage, children face the task of developing knowledge and skills usually taught in schools. When children are encouraged in their efforts, they will develop a sense of industry. However, children who receive little or no encouragement from parents and teachers will doubt their own abilities and are likely to develop inferiority. The fifth psychosocial stage, identity formation versus identity confusion , takes place during adolescence. At this stage, adolescents face the task of finding out who they are, what are they, 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. Intimacy versus isolation occurs during early adulthood when people explore personal relationships. During this sixth stage of development, 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.

24. Generativity versus stagnation is the seventh stage of development which occurs during 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. Integrity versus despair is the final psychosocial stage which occurs during old age and is focused on self-reflection in one’s life. At this stage, 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.

25. DISCOVER The I-Self refers to the self that knows who he or she is. The Me-Self refers to the person’s personal experiences and is further divided into sub-categories: material self, social self, and spiritual self. According to Rogers, the real self consists of all the ideas, including the awareness of what one is and what can do. The 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 function of the false self is to hide and protect the true self. People are viewed as proactive agents of experiences. Efficacy beliefs are the foundation of human agency. The self is the central archetype that unites all parts of the psyche. The ego is the individual’s conscious perception of the self. Freud makes a distinction among the three components of the personality: id, ego, and superego. In Erik Erikson’s theory. To achieve an individual identity, one must create a vision of the self that is authentic