Lesson 4 The Self As A Cognitive Construct

ma.
glendabarcelon_UTS
DEFINING
THE
SELF
ma.glendabarcelon_UTS
Lesson 4
THE
SELF
as a
Cognitive
Construct
If you are who you are,
then who are you that
makes you who you are?
And
Scientific Human
Mental
study of Behavior Processes
The SELF having two aspects:
“I and ME”
“I” thinking, acting and

feeling self
William James physical characteristics

One of the Earliest
Psychologist to study “ME” and psychological
capabilities
the self
Freud saw THE SELF, its mental processes, and
one’s behavior as the results of the interaction
between the Id, Ego and Superego.
Sigmund Freud
Psychoanalytic Theory
Carl Rogers
Humanistic Approach
SELF
CONCEPT
The term self concept is
a general term used to
refer to how someone
thinks about, perceives
and evaluates
themselves...
Self-concept is your
idea of who you are
(Self) based on your
personal beliefs and
your perceived notion
of how other people
see you.
A new born
have no
sense of self.
(Freud and
Piaget)
Self-Concept is developed from
Infancy to Adolescence.
2 ASPECTS OF
SELF-CONCEPT
1. EXISTENTIAL SELF
-sense of being separate
and distinct from others.
-understanding and
having awareness that
the self is constant.
-awareness of the
existential self begins as
young as 2-3 months old. ma.glendabarcelon_UTS
2. CATEGORICAL
SELF
-categorizes oneself
by age, gender. skills,
etc.
-awareness of the
categorical self
develops in early
childhood.
age “I am 3”
gender “I am a girl”
SELF-CONCEPT
HAS 3 COMPONENTS
Carl Rogers ma.glendabarcelon_UTS

the view we have what we wish to
of ourselves. be.
it's what we
believe we are.
how much value
do we place on
ourselves.
SELF A person's self image is
affected by many
IMAGE factors, such as parental
influences, friends, the
media etc.
 Physical Description: I’m tall, have brown eyes...etc.

 Social Roles: student, housewife, or member of the basketball varsity
 Personal Traits: “I’m impulsive...I’m generous...I tend to worry a lot”...etc.
 Existential Statements (abstract ones): These can range from "I’m a child of the universe" to "I’m a human being"
to "I’m a spiritual being"...etc.
SELF WORTH
HIGH SELF-ESTEEM
(Positive view of ourselves)
Confidence in our own

abilities
Self-acceptance
Not worrying about what
others think
Optimism
LOW SELF-ESTEEM
(negative view of ourselves)
Lack of confidence
Want to be/look like someone else
Always worrying what others might
think
Pessimism
4 Major Factors that
Influence Self-Esteem
1. The Reaction of Others
-If people admire us, flatter us,
seek out our company, listen
attentively and agree with us we
tend to develop a positive self-
esteem.
-If they avoid us, neglect us, tell
us things about ourselves that
we don’t want to hear we
develop a negative self-esteem.
2. Comparison with Others
If the people we compare
ourselves with (our reference
group) appear to be more
successful, happier, richer,
better looking than ourselves
we tend to develop a
negative self-image BUT if
they are less successful than
us our image will be positive.
3. Social Roles
-Some social roles carry prestige
e.g., doctor, pilot, artist,
engineer and this promotes self-
esteem.
-Other roles carry stigma.
E.g., a prisoner, mental hospital
patient, unemployed person.
4. Identification
-Roles aren’t just “out there.”
They also become part of our
personality i.e. we identity
with the positions we occupy,
the roles we play and the
groups we belong to.
EMBRACE AND
LOVE YOURSELF!
To possess a healthy self-
concept you must:
Know yourself
Love yourself
Be true to
yourself
CARL ROGERS
Self-Concept as the organized,
consistent set of perceptions and beliefs
about oneself which has 3 parts:
Self-Image, Ideal Self and Self-
Worth
WILLIAM JAMES
SIGMUND FREUD
The Self as the sum total of all that a person
can call his or hers. Who are Freud saw the self, its mental
processes, and one’s behavior as the
2 Models of the Self:
“Me”: Objective Self
you? results of the interaction between the
Id, Ego and Superego.
“I”: Subjective Self

Lesson 4 The Self As A Cognitive Construct

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lesson 4 The Self As A Cognitive Construct

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lesson 4 The Self As A Cognitive Construct

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ma.

“I” thinking, acting and

William James physical characteristics

Carl Rogers ma.glendabarcelon_UTS

 Physical Description: I’m tall, have brown eyes...etc.

Confidence in our own

You might also like