The Self Concept

The Self Concept

A Presentation by

Indranil Mutsuddi
What do we mean by the Self
 The self refers to the conscious reflective personality of a person.

 If we develop a higher thinking for ourselves, the beliefs and

values between the real and ideal self will expand, and therefore
we can make more developed morals and reasons, when we
know who we are.

 The study of the self involves significant methodological

problems, especially concerning consciousness. Some of these
are taken up in philosophy of mind and metaphysics.
What does Self Concept Mean ?
The Self Concept
 Self-concept or self identity is the mental and conceptual
understanding and persistent regard that sentient beings hold for
their own existence.

 It is the sum total of a being's knowledge and understanding of

his or her self.

 The self-concept is different from self-consciousness, which is an

awareness or preoccupation with one's self.
Components of Self Concept
Components of the self-concept include:
 Physical
 psychological and
 social attributes

These attributes can be influenced by an individual's attitudes,

habits, beliefs and ideas.

These components and attributes can not be condensed to the

general concepts of self-image and the self-esteem.
 Are U Selfish??

Think about yourself..

Major Qualities of Self Concept

 It is learned

 It is organized, and

 It is dynamic
Keep believing in urself
Self-concept is learned
Self Concept gradually emerges in the early months of life and is
shaped and reshaped through repeated perceived experiences,
particularly with significant others.
Self-concept is learned: Implications
 Because self-concept does not appear to be instinctive, but is a
social product developed through experience, it possesses
relatively boundless potential for development and actualization.

 Because of previous experiences and present perceptions,

individuals may perceive themselves in ways different from the
ways others see them.

 Individuals perceive different aspects of themselves at different

times with varying degrees of clarity. Therefore, inner focusing is
a valuable tool for counseling.
Self-concept is learned: Implications
 Any experience which is inconsistent with one's self-concept may
be perceived as a threat, and the more of these experiences
there are, the more rigidly self-concept is organized to maintain
and protect itself. When a person is unable to get rid of perceived
inconsistencies, emotional problems arise.

 Faulty thinking patterns, such as dichotomous reasoning

(dividing everything in terms of opposites or extremes) or over-
generalizing (making sweeping conclusions based on little
information) create negative interpretations of oneself.
Self-concept is organized
 Most researchers agree that self-concept has a generally stable
quality that is characterized by orderliness and harmony.

 Each person maintains countless perceptions regarding one's

personal existence, and each perception is orchestrated with all
the others.

 It is this generally stable and organized quality of self-concept

that gives consistency to the personality.
Self-concept is organized
 Self-concept requires consistency, stability, and tends to resist
change. If self-concept changed readily, the individual would lack
a consistent and dependable personality.

 The more central a particular belief is to one's self-concept, the

more resistant one is to changing that belief.

 At the heart of self-concept is the self-as-doer, the "I," which is

distinct from the self-as-object, the various "me's." This allows
the person to reflect on past events, analyze present
perceptions, and shape future experiences.
Self-concept is organized
 Basic perceptions of oneself are quite stable,
so change takes time.

 Perceived success and failure affect self-

concept. Failure in a highly regarded area
lowers evaluations in all other areas as well.
Success in a prized area raises evaluations in
other seemingly unrelated areas.
Self-concept is dynamic
 The world and the things in it are not just perceived; they are
perceived in relation to one's self-concept.

 Self-concept development is a continuous process. In the healthy

personality there is constant assimilation of new ideas and
expulsion of old ideas throughout life.

 Individuals strive to behave in ways that are in keeping with their

self-concepts, no matter how helpful or hurtful to oneself or
others.
Self-concept is dynamic
 Self-concept usually takes precedence over the physical body.
Individuals will often sacrifice physical comfort and safety for
emotional satisfaction.

 Self-concept continuously guards itself against loss of self-

esteem, for it is this loss that produces feelings of anxiety.

 If self-concept must constantly defend itself from assault, growth

opportunities are limited.
Self Efficacy
Self Efficacy
 Self-efficacycan be described as one's self-
judgments of personal capabilities to initiate
and successfully perform specified tasks at
designated levels, expend greater effort, and
persevere in the face of adversity (Bandura,
1977; 1986).
Self Efficacy
 Self-efficacy is an impression that one is capable of performing
in a certain manner or attaining certain goals.

 It is a belief that one has the capabilities to execute the courses

of actions required to manage prospective situations.

 Unlike efficacy, which is the power to produce an effect (in

essence, competence), self-efficacy is the belief (whether or not
accurate) that one has the power to produce that effect.
Hey whats ur opinion?? Can u do it??
Self-Efficacy & Social cognitive theory

 The concept of self-efficacy is the focal point of Albert

Bandura's social cognitive theory.

 By means of the self-system, individuals exercise

control over their thoughts, feelings and actions.

 Among the beliefs with which an individual evaluates

the control over his/her actions and environment, self-
efficacy beliefs are the most influential arbiter of
human activity.
Self-Efficacy & Social cognitive theory
 Self-efficacy – the belief in one's capabilities to organize and
execute the courses of action required to produce given
attainments – is constructed on the basis of the four most
influential sources: enactive attainment, vicarious experience,
verbal persuasion and physiological as well as emotional factors.

 Self-efficacy plays the central role in the cognitive regulation of

motivation, because people regulate the level and the distribution
of effort they will expend in accordance with the effects they are
expecting from their actions.
How self efficacy affects human function

 Choices regarding behavior

 Motivation

 Thought patterns & responses

 The Destiny Idea

Self Efficacy & Choices regarding behavior
 People will be more inclined to take on a task if they believe they
can succeed.

 People generally avoid tasks where their self efficacy is low, but
will engage in tasks where their self efficacy is high.

 People with a self-efficacy significantly beyond their actual ability

likely overestimate their ability to complete tasks, which can lead
to irreversible damage.

 On the other hand, people with a self efficacy significantly lower

than their ability are unlikely to grow and expand their skills.
Self Efficacy & Motivation
• People with high self efficacy in a task are more likely to
expend more effort, and persist longer, than those with low
efficacy.

• Low self efficacy provides an incentive to learn more about

the subject.

• As a result, someone with a high efficacy may not prepare

sufficiently for a task.
Self Efficacy and thought patterns & responses

 Low self efficacy can lead people to believe tasks are harder
than they actually are and this often results in poor task planning,
as well as increased stress.

 People with high self efficacy often take a wider picture of a task
in order to take the best route of action. People with high self
efficacy are shown to be encouraged by obstacles to greater
effort.

 Self efficacy also affects how people respond to failure. A person

with a high efficacy will attribute the failure to external factors,
where a person with low self efficacy will attribute failure to low
ability.
Self Efficacy & The Destiny Idea

• Bandura successfully showed that people of differing self

efficacy perceive the world in fundamentally different ways.

• People with a high self efficacy are generally of the opinion

that they are in control of their own lives; that their own
actions and decisions shape their lives.

• On the other hand, people with low self efficacy see their
lives as somewhat out of their hands.
Factors affecting self efficacy

 Experience:
 "Mastery experience" is the most important factor deciding a
person's self efficacy. Simply put, success raises self efficacy,
failure lowers it.

 Modeling - "Vicarious Experience”:

 “If they can do it, I can do it as well.” This is a process of
comparison between a person and someone else.
 When people see someone succeeding at something, their self
efficacy will increase; and where they see people failing, their self
efficacy will decrease.
 This process is more effectual where the person sees
themselves as similar to his or her model.
Factors affecting self efficacy
 Social Persuasions:
 Social persuasions relate to
encouragements/discouragements.
 These can have a strong influence – most people
remember times where something said to them
significantly altered their confidence.
 Where positive persuasions increase self efficacy,
negative persuasions decrease it.
Factors affecting self efficacy
 Physiological Factors:
 In unusual, stressful situations, people commonly exhibit
signs of distress; shakes, aches and pains, fatigue, fear,
nausea, etc.
 A person's perceptions of these responses can markedly
alter a person's self efficacy
Over-Efficaciousness in Learning
 Research on learning has indicated that in certain
circumstances, having less self-efficacy for a subject may be
helpful, while more negative attitudes towards how quickly/well
one will learn, can actually prove of benefit.
Self Esteem
Self Esteem
 In psychology, self-esteem (also called self-worth, self-
confidence, and self-respect) reflects a person's overall self-
appraisal of their own worth.

 Self-esteem encompasses both beliefs (for example, "I am

competent/incompetent") and emotions (for example:
triumph/despair, pride/shame). Behavior may reflect self-esteem,
in (for example: assertiveness/timorousness,
confidence/caution).
Self Esteem..
Where Does Self-Esteem Come From?

 Our self-esteem develops and evolves throughout

our lives as we build an image of ourselves through
our experiences with different people and activities.

 Experiences during our childhood play a particularly

large role in the shaping of our basic self-esteem.

 When we were growing up, our successes (and

failures) and how we were treated by the members
of our immediate family, by our teachers, coaches,
religious authorities, and by our peers, all
contributed to the creation of our basic self-esteem.
Healthy Self-Esteem
Childhood experiences that
lead to healthy self-esteem
include:

 being praised
 being listened to
 being spoken to respectfully
 getting attention and hugs
 experiencing success in sports
or school
 having trustworthy friends
Self-esteem is largely
developed during an
individual’s childhood
Low Self-Esteem

Childhood experiences that lead to low self-esteem include:

 being harshly criticized

 being yelled at, or beaten
 being ignored, ridiculed or teased
 being expected to be "perfect" all the time
 experiencing failures in sports or school

People with low self-esteem were often given messages that

failed experiences (losing a game, getting a poor grade, etc.)
were failures of their whole self.
Consequences of Low Self-Esteem
Low self-esteem can have devastating consequences:

 It can create anxiety, stress, loneliness and increased likelihood

for depression.
 It can cause problems with friendships and relationships.
 It can seriously impair academic and job performance.
 It can lead to underachievement and increased vulnerability to
drug and alcohol abuse.

Worst of all, these negative consequences themselves reinforce

the negative self-image and can take a person into a downward
spiral of lower and lower self-esteem and increasingly non-
productive or even actively self-destructive behavior.
Properties of self esteem
 Self-esteem as a basic human need, i.e., "…it makes an
essential contribution to the life process", "…is indispensable to
normal and healthy self-development, and has a value for
survival."

 Self-esteem as an automatic and inevitable consequence of the

sum of individuals' choices in using their consciousness.

 It indicates something experienced as a part of, or background

to, all of the individual’s thoughts, feelings and actions.
Measuring self-esteem
For the purposes of
empirical research,
psychologists typically
assess self-esteem by a
self-report questionnaire
yielding a quantitative
result.

They establish the

validity and reliability of
the questionnaire prior to
its use.
Maslow's approaches to esteem
 Maslow described two kinds of esteem needs — the need for
respect from others and the need for self-respect.

 Maslowian self-esteem entails competence, confidence, mastery,

achievement, independence, and freedom.

 Respect from others entails recognition, acceptance, status, and

appreciation.
Maslow's approaches to esteem
 Without the fulfillment of these needs, Maslow
suggests, an individual feels discouraged,
weak and inferior.

 For most people, the need for regard from

others diminishes with age (because they have
already received it) and the need for self-
regard (having and demonstrating a positive
belief in one's self) becomes more important.
Self-esteem as compassion

 Some people see self-esteem as essential for

psychological survival, as an emotional sine qua non
(compassion).

 According to this school of thought, without some

measure of self-worth, life can seem enormously
painful, with many basic needs going unmet (McKay,
Fanning).

 General agreement exists that self-esteem plays a

central role in mental and physical health.
Self-esteem as compassion
 One view sees the essence of self-esteem as
compassion for one's self.

 People with compassion for themselves understand

and accept themselves.

 If one makes a mistake, one forgives one's self. One

tends to see one's self as basically good. One analysis
identifies three basic components to the skill of
compassion: understanding, accepting and forgiving.
Building self-esteem
 Physical exercise
 Meditation
 Psychotherapy
 Autosuggestion
 Spiritual or religious activities
 Yoga & music
 Sincere praise
 Accomplishment
 Achieving goals
Building self-esteem
 Public speaking
 Style of dress (i.e fashion)
 Education & Training
 Participating in a team sport
 Giving generously
 Integrity
 Trying one's best
 Pampering one's self
Quality and level of self-esteem
Investigators can indirectly assess the quality of self-esteem in
several ways:
 In terms of its constancy over time (stability)
 In terms of its independence of meeting particular conditions
(non-contingency)
 In terms of its ingrained nature at a basic psychological level
(implicitness or automaticity).
Three Steps to Better Self-Esteem
 Step 1: Rebut the Inner Critic
 Step 2: Practice Self-Nurturing

 Step 3: Get Help from Others

Step 1: Rebut the Inner Critic

The first important step in improving self-esteem is

to begin to challenge the negative messages of the
critical inner voice. Here are some typical examples
of the inner critic's voice and how you can "rebut"
that voice.
 The Inner Critic's Voice: Your Rebuttals:

Is Unfairly Harsh:
Be Reassuring:
"People said they liked my
"Wow, they really liked it! Maybe it
presentation, but it was nowhere
wasn't perfect, but I worked hard on
near as good as it should have
that presentation and did a good
been. I can't believe no-one noticed
job. I'm proud of myself. This was a
all the places I messed up. I'm such
great success."
an impostor."

Be Specific:
Generalizes Unrealistically:
"I did poorly on this one test, but I've
"I got an F on the test. I don't
done O.K. on all the homework.
understand anything in this class.
There are some things here that I
I'm such an idiot. Who am I fooling?
don't understand as well as I
I shouldn't be taking this class. I'm
thought I did, but I can do the
stupid and I don't belong in
material-I've done fine in other
college."
classes that were just as tough.
 The Inner Critic's Voice: Your Rebuttals:

Makes Leaps of Illogic: Challenge Illogic:

"He is frowning. He didn't say "O.K., he's frowning, but I don't know
anything, but I know it means that why. It could have nothing to do
he doesn't like me!" with me. Maybe I should ask."

Catastrophizes:
"She turned me down for a date! I'm Be Objective:
so embarrassed and humiliated. No "Ouch! That hurt. Well, she doesn't
one likes or cares about me. I'll want to go out with me. That
never find a girlfriend. I'll always be doesn't mean no one does
alone."
Step 2: Practice Self-Nurturing
 Practice Basic Self-Care
 Plan Fun & Relaxing Things For Yourself.
 Reward Yourself For Your Accomplishments
 Remind Yourself of Your Strengths & Achievements
 Forgive Yourself When You Don't Do All You'd Hoped
 Self-Nurture Even When You Don't Feel You Deserve It
Step 3: Get Help from Others
 Ask for Support from Friends/Peers
 Get Help from Teachers / Trainers & Other Helpers / Facilitators
 Talk to a Therapist or Counselor