Divine Word College of Bangued

Bangued, Abra
College Department

GE 1 MODULE 1 Lesson 5 – Psychological Perspective of the Self

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

1. demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing the different psychological theories in the
study of the “self”
2. expound the self as a cognitive construction
3. examine the self as proactive and agentic

INTRODUCTION

Most people would say that they do not want to talk about themselves or to relate self to others.
The famous line of “Me, Myself and I” is often used in movies, animation and even in social media – as
caption to pictures or shout – outs.

The psychology of self focuses on the representation of an individual based on his/her

experiences. These experiences are either from the home, school and other groups, organizations, or
affiliation he/she engaged in. Seemingly, the ‘self is one of the most heavily researched areas in social and
personality psychology, where concepts are introduced that beyond our physical attributes, lies our
psychological identity. Questions of ‘who am I?’ or ‘what am I beyond my looks?’ are thoughts of many
that continuously search for a deeper sense of self which can be traced back from some time of human
history. “Drawing on caves suggests that sometime during the dawn of history, human beings began to
give serious thought to their nonphysical, psychological selves. With the advent of written history, writers
would describe this awareness of self in terms of spirit, psyche, or soul.” (Pajares & Schunck, 2002).

From ancient to current times, the concept of the self is always an interesting subject for many as it
is very personal that it talks about interpersonal properties. In oxfordbibliographies.com (2-13), it is
mentioned that whatever stance one adopts regarding the self’s ontological status, there is little doubt that
the many phenomena of which the self is a predicate- self-knowledge, self-awareness, self-esteem, self-
enhancement, self-regulation, self-deception, self-presentation – to name just a few, are indispensable
research areas.

MOTIVATION

Use your scrapbook for this.

1. Think of a song that best describe yourself.

GE 1: Understanding the Self

This module is a property and is exclusively used by the DWCB College Department. Any duplication and reproduction, storing in
any retrieval system, distribution, posting or uploading online as well as transmitting in any form or means (photocopying& electronic
sharing) of any part, without prior written permission from the owner is strictly prohibited.
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 Divine Word College of Bangued
Bangued, Abra
College Department

2. Print or write the lyrics.

3. What lines of the song best capture who you are?
4. Explain how the song reflects yourself.

PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION

1. THE SELF AS A CONITIVE CONSTRUCTION

Cognitive Construction is a cognitive approach that focuses on the mental processes rather than
the observable behavior. This approach will assist individuals in assimilating new information to their
existing knowledge and will enable to make the appropriate modification to their existing intellectual
framework to accommodate their information.

1.1 William James and the Me-Self, I-Self

With the initiative of Wilhelm Wundt, the father of Scientific Psychology, scientific methods in
studying what Aguirre et al. (2011) mentioned as ‘phenomenon of the consciousness’, urged interest in
further studies of the self and its role in human behavior. It is in this time that William James’ classic
distinction between the self as knower (or pure ego) and the self as known (or empirical self) provides a
useful scheme within which to view the multitudinous aspects of self-functioning (oxfordbibliographies.com,
2013).

W. James suggested that “total self of ‘Me’, being as it were duplex” is composed of “partly object
and partly subject.” As a consequence, he differentiated between the self as knower, or the “I”, and the self
as known, or “Me”. He referred to the “I” as pure ego and suggested that this component of self is
consciousness itself. The “Me”, on the other hand, is one of the many things that the I may be conscious
of, and it consists of three components, one physical or material, one social, and one spiritual (Pajares &
Schunck, 2002).

Material Self – consists of things that belong to us or that we belong to. Things like family, clothes, our
body, and money are some of what make up our material selves.

Social Self – our social selves are who are in a given social situation. For James, people change how they
act depending on the social situation that they are in. James believed that people had as many social
selves as they had social situations they participated in.

Spiritual Self – is who we are at our core. The spiritual self is more concrete or permanent than the other
two selves. The spiritual self is our subjective and most intimate self. Aspects of an individual’s spiritual
self, include things like his/her personality, core values, and conscience that do not typically change
throughout a lifetime.

1.2 Global versus Differentiated Models

There had been postulation that one’s self may be fragmented into different parts and different
selves which may be in conflict or needs regulation from each other. Although W. James gave a very
interesting perspective on the self, and was even among the first writers to coin the term ‘Self – Esteem’,
other theories emerged to study on the selfhood as an integrated part of one’s psyche. In the past 30

GE 1: Understanding the Self

This module is a property and is exclusively used by the DWCB College Department. Any duplication and reproduction, storing in
any retrieval system, distribution, posting or uploading online as well as transmitting in any form or means (photocopying& electronic
sharing) of any part, without prior written permission from the owner is strictly prohibited.
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 Divine Word College of Bangued
Bangued, Abra
College Department

years, self – esteem has become deeply embedded in popular culture (Brown & Marchall, 2006). It is a
person’s overall self – evaluation or sense of self – worth.

Global Self – esteem (a.k.a. Trait self-esteem), is a personally variable that represents the way
people generally feel about themselves. It is relatively enduring across time and situations. According to
researchers (e.g. Crocker & Park, 2004; Crocker & Wolfe, 2001), Global self – esteem is a decision people
make about their worth as a person.

State Self – esteem (a.k.a. Feelings of Self – worth), refers to temporary feelings or momentary
emotional reactions to positive and negative events where we feel good or bad about ourselves during
these situations or experiences.

Domain Specific Self – Esteem (a.k.a. Self – evaluations), is focused on how people evaluate their
various abilities and attributes. This is making distinctions or differentiation on how good or bad people are
in specific physical attributes, abilities and personal characteristics.

1.3 Real and Ideal Self Concepts

The self as the regulating center of an individual’s personality and self – processed under the guise
of id, ego and superego functioning (Pajares & Schunk, 2002), rocked Psychology as the biggest
breakthrough in understanding the psychological self. From this milestone, prominent psychologist
followed with their own perspectives of the self to contest the roles and functions of ego as the self. These
were the landmarks of Contemporary Psychology and the understanding of the internal process of man. A
group of psychologists called for renewed attention to inner experience, internal processes, and self –
constructs. These perspectives assert the overall dignity and worth of human beings and their capacity for
self – realization (Hall, Lindzey, Loehlin, & Manosevitz, 1997)

Karen Horney with her Femine Psyhology, established that a person has an ‘ideal self’, ‘actual self’
and the ‘real self’. She believed that everyone experiences basic reduction approaches. Hall, et al. (1997)
mentioned that Horney believed people develop a number of strategies to cope with basic anxiety.
Because people fell inferior, an idealized self – image – an imaginary picture of the self as the possessor of
unlimited powers and superlative qualities, is developed. On the other hand, the actual self, the person one
is in everyday life, is often despised because it fails to fulfill the requirement of the idealized image.
Underlying both the idealized self and the actual self is the real self, which is revealed only as a person
begins to shed the various techniques developed to deal with basic anxiety and to find ways of resolving
conflicts. The real self is not an entity but a ‘force’ that impels growth and self – realization.

Carl Rogers with his Person – Centered Theory, establish a conception of self involving the Real
Self (a.k.a. Self – concept) and Idea Self. The Real Self includes all those aspects of one’s being and
one’s experiences that are perceived in awareness (though not always accurately) by the individual (Feist,
Feist&Roberts, 2013). It is the part of ourselves where we feel, think, look and act involving our self –
image. On the other hand, the Ideal Self revolves around goals and ambitions in life, is dynamic, the
idealized image that we have developed over time. This is what our parents have taught us considering:
what we admire in others, what our society promotes, what we think are in our best interest.

GE 1: Understanding the Self

This module is a property and is exclusively used by the DWCB College Department. Any duplication and reproduction, storing in
any retrieval system, distribution, posting or uploading online as well as transmitting in any form or means (photocopying& electronic
sharing) of any part, without prior written permission from the owner is strictly prohibited.
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 Divine Word College of Bangued
Bangued, Abra
College Department

A wide gap between the ideal self and self indicates incongruence and an unhealthy personality
(Feist et al., 2013). If the way that I am (the real self) is aligned with the way that I want to be (the ideal
self), then I will feel a sense of mental well being or peace of mind. If the way that I am (the real self) is
aligned with the way that I want to be (the ideal self), then I will feel a sense of mental well – being or peace
of mind. If the way that I am is not aligned with how I want to be, the incongruence, or lack of alignment,
will result in mental distress or anxiety. The greater the level of incongruence between the ideal self and
real self, the greater is the level of resulting.

1.4 Multiple versus Unified Selves

Postmodern psychology contends that man has an identity that shifts and morphs in different social
situations and in response to different stimuli, as Kenneth Gergen argues that having a flexible sense of
self in different context is more socially adaptable than force one self to stick to one concept
(ctlsites.uga.edu, 2016, danielcw).

Theorists believed that there is no one answer to the question, “Why am I?” as one person can
undergo several transitions in his life and create multiple versions of himself. However, there is till the
contention of the importance of mental well – being, of maintaining a unified, centralized, coherent self.

Multiple Selves, according to K. Gergen, are the capabilities we carry within us from multiple relationships.
These are not ‘discovered’ but ‘created’ in our relationships with other people.

Unified Selves, as strongly pointed out in Traditional Psychology emphasizes that well – being comes when
our personality dynamics are congruent, cohesive and consistent. It is understood that a person is
essentially connected with selfhood and identity. In a healthy person the go remains at the helm of the
mind, coherent and organized, staying at the center (ctlsites, uga.edu, 2016, danielcw).

1.5 True versus False Selves

Donald W. Winnicott distinguished what he called the “true self” from the “false self” in the human
personality, considering the true self as based on a sense of being in the experiencing body and the false
self as a necessary defensive organization, a survival kit, a caretaker self, the means by which a
threatened person has managed to survive (Klein 1994).

True Self has a sense of integrity, of connected wholeness that harks to the early stage. False
Self is used when the person has to comply with external rules, such as being polite or otherwise following
social codes. The false self constantly seeks to anticipate demands of others in order to maintain in the
relationship. The Healthy False Self is functional, can be compliant but without the feeling that it has
betrayed its true self. The Unhealthy False Self fits in but through a feeling of forced compliance rather
than loving adaptation (changingminds.org 2016). False Selves, as an investigated by Heinz Kohut (1971),
can lead towards narcissistic personality, which identifies with external factors at the cost of one’s own
autonomous creativity.

2. The Self as Proactive and Agentic

GE 1: Understanding the Self

This module is a property and is exclusively used by the DWCB College Department. Any duplication and reproduction, storing in
any retrieval system, distribution, posting or uploading online as well as transmitting in any form or means (photocopying& electronic
sharing) of any part, without prior written permission from the owner is strictly prohibited.
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 Divine Word College of Bangued
Bangued, Abra
College Department

Social cognitive Theory takes an agentic view of personality, meaning that humans have the
capacity to exercise control over their own lives. People are self – regulating, proactive, self-reflective, and
self-organizing and that they have the power to influence their own actions to produce desired
consequences. People consciously act on their environment in a manner that permits growth toward
psychological health. An adequate theory of personality, according to G. Allport must allow for proactive
behavior (Feist et. Al., 2013).

Agent self – The agent self is known as the executive function that allows for actions. This is how
we, as individuals, make choices and utilize our control in situations and actions. The agent self, resides
over everything that involves decision making, self-control, taking charge in situations, and actively
responding. A person might desire to eat unhealthy foods, however, it is his/her agent self that allows that
person to choose to avoid eating them and make a healthier food choice (Baumeister, & Bushman, 2011).

Human agency is not a thing but an active process of exploring, manipulating and influencing the
environment in order to attain desired outcomes. According to Albert Bandura, the core features of human
agency are intentionally (acts a person performs intentionally) forethought (selling goals, anticipation of
outcomes of actions, selection of behaviors to produce desired outcomes and avoiding undesirable ones),
self – reactiveness (monitoring progress toward fulfilling choices), and self – reflectiveness (examination of
own functioning, evaluation of the effect of other people’s action on them). These lead to self – efficacy,
the belief that they are capable of performing actions that will produce a desired effect (Feist, et al., 2013).

Self – Efficacy lies in the center of Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. It is the measure of one’s
ability to complete goals. People with high self – efficacy often are eager to accept challenges because
they believe they can overcome them, while people with low self – efficacy may avoid challenges, or
believe experiences are more challenging than they actually are (appsychtexttbk.wikispaces.com, 2014).

SUMMARY

Based on the different perspective discussed, we can say that there is no single definition of the self. Some
perspectives see the self as being made up of different self-aspects that may not have clear boundaries
from one another, others may also see the self as what we really are, what we are not, and what we want
to become, some other perspectives see the self as cognitive construct which can be shaped and modified
by our environment and the people around us. But regardless of the different conceptualizations about the
self, it is clear that how we see ourselves guides us, influences our actions and decisions, and impacts how
we view life as a whole. Now, what is important is that we become aware of the different aspects of
ourselves, appreciate and develop our strengths, and accept and work out our weaknesses. Only then can
we remain true to ourselves.

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY

In an Oslo paper, do the activity:

1. Make a collage of your “ideal self” and “real self”. Use cut-out magazine pictures or use your
drawing skills to create a collage that represents your “two selves”. Next, have a friend or a family
member make a collage of your “actual self”.

GE 1: Understanding the Self

This module is a property and is exclusively used by the DWCB College Department. Any duplication and reproduction, storing in
any retrieval system, distribution, posting or uploading online as well as transmitting in any form or means (photocopying& electronic
sharing) of any part, without prior written permission from the owner is strictly prohibited.
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 Divine Word College of Bangued
Bangued, Abra
College Department

Compare them and see what you will learn about yourself which you will write in a separate sheet
of bond paper.

GE 1: Understanding the Self

This module is a property and is exclusively used by the DWCB College Department. Any duplication and reproduction, storing in
any retrieval system, distribution, posting or uploading online as well as transmitting in any form or means (photocopying& electronic
sharing) of any part, without prior written permission from the owner is strictly prohibited.
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