MODULE IV

PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF

I. MODULE OVERVIEW

The development of self-understanding in adolescence involves many theories about the

self, identity, and personality. Theories about self and personality pave the way to identify which
characteristics are related to each other. They encourage discussion on the different
conceptualizations of identity-based on various sociocultural contexts (Santrock, 2002).
This chapter will highlight the psychological theories that influence the way people
understand the self. Understanding of the self is highest when the different parts of the self
become integrative. According to Carl Rogers, the important aspect of understanding one’s
identity is self-awareness. How much an adolescent is aware of his or her psychological make-
up, what makes him or her unique as a person, as well as his or her strengths and weaknesses.

II. DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of this topic, the students should be able to:
1. Define and describe the different psychological concepts of self
2. Differentiate the various concepts of the self and identify their relationship.
3. Explain how the concepts of self influence behavior; and
4. Apply concepts of self in one’s life to develop self-awareness and self-
understanding.

III. TAKE OFF/MOTIVATION

“To a young person, it is almost a sin, or at least a danger, to be too preoccupied with
himself; but for the aging person, it is a duty and a necessity to devote serious attention
to himself.” -Carl Rogers

IV. CONTENT FOCUS

Definition of terms:
I-self and Me-Self- A concept of self by William James. 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 subcategories: the
material self, social self, and spiritual self.

The Material Self. Composed of the physical attributes and material possessions of an
individual that contributes to his/her self-image.

The Social Self. This refers to who the person is or how he/she behaves in social situations.
People may have different social selves depending on the social situations they are in.

The Spiritual Self. The most intimate and important part of the self includes the person’s
purpose, core values, conscience, and moral behavior. To understand this, one requires to have
introspection.

Self Concept- Carl Rogers defined self-concept as the image of oneself. Rogers defined the
self as a flexible and changing perception of personal identity. Rathus (2017) said that the
center of the experience is that self. He also suggested that self develops from the interaction
with significant people and awareness of one’s characteristics and level of functioning. Carl
Rogers theorized that self-concept has two components: the real self and the ideal self.

The Real Self. This self consists of all the ideas, including the awareness of what one is and the
things he/she can do.

The Ideal Self. Is the person’s conception of what one should be or aspires to be which
includes one’s goal and ambitions in life.

When the ideal self is far from the real self, the person becomes unhappy and dissatisfied with
life. (Atkinson, Atkinson, Smith, Bem & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2009).
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True Self. The self defines who we are according to Winnicott. This is the self we show
to our close friends and families.
False Self. The self that we show to impress others (Eg. Dating situations).

ALBERT BANDURA’S CONCEPT OF HUMAN AGENCY

Agency. Composed of distributed structures and functions through which personal

influence is exercised. Albert bandura (2001) suggested that humans, through their
agency and choice, are perceived as proactive agents of experiences. The core features
of agency enable people to play a part in their self-development, adaptation, and self-
renewal. These features are intentionality, forethought, self-reactiveness, and self
reflectiveness.

Intentionality. Refers to the act done intentionally. Intentions center on plans of action
with anticipation of expected outcomes.

Forethought. Enables the person to anticipate the likely consequences of certain

actions. Through this, the person can guide their actions in the future. Self-reactiveness.
Involves making choices and choosing appropriate actions as well as motivating and
regulating them.

Self-reflectiveness. Gives the person the ability to reflect upon his/her thoughts and
actions.
CARL JUNG’S CONCEPT OF ARCHETYPE

Archetypes. Developed by Carl Jung that talks about the universal roles. These archetypes
reside in the personal unconscious (forgotten experiences) that is present to all human beings.
The four major archetypes are persona, shadow, animus/anima, and self.

Persona. The archetype we show to other people shorturl.at/FRSV6

Shadow. The archetype we do not show or repress. Usually

composed of negative tendencies that we have. Also considered as
the dark side of the psyche.

Animus. The masculine side of the female psyche.

Anima. The feminine side of the male psyche.

Self. The central archetype unites all other archetypes.

SIGMUND FREUD’S CONSTRUCTION OF SELF AND PERSONALITY

Id. This component of personality according to Freud exists to satisfy our basic needs and
urges. Just like a baby, the Id is pleasure-seeking, demanding, and requires instant gratification.

Ego. The ego or I (self) controls the urges of the Id. This operates of the reality principle and
can adjust depending on societal considerations.

Superego. Also known as the “conscience” and “moral judge” of one’s conduct. This component
of personality strives for perfection rather than pleasure (Id). Going against the superego will
result in feelings of guilt.
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Ego Strength. Refers to the ability of the ego to resolve the conflict between the Id, Ego, and
Superego. If constant conflict cannot be resolved, personality problems in the future may arise.

Psychosexual Stages of Development. The stages that the Id, Ego, and Superego undergo
according to Freud. Each stage has its conflict that needs to be resolve to move on to the next
stage. Failure to resolve the conflict will result in a fixation on that stage which will then result in
a negative effect on the personality. The five stages are the oral stage, anal stage, phallic
stage, latency stage, and genital stage (O, A, Pha, La, Ge).

STAGE PERIOD OF HIGHLIGHTS

LIFE
Oral (birth to 1 year of During this stage, the mouth is where pleasure-seeking
stage age) activities take place.
Sucking and biting are the common behaviors of babies at
this stage.
Overindulgence in oral needs may lead to personality
disorders such as overeating, smoking, and alcoholism while
lack of oral needs satisfaction will lead to sarcasm and
tactlessness
Anal (2 to 3 years of Activities like the elimination of body waste are at the center
age) of this stage. Through toilet training, the child learns the basic
Stage
rule of society. Failure to move on in this stage will lead to
anal-retentive personality disorder such as obsessions with
cleanliness or clumsiness.
Phallic (3 to 6 years of Children during this stage derive pleasure from examining,
age) touching, fondling, or displaying their genitals. Motivated by
Stage
curiosity, children at this stage will try to explore the
differences between man and woman anatomy. Due to the
vulnerability both mentally and physically, parents and
teachers should properly educate the children about
sexuality. Fixation of this stage will lead to abnormal sex
behaviors in later life.
Latency (7 to 12 years of The resting stage in the development of children. At this
age) stage, they are preoccupied with school and other self-
Stage
development activities.
Genital (13 years of age to Pleasure again at this stage is awakened and individuals
adulthood) satisfy their needs from sexual relationships. Sexual
Stage
problems may result as a consequence of inappropriate
sexual behaviors.

THE ROLE OF ERIK ERIKSON’S THEORY IN UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

Psychosocial Development
Erikson proposed that individuals undergo eight stages of psychosocial
development. He believed that while each of the stages is important, he gives focuses on
the development of the ego. For him the ego is a positive force that actively influences
the development of the personality and foundation of strengths and virtues life hope, will,
purpose competence, fidelity, love, care, and wisdom.

Each developmental stage has its particular crisis or turning point that
necessitates some change in our behavior and personality. We may respond to the crisis
in one of two ways: a maladaptive (negative) way or an
adaptive (positive) way.

a. TRUST VS. MISTRUST. The first stage of life according to Erikson. If the
child is properly taken care of, he/she will develop trust. Otherwise, the child
will develop mistrust.
b. AUTONOMY VS. SHAME AND DOUBT. The second stage of development
occurring in the first three years of life. Erikson believes that at this stage the
children will show signs of independence and will behave without approval
from parents or caretakers. If the caretaker allows their children to explore,
they will become more confident and secure in their abilities. If they are
overprotected, they become more dependent and may feel a sense of shame
and doubt in their abilities. This stage is important because Erikson believed
that it has strong implications during adolescence where the development of
identity and independence is seen.

c. INITIATIVE VS. GUILT. Occurs around 3 to 5 years of age. Giving a sense of

responsibility to children at this stage will lead to the development of the
initiative. A child who is made irresponsible might develop feelings of guilt.

d. INDUSTRY VS. INFERIORITY. This stage occurs around the elementary

school years of children. At this stage, they will explore, discover and
enhance their abilities through various activities such as academics and
sports. When children are encouraged and complimented, they will develop
industry in their endeavors. However, if the children receive too little
compliment or encouragement, they will start to doubt their capabilities and
start to develop a sense of inferiority.

e. IDENTITY FORMATION VS. IDENTITY CONFUSION. During this stage,

which usually takes place during adolescence, a person is faced with the
great task of finding out who they are, what they want to pursue, and their
goal in life. This requires a lot of contemplating and soul-searching.
Confronted with roles and responsibilities, if the adolescents are properly
supported and guided, they will develop a positive identity. If they are not
adequately supported, they will insecure and identity
confusion will likely develop.
 f. INTIMACY VS. ISOLATION. Occurs during early adulthood. People at this
stage explore important personal relationships. Erikson believed that at this
stage people should develop strong intimate relationships. Those who are
successful in this stage will have stable and consistent relationships. Inability
to form a stable relationship at this stage will lead to isolation.

g. GENERATIVITY VS. STAGNATION. During middle adulthood, people will be

compelled to contribute to his/her community by teaching, instructing, and
guiding the younger generation. To generate meaningful activities during this
stage is very important in moving to the last stage of life. Failure to have this
generativity will lead to feelings of worthlessness and stagnation.

h. INTEGRITY VS. DESPAIR. The final psychosocial stage occurs during old
age. This focuses more on self-reflection and contemplation of one’s life. If
people at this stage, look back throughout those years they have lived, and
found a sense of accomplishment and happiness, they will develop 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.

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VI. SELF-REFLECT
NOTE: There are no right and wrong answers about getting to know more about
yourself. Just be confident and honest as you answer these guide questions. Write
your answers in the space provided.

1. Which among the basic concepts or the stages can describe or applies to your life right
now? Explain shortly.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________

2. Describe what you will be or what you want to be in the next ten years, including your
goals and ambitions, the places you want to go, and the things you want to have.
You can start with statements such as, I envision myself as...
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
__________________

3. If there is one lesson you learned in knowing about the psychological self, what is that
lesson?
______________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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 VII. REFERENCES

Atkinson, R., Atkinson, R., Smith, E., Bem, D., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2000). Hillgard’s
introduction to Psychology. United States: Thomson Wadsworth.

Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: an agentic perspective. Annual Reviews, 52, 1-26.

Carl Jung Archetypes picture retrieved on September 02, 2020 at shorturl.at/yX126.

Carl Rogers notion of Congruence picture retrieved on September 02, 2020 at shorturl.at/djzDK.
Id, Ego, and Superego by Sigmund Freud picture retrieved on September 02, 2020 at
shorturl.at/oyJ36.

Rathus, S. (2017). Psychology. Andover: Cengage Learning.

Santrock, J. (2002). A Typical approach to life span development. Boston, MA: Mc Graw Hill.

Understanding the Self pdf retrieved on August 29, 2020 at

https://ched.gov.ph/wpcontent/uploads/2017/10/Understanding-the-Self.pdf

“Understanding the Self” by Ma. Joycelyn A. Go-Monilla & Normaliza C. Ramirez.

Compiled and edited by

Dr. Ulysis L. Ferreras

Assistant Professor I