GE Understanding the Self 2021

UNDERSTANDING
THE SELF
General Education 1
Academic Year 2021 -2022

Prepared by: Miguel C. Cierva, Jr, Tiwi Community College

Adopted by: Matt B. Sinaca, MAGC, RGC, LPT

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COURSE OUTLINE

MODULE 1: DEFINING THE SELF: PERSONAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVES

ON SELF AND IDENTITY

Part 1: Meet and Greet: My Home, My School

Part 2: Concept and nature of self: Who am I?

Part 3: Self, Society and Culture

Part 4: Self as Cognitive Construct

Part 5: Self: Western and Eastern Thought

MODULE 2: UNPACKING THE SELF

Part 1: Physical self: the Beautiful Me

Part 2: Material Self: To Buy or not to Buy?

Part 3: Spiritual Self: Believe it or not!

Part 4: Moral Self: Living with Purpose

Part 5: Political Self: Being Filipino

Part 6: Digital Self: Who I am in the Cyber world?

Part 7: Social Self: Relating with Others

MODULE 3: MANAGING AND CARING FOR SELF

Part 1: Intelligent behaviors: Learning to be a better Learner

Part 2: Emotional self: Achieving My Emotional Competencies

Part 3: Responsible Self: My Commitment to Lifelong Growth

Part 4: Do not Just Dream, Make it Happen!

Part 5: Assessing for Self-Improvement: Directing My Destiny

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MODULE 1: DEFINING THE SELF:

PERSONAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVES ON SELF
AND IDENTITY

Part 1: MEET AND GREET: MY HOME, MY SCHOOL

The most challenging and exciting phase is your college life. It is a new
adventure that everyone looks forward to. It is a world different from your elementary as
well as junior and senior high schools. Since you are in your freshman year in SSCT,
everything – including this subject is new to you.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Memorize the vision and mission, and core values of the school
2. Explain the program and the SSCT‟s vision-mission statements and objectives
3. Demonstrate self-understanding and self-acceptance

LESSON PROPER

In college, you are expected to do something for the whole community and even
at home. You are now a freshman student. Can you identify the things that you expect
to do for the community and for the school?

Note: for further readings please refer on the SSCT Student Handbook

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PART 2: CONCEPT AND NATURE OF SELF: WHO AM I?

Our names represent who we are. Our names signify us. However, the name is
not the person itself no matter how intimately bound it is with the bearer. It is only a
signifier. Self is thought to be more than the name. Self is something that a person
perennially molds, shapes, and develops. The self is not static.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Define the nature, concept, and meaning of the self

2. Discuss the nature of the self from your own point of view;
3. Use the conceptualization and representation of the self from various disciplines
and perspectives

LESSON PROPER

The Philosophical view of Self: Various Philosophers

Socrates: Know Yourself

He is principally concerned with man. He was the first philosopher who engages
in systematic questioning about the self. “Every man is composed of body and soul.” – i.
e. dualism [Man is composed of two important aspects of his personhood]

Therefore, all individuals have an imperfect, impermanent aspect to him, and the
body, while maintaining that there is also a soul that is perfect and permanent. [Platonic]

He considers man from the point of view of his inner life. The famous life of
Socrates tells each man to bring his inner self to light. A bad man is not virtuous through
ignorance. The core of Socratic ethics is the concept of virtue and knowledge. Virtue is
the deepest and most basic propensity [strong natural tendency to do something] of

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man. Knowing one‟s own virtue is necessary and can be learned. Since virtue is innate
in the mind and self-knowledge is the source of all wisdom, an individual may gain
possession of oneself and be one‟s own master through knowledge.

Plato: The Ideal Self, perfect self

Plato claimed in his dialogues that Socrates affirmed that the unexamined life is
not worth living. With this, he basically took off from his master and supported the idea
that man is dual in nature. He added that there are components of the soul: a] rational
soul; b] spiritual soul; and c] appetitive soul.

The republic – he emphasizes that justice in the human person can only be
attained if the three parts of the soul are working harmoniously with one another. The
rational soul forged/ copied by reason and intellect that govern the affairs of the human
person; the spiritual soul which in charge of emotions; and appetitive soul in charge of
base desires.

Therefore, when this ideal state is attained, the human person‟s soul becomes just and
virtues. To make it simple, a man was omniscient before he came to be born into this
world. In practical terms, this means that man in this life should imitate his former self;
he should live a life of virtue in which true human perfection exists.

“Love in fact is one of the links between the sensible and the eternal world.” - Plato

Rene Descartes: Cogito, ergo sum/ I think, therefore I am

He conceived of the human person as having a body and a mind. He claims that
there is so much that we should doubt since much of what we think and believe is not
infallible, they may turn out to be false.

Rene thought that the only thing that one cannot doubt is the existence of the
self, for even if one doubts oneself, that only proves that there is a doubting self, a thing
that thinks and therefore, that cannot be doubted.

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The self then for Rene is also a combination of two distinct entities, the COGITO,
the thing that thinks, which is the mind, and the EXTENZA of the mind, which is the
body, ie. like a machine that is attached to the mind.

The human person has the body but it is not what makes a man a man. If at all,
that is the mind. Descartes: says: “What then am I? A thinking thing, that doubts,
understands, affirms, denies, wills, refuses; that imagines also and perceives.

To sum, although the mind and the body are independent of each other and
serve their own function, man must use his own mind and thinking abilities to
investigate, analyze, experiment, and develop himself.

David Hume: the self is the bundle theory of mind

He is an empiricist who believes that one can know only through the senses and
experiences. Example: Ana knows that Lenard is a man not because she has seen his
soul. Ana knows Lenard just like her because she sees him, hears him, and touches
him.

Hume posits that self is nothing else but a bundle of impressions. What are
impressions? For Hume, they can all be categorized into two: impressions and ideas.
The first one is the basic objects of our experience or sensation. So, it forms the core of
our thoughts. Example: when one touches fire, the hotness sensation is an impression
which is the direct experience.

On the contrary, Ideas are copies of our impressions. Because of this, they are
not as lively and clear as our impressions. Example: the feeling of being in love for the
first time that is an idea. According to Hume, the self is a bundle or collection of various
perceptions, which succeed each other with an inconceivable rapidity, and are in a
perpetual flux and movement. Thus, the self is simply a collection of all experiences with
a particular being.

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Immanuel Kant: respect for self

Every man is thus an end in himself and should never be treated merely as a
means – as per the order of the Creator and the natural order of things. To Kant, there
is necessarily a mind that organizes the impressions that men get from the external
world. Time and Space are ideas that one cannot find in the world but built-in our
human mind. Kant calls these the apparatuses of the mind.

Along with the different apparatuses of the mind goes the self. Without the self,
one cannot organize the different impressions that one gets in relation to his own
existence. Thus, the self is not just what gives one his personality. It is also the seat of
knowledge acquisition for all human persons.

Gilbert Ryle: The mind-Body dichotomy

For Ryle, what truly matters is the behavior that a person manifests in his day-to-
day life. For him, looking for and trying to understand the self as it really exists is like
visiting your friends‟ university and looking for the “university.”

Ryle says that self is not an entity one can locate and analyze but simply the
convenient name that people use to refer to all the behaviors that people make.

Merleau Ponty: Phenomenologist

He insisted that body and mind are so intertwined from one another. One cannot
find any experience that is not an embodied experience. All experience is embodied.
One‟s body is his opening toward his existence to the world. Because men are in the
world. For him, the Cartesian problem is nothing but plain misunderstanding. The living
body, his thoughts, emotions, and experiences are all one.

The Christian or Biblical view of Self

The Holy Bible

“God created man in His image; in the divine image He created him; male and
female He created them. God blessed them, saying, „Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth
and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds in the air, and all the
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living things that move on the earth.” Gen. 1:24-28

Thus, it is appropriate to think of the self as the “multi-bejeweled crown of

creation –the many gems thereof representing and radiating the glorious facets of
man‟s self that include the physical, intellectual, moral, religious, social, political,
economic, emotional, sentient, aesthetic, sensual, and sexual aspects.

Augustine: Love and justice as the foundation of the individual self

Augustine‟s view of the human person reflects the entire spirit of the medieval
world when it comes to man. He combined the platonic ideas into Christianity
perspective.

Augustine agreed that man is of a bifurcated/ dual nature. An aspect of man

dwells in the world and is imperfect and continuously years to be with the Divine and the
other is capable of reaching immortality.

The body is bound to die on earth and the soul is to anticipate living eternally in
communion with God.

He believes that a virtuous life is the dynamism of love. Loving God means loving
one‟s fellowmen; and loving one‟s fellowmen denotes never doing any harm to another.

“An sakong puso dai matutuninong sagkod na Ika mapasapuso ko.” – Augustine

Thomas Aquinas: Angelic doctor

Adapting some ideas from Aristotle, Aquinas said that indeed, man is composed
of two parts: matter and form. Matter/ hyle refers to the common stuff that makes up
everything in the universe. Forms/ morphe refers to the essence of the substance of
things. It is what makes it what it is.

In the case of the human person, the body of the human person is something
that he shares even with animals. What makes a human person a human person is his
essence. Like Aristotle, the soul is what animates the body; it is what makes us
humans.

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The Psychological View of Self

Sigmund Freud: Psychoanalytic theory of self

He asserts that the human psyche [personality] is structured into 3 parts. These
structures – ID [internal desires], EGO [reality], and SUPEREGO [conscience] – all
develop at different stages in a persons‟ life.

Freud also argues that the development of an individual can be divided into
distinct stages characterized by sexual drives. As the person grows, certain areas
become sources of pleasure, frustration, or both. Freudian stages of psychosexual
development: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital.

Erik Erikson: Psychosocial stages of self-development

He primarily concerned with how both psychological and social factors affect the
development of individuals. He formulated 8 major stages of development, each posing
a unique developmental task and simultaneously presenting the individual with a crisis
that s/he must overcome [see chart]

ACTIVITY 1

Write an essay about anything that you wish to submit about yourself. You may use
these following suggested topics

a. Me as I see me
b. How other people see me
c. How I would like other people to see me

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ACTIVITY 2
In your own words, state what “self” is for each of the following philosophers. After
doing so, explain how your concept of self is compatible with how they conceived of the
“self”.

Socrates:

Plato:

Augustine:

Aquinas:

Descartes:

Hume:

Kant:

Ryle:

Merleau Ponty:

Sigmund Freud:

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PART 3: SELF, SOCIETY AND CULTURE

Across time and history, self has been debated, discussed and fruitfully or
otherwise conceptualized by different thinkers in philosophy. With the advent of social
sciences, it became possible for new ways and paradigms to reexamine the true nature
of the self.

Thinkers settled on the idea that there are two components of the human person
and whatever relationship these two have is less important than the fact that there is a
self. One of the loci, if not the most important axis of analysis is the relationship
between the self and the external world. What is the relationship between external
reality and the self?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. State the relationship between the self, society, and culture

2. Describe and discuss the different ways by which society and culture shape the
self
3. Interpret how the self can be influenced by the different institutions in the
society; and
4. Examine one‟s self against the different views of self that were discussed

Lesson proper
What is the self??

The self, in contemporary literature and even common sense, is commonly

defined by the following characteristics: “separate, self-contained, independent,
consistent, unitary and private.”

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*SEPARATE*- it is meant that the self is distinct from other selves .The self is always
unique and has its own identity.one cannot be another person. Even twins are distinct
from each other

*SELF-CONTAINED & INDEPENDENT*-because in itself it can exist its distinctness

allow it to be self-contained with its own thoughts, characteristics, and volition. It does
not require any other self for it to exist.

*CONSISTENT*- because it has a personality that is enduring and therefore can be

expected to persist for quite some time its consistency allows to be studied , described,
and measured, consistency also means that a particular self traits , characteristics,
tendencies, and potentialities are more or less the same.

*UNITARY*- in that it is the center of all experiences and thoughts that run through a
certain person it is like the chief command post in an individual where all processes ,
emotion, and thoughts converge.

*PRIVATE*- Each person sorts out information, feelings and emotions, and though
processes within the self. This whole process is never accessible to anyone but the self.
This last characteristic of the self being private suggest that the self is isolated from the
external world

From this perspective: the concern of this lesson is in understanding the vibrant
relationship between the self and the external reality. This reality is called social
constructionist perspective - that argues for a merged view of the person and their
social context where the boundaries of one cannot easily be separated from the
boundaries of the other.

Social constructionists argue that self should not be seen as a static entity that
says constant through and through. Rather, the self has to be seen as something that is
in unceasing flux, in a constant struggle with external reality and is malleable in its
dealings with society.

As a man of different roles [as a father, friend, teacher, husband] one can expect
a person to change and adjust his behaviors, ways and even language depending on
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his social; situation. We ourselves play different roles, act in various ways depending on
our circumstances. This is not only normal but it is also acceptable and expected. The
self is capable of morphing and fitting itself into any circumstances it finds itself in.

THE SELF AND CULTURE

Remaining the same person and turning chameleon by adapting to one's context
seems paradoxical. A French Anthropologist MARCEL MAUSS has an explanation for
this phenomenon. According to Mauss, every self has two faces: personne and moi.

Moi - refers to a person's sense of who he is, his body, and his basic identity, his
biological governess. Moi is a person's basic identity personne on the other hand, is
composed of the social concepts of what it means to be who he is.

Personne - has much to do with what it means to live in a particular institution, a

particular family, a particular religion, a particular nationality and how to behave given
expectations and influences from others.

THE SELF AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOCIAL WORLD

The unending terrain of metamorphosis of the self is mediated by language.

Language as both a publicly shared and privately utilized symbol system is the site
where the individual and the social make and remake each other.

MEAD AND VYGOTSKY

For Mead & Vygotsky the way that the human persons develop is with the use of
language acquisition and interactions with others - without a family biologically and
sociologically a person may not even survive or became a human person.

GENDER AND THE SELF

Here is another important aspects of the self and gender. GENDER is one of
those loci of the self that is subject to alteration, change, and development. We have
seen in the past years how people fought hard for the right to express, validate, and
assert their gender expression.

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However, from the point of view of the social sciences and the self, it is important
to give one the leeway to find, express, and live his identity. This account illustrates that

our gender partly determines how we see ourselves in the world. Often times society
forces a particular identity unto us depending on our sex and /or gender .

Both Vygotsky and Mead treat the human mind as something that is made
constituted through language as experienced in the external world and as encountered
in dialogs with other. A young child internalized values, norms, practices, and social
beliefs and more through exposure to these dialogs that will eventually become part of
his individual world. VYGOTSKY, for this part a child internalizes real life dialogs that he
has had with others, with his family, his primary caregiver, or his play mates.

Self in Families

Apart from the anthropological and psychological basis for the relationship
between the self and the social world, the sociological likewise struggled to understand
the real connection between the two concepts. In doing so, sociologists focus on the
different institutions in powers at play in the society. Among these the most prominent is
the family. GENDER has to be personally discovered and asserted and not dictated by
culture and the society.

ACTIVITY 1:
By means of a diagram, you are going to present your relationship to the society
and culture.

s c
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ACTIVITY 2

Answer the following questions cogently but honestly. Write your answer in the
space provided.

What social pressures help shape yourself? Would you have wanted it otherwise?

What aspect of your self do you think may be changed or you would like to change?

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PART 4: SELF AS COGNITIVE CONSTRUCT

As discussed in the previous unit, every field of study, at least in the social
sciences, have their own research, definition, and conceptualization of self and identity.
Some are similar while some specific only their field. Each field also has thousands of
research on self and identity as well as related or synonymous terms. The trend of the
lessons also seems to define the concept of the "self" from a larger context (i. e; culture
and society) down to the individual. However, it must be pointed out the modern
researches acknowledge the contributions of each field and this is not some sort of a
Nurture vs. Nature, society/culture versus Individual/brain, and other social sciences vs.
Psychology debate, psychology may focus on the individual and cognitive functions, but
it does not discount the context and other possible factors that affect the individual.

For students who take up psychology, discussions on theories, and development,

among others actually take at least one semester and there are still more to be learned
about the concept of "self".

This lesson provides an overview of the themes of psychology regarding the said
concept.

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Analyze the effects of various factors identified in psychology in the formation of

the "self".
2. Create your own definition of the "self" based on the definitions from psychology;
and
3. Evaluate the different ideas in psychology about the "self".

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LESSON PROPER
Self as cognitive construct

In confidence or in an attempt to avoid further analytical discussions, 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?"

As mentioned earlier, 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 (Jhangiani and Tarry 2014)."

William James (1890) was one of the earliest psychologists to study the self and
conceptualized the self as having two aspects the "I" and the "me".

The "I" is the thinking, acting, and feeling self (Gleitman, Gross, and Reisburg
2011; Hogg, and Vaughan 2010). The "me" on the other hand, is the physical
characteristics as well as psychological capabilities that makes who you are (Gleitman,
Gross, and Reisburg 2011; Hogg and Vaughan 2010). Carl Rogers's (1959) theory of
personality also used the same terms, the "I" as the one who acts and decides while tha
"me" is what you think or feel about yourself as an object (Gleitman,Gross and Reisburg
2011).

Other concept similar to self are IDENTITY is composed of personal

characteristics, social roles, and responsibilities, as well as affiliations that define who
one is (Oyserman, Elmore, and Smith 2012).

Self-concept is what basically comes to your mind when you are asked about
who you are (Oyserman, Elmore, and Smith 2012). Self-identity and self-concept are
not fixed in on-e time frame, and they are not fixed for life nor are they ever-changing at
every moment.

Carl Rogers captured this idea in his concept of self-schema or our organized
system or collection of knowledge about who we are (Gleitman, Gross, and Reisberg
2011; jhangaini and Tarry 2014). Imagine an organized list or diagram similar to the one

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below.

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Hobbies

Family SELF Religion

Nationality

It may also include your interest, work, course, age, name, and physical
characteristics, among others. As you grow and adapt to the changes around you, they
also change, but they are not passive receivers, they actively shape and affect how you
see, think and feel about things.

Theories generally see the self and identity as mental construct created and
recreated in memory (Oyserman, Elmore, and Smith 2012). Current researches point to
the frontal lobe of the brain as the specific area in the brain associated with the
processes concerning the self.

Several psychologist, especially during the fields earlier development, followed

this trend of thought, looking deeper into the mind of the person to theorize about the
self, identity, self-concept, and in turn, one's personality.

The most influential of them is SIGMUND FREUD. Basically, Freud saw the self
its mental processes and ones behavior as the result of the interaction between the I.D,
EGO and the SUPEREGO.

As in the above mentioned definitions of the self, social interaction always has a
part to play in who we think we are. This is not nature vs. Nurture but instead a nature--
and--nurture perspective.

Three reasons why self and identity are social products:

1. We do not create ourselves out of nothing.

2. Whether you like to admit it or not, we actually needs others to affirm and

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reinforce who we think we are, we also need them as reference points about our
identity.

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3. What we think is important in our social or historical context.

Two types of self that we can be aware: the private self or your internal standards
and private thoughts and feelings. The public self or your public image commonly
geared toward having a good presentation of yourself to others (Hogg and Vaughan
2010)

Self-awareness there are times, however, when we are aware of our self-
concepts also present us with at least three other self-schema the:

ACTUAL, IDEAL, and OUGHT SELF.

ACTUAL SELF is who you are at the moment
IDEAL SELF is who you like to be.
OUGHT SELF is who you think you should be.

SELF- AWARENESS may be positive or negative depending on the circumstances

and our next course of action. It can keep you doing something dangerous. It can be too
much that we are concerned about being observed and criticized by others. It is also
known as self-consciousness (Jhangiani and Tarry 2014).

At other times, especially with large crowds, we may experience de individuation or

"the loss of individual self-awareness and individual accountability in groups. A lot of
people will attune themselves with the emotions of their group and because the large
crowd also provides some kind of anonymity. We may lessen our self-control and act in
ways that we will not do when we are alone.

Our group identity and self-awareness also has a great impact on our self-esteem,
one of the common concepts associated with the "self". It is define our own positive or
negative perception or evaluation of ourselves (jhangiani, And Tarry 2014; Gleitman,
Gross, and Reisberg 2011).

One of the ways in which our social relationship affects our self-esteem is through
social comparison. According to the social comparison theory, we learn about
ourselves, the appropriateness of our behaviors, as well as our social status by
comparing aspects of ourselves with other people (Jhangiani, and Tarry 2014; Hogg
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and Vaughan 2010).

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The DOWNWARD SOCIAL COMPARISON is the more common type of comparing

ourselves with others. As the name implies, we create a positive self-concept by
comparing ourselves with those who are worse off than us. (Jhangiani and Tarry 2014).
By having the advantage, we can raise our self-esteem.

The UPWARD SOCIAL COMPARISON which is comparing ourselves with those

who are better off than us (jhangiani, and Tarry 2014). While it can be a form of
motivation for some, a lot of those who do this actually felt lower self-esteem as they
highlight more of their weakness or inequities.

SOCIAL COMPARISON also entails what is called self-evaluation maintenance

theory, which states that we can feel threatened when someone out-performs us,
especially when that person is close to us (i.e., a friend or family).

Take note that this occurs not only between individuals but also among groups.
Thus, if a person‟s group is performing better and is acknowledged more than the
group, then his self-esteem may also be heightened.

Such social comparison also entails what is called self-evaluation maintenance

theory, which states that we can feel threatened when someone out-performs us,
especially when that person is close to us. In this case, we usually react in three ways:

FIRST, we distance ourselves from that person or redefine our relationship with
them. Some will resort to the silent treatment, change of friends, while some may also
redefine by being closer to that person, hoping that some association may give him a
certain kind of acknowledgement also.

SECOND, we may also reconsider the importance of the aspect or skill in which you
were out performed.

LASTLY, we may also strengthen our resolve to improve that certain aspect of
ourselves.

However, in the attempt to increase or maintain self-esteem, some people become

narcissistic. NARCISSISM is a "trait characterized by overly high self-esteem, self-

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admiration, and self-centeredness.

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Sometimes, there is a thin line between high self-esteem and narcissism and
there are a lot of test and measurements for self-esteem like the Rosenberg scale but
the issue is that the result can be affected by the desire of the person to portray herself
in a positive or advantageous way.

ACTIVITY 1

Research and list 3 major things to boost your self-concept or self- esteem. Cite
the sources. Analyze which of those tips are more likely do back fire and make
someone conceited or narcissistic and revise them to make the statements both the
helpful to the individual as well as society in general.

ACTIVITY 2

1. It is a trait characterized by overly high self-esteem and self-centerdness.

a. Narcissism b. Venus c. Egoism
2. It entails self-evaluation.
a. Social Contrast b. Social comparison c. Social justice
3. It is comparing ourselves with those who are better than us.
a. Downward Social Comparison b. upward social comparison c. Ego
4. It is a common type of comparing ourselves with others.
a. Downward Social Comparison b. upward social comparison c. Ego
5. Other similar concept to self.
a. Identity b. culture c. Society

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PART 5: SELF IN WESTERN AND EASTERN THOUGHT

Different cultures and varying environment tend to create different perceptions of

the self and one of the most common distinctions between cultures and people in the
Eastern-vs-Western dichotomy wherein Eastern represents Asia and Western
represents Europe and Northern America.

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Explain the concept of self as found in Asian thought;

2. Choose a representation from the Filipino self; and
3. Differentiate the concept of self-according to Western through against Eastern
perspectives

LESSON PROPER
There are many sources in which you can analyze the perspective of each culture and
country about the concept of “self.” In this lesson, we will look at religious beliefs and
political philosophies that greatly influenced the mindset of each nation or culture.

First is Confucianism. It can be seen as a code of ethical conduct, of how one

should properly act according to their relationship with other people; thus it is also
focused on having a harmonious social life. Thus, identity and self-concept of the
individual are interwoven with the identity and status of his/her community or culture,
sharing its pride as well as its failures.

Eastern Self

Everyone is interconnected in a drama with specific roles. Self-cultivation: The

cultivated self in Confucianism is what some scholars call a “subdued self” wherein

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personal needs are repressed [subdue] for the good of many, making Confucian society
also hierarchal for the purpose of maintaining order and balance.

Second philosophy is Taoism. Taoism was founded by Lao Tzu. Taoism is living
to the way of the Tao (Universe). However, they reject the hierarchy and strictness of
Confucianism. Taoism prefers to live a simple life. Self is not an extension of family or
community. Self is part of the universe, one of the forms and manifestations of the Tao.
The ideal self is selflessness but this is not forgetting about the self, it is living a
balanced-about prejudices and egocentric ideas and thinking about equality as well as
complementarily among humans as well as other beings.

The 3rd is Buddhism. The self is seen as an illusion, born out of ignorance, of
trying to hold and control things, or human centered needs; thus, the self is also the
source of all these suffering. Life is full of suffering and it is made up of a cycle of birth,
decay, illness, death. It is therefore our quest to forget about the self, forget the craving
of the self, break the attachments you have with the world, and to renounce the self w/c
is the cause of suffering and in doing so, attain the state of nirvana. Nirvana (liberation)-
blowing out the flames of desire.

Western Self

Western Self focuses on self (Individualistic). You compare in order to be better.

You create associations and bask in the glory of that group for your self-esteem. You
put primacy on developing yourself.

By focusing on the self, they may seem to have loose associations or even
loyalty to their groups. Competition is the name of the game and they are more likely
straightforward and forceful in their communication as well as decision making. They
value equality even if they see that individual can rise above everything else. They also
promote ideals that create 'fair' competition and protect the individual.

Western and Eastern Differences

Western referred as the school of thought from Greek Philosophy. It is rooted

from Rome and Christianity. Laws are the ones that govern the behavior. It is
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individualist in culture. It is all about 'I'. Tries to find self as it is the given part of the
divine. Logical, scientific, rational, and focus on ethics.

Eastern roots are from Asia. They believe that natural world does not follow laws,
it simply 'is'. It is collectivist in culture. It is all about 'We'. Drawn on people's actions and
thought as one. Trying to get rid of the false 'me' concept and find meaning in
discovering the true 'me'. Life is all about unity. The inner self must be freed.

Western and Eastern Similarities

Similarities: Both approach share a concept that a deeper understanding of

reality is possible. Influenced by the notion that there is a supreme being who guides
the mankind and provides for all he created. Believes in the concept of "god as the king
of universe"

ACTIVITY 1

Select the correct answer.

1. It is known as noble man

a. Chun-Tzu b. Li c. Yan
2. A cultural belief that self is seen as an illusion, born out of ignorance
a. Taoism b. Confucianism c. Buddhism
3. They possess an attitude of being straightforward and forceful in communication.
a. Eastern b. Western c. Northern

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ACTIVITY 2

Option 1: Make a mandala art work that represent about yourself. Then, put your
explanation at the back of the mandala.

Option 2: Create a concept map of the SELF according to Filipino culture. Provide a
brief explanation of your output. You can also cite books or researches about Filipino
culture, self, and identity to further elaborate on the topic.

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MODULE 2: UNPACKING THE SELF

PART 1: PHYSICAL SELF: THE BEAUTIFUL ME

From childhood, we are controlled by our genetic makeup, i. e, sex

chromosomes. It also influences the way we treat ourselves and others. On the
contrary, there are individuals who DO NOT ACCEPTS their INNATE SEXUAL
characteristics and they actually tend to change their sexual organs through
medications and surgery. In addition, external environment helps shapes us. In this
lesson, we are going to explore the development of our sexual characteristics and
behavior.

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Determine the condition of your physical self

2. Classify the physiological needs of the self in each stage of life
3. Identify the forces and institutions that impact the development of the various
aspects of identity and the self
4. Explain the importance of a good health

LESSON PROPER
Marieb, E.N. (2001) explains that the gonads begin to form until about the eight
week of embryonic development. The embryonic structures of males and females
during the early stages of human development are alike and are said to be in indifferent

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stage. When the reproductive structures are formed development of the accessory
structures and external genitalia begins. [See the miracles of life - video clip]

Beginning of life

Life begins at fertilization. It refers to the meeting of the female sex cell and the
male sex cell. These sex cells are developed in the reproductive organs called
GONADS. The male sex cell called spermatozoa [sing. –zoon] are produced in the
male gonads called testes. On the other hand, the female sex cells called ova are
produced in the female gonads known ovaries. The fertilized egg cell known as zygote
contains all the hereditary potentials from the parents. This zygote goes to the uterus
and continues to grow during the gestation period of about 280 days or 36 weeks or 9
calendar months.

Both male and female chromosomes contain several thousands of genes –

called deoxyribonucleic acid which is the code of heredity. Maturation is the unfolding of
the inherent traits.

Human Development

The formation of male or female structures depends on the presence of

testosterone (A substance called hormone that occurs naturally in men and male
animals). The embryonic testes release testosterone once formed and the formation of
the duct system and external genitalia follows. The same with female embryos that form
ovaries, it will cause the development of the female ducts and external genitalia since
testosterone hormone is not produce.

Pseudo hermaphrodites are formed who is an individual having accessory

reproductive structures that do not “match” their gonads while true Hermaphrodites are
individuals who possess both ovarian and testicular tissues but this condition is rare in
nature. Nowadays, many pseudo hermaphrodites undergo sex change operation to
have their outer selves fit with their inner serves (gonads).

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Human anatomy

Puberty is the period of life when the reproductive organs grow to their adult size
and become functional under the influence of rising levels of gonadal hormones
[testosterone in male and estrogen in female] and generally between the age of 10-15
years old.

At the age of 13, male puberty is characterized by the increase in the size of the
reproductive organs followed by the appearance of hair in the pubic area, axillary and
face. The reproductive organs continue to grow for two years until sexual maturation
marked by the presence of mature semen in the testes.

For the female, the budding of their breasts usually occurring at the age of 11 as
a sign of their puberty stage. Menarche is the first menstrual period of females which
happens two years after the start of puberty. Hormones play an important role in the
regulation of ovulation and fertility of females.

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Factors in development of the physical self

The development of the individual is caused by two interacting forces: heredity

and environment. Heredity [nature] is the transmission of traits from parents to offspring
it provides the raw materials of which the individual is made up. While the environment
[nurture] is the sum total of the forces or experiences that a person undergoes from
conception to old age. It includes family, friends, school, nutrition and other agencies
one is in contact with.

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Diseases associated with the reproductive systems

Infections are the most common problems associated with the reproductive
system in adults.

Vaginal infections are more common in young and elderly women and those
whose resistance to diseases is low, like, Escherichia coli which spread through the
digestive tract, the sexually transmitted microorganisms such as syphilis, gonorrhea and
herpes virus and yeast fungus.

Pelvic inflammatory disease and sterility are also the effect of vaginal infections.
For males, the most common inflammatory conditions are prostatitis, urethritis, and
epididymitis, STD, Orchiditis.

Major treat to reproductive organs are Neoplasms, tumor of the breast and cervix
cancers in adult females and prostates cancer in adult males.

Most women hit the highest point of their reproductive abilities in their late 20‟s,
i.e. irregular ovulation and shorter menstrual periods – menopausal period.

The production of estrogen may continue after menopause but the ovaries finally
stop functioning as endocrine organs. The reproductive organ and breast begin to
atrophy or shrink if estrogen is no longer released from the body. With this case, the
vaginal becomes dry that causes intercourse to become painful if frequent and the
vaginal infections become increasingly common.

Signs of estrogen deficiency: irritability and mood changes [depression in some];

intense vasodilation of the skin‟s blood vessels, gradual thinning of skin and loss of
bone mass, slowing rising high blood levels etc..

Note: there is no counterpart for menopause in males. Although aging men show
a steady decline in testosterone section, their reproductive capability seems unending.
Healthy men are still able to father offspring well into their 80‟ and beyond.
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Erogenous zones

It refers to part of the body that are primarily receptive and increase sexual
arousal when touched in a sexual manner. Examples: mouth, breast, genitals, anus.
However, erogenous zones may vary from one person to another. Some people may

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desire and enjoy being touched in certain area more than the other area, like, neck,
thighs, abdomen and feet.

Human Sexual Behavior

It defined as any activity – solitary, between two persons, or in a group – that

induces/ brings sexual arousal [Gebhard, P.H. 2017]. This behavior is classified
according to gender and number of participants.

Types of behavior: Solitary behavior [involving one individual]; and Socio-sexual

behavior [more than one individual]

Solitary behavior

Self – gratification [begins at or b4 puberty] means self –stimulation that leads to

sexual arousal and generally, sexual climax. This takes place in personal and private as
an end in itself, but can also be done in a socio-sexual relationship.

This is common for males but becomes less frequent or is abandoned when
socio-sexual activity is available.

Therefore, self-gratification is most frequent among the unmarried. However this

self-gratification usually decreases as soon as an individual develop socio-sexual
relationship.

Nowadays, human are frequently being exposed to sexual stimuli esp. from
advertising and social media. Some adolescents become so much aggressive when
they respond to such stimuli.

The rate of teenage pregnancy is recently increasing. The challenge is to

develop self-control so that to balance suppression and free expression. Why? To
prevent premarital sex and acquire STD.

Socio-sexual behavior

It is the greatest amount of socio-sexual behavior that occurs b/w only one male
and one female. This usually begins in childhood and may be motivated by curiosity,
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such as showing or examining genitalia.

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Physical contact involving necking and petting is considered as an ingredient of

the learning process and eventually of courtship and selection of a marriage partner.

Petting differs from hugging, kissing and generalized caresses of the clothed
body to produce stimulation of the genitals. This is done due to affection as source of
pleasure, preliminary to coitus [this is an insertion of male reproductive organ into
female organ]. This is regarded as an important aspect in selecting partner but also a
way of learning how to interact with another person sexually.

A behavior may be interpreted by society or individual as erotic depending on the

context in which the behavior occurs. Example, kissing as a gesture of intimacy b/w
couples while other sees this as respect and reverence.

Physiology of human sexual response

Sexual response follows a pattern of sequential stages or phases when sexual

activity is continued.

1. Excitement phase = it is caused by increase in pulse and blood pressure; a sudden

rise in blood supply to the surface of the body resulting in increased skin temperature,
flushing, and swelling of all distensible body parts particularly noticeable in the male and
female reproductive system, rapid breathing, secretion of genital fluids, vaginal
expansion, and a general increase in muscle tension.

2. Plateau phase = it is generally of brief duration. If stimulation is continued, orgasm

usually occurs.

3. Sexual climax = a feeling of abrupt, intense pleasure, and rapid increase in pulse rate
and blood pressure, and spasms of the pelvic muscles causing contractions of the
female reproductive organ and ejaculation by the male that last only for few seconds
normally not over ten.

4. Resolution phase = it refers to the return to a normal or subnormal physiological

state. Whereas males return to normal even if stimulation continues, but continued
stimulations can produce additional orgasms in females. Females are physically

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capable of repeated orgasms without the intervening “rest period” required by males.

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Nervous system factors

The nervous system plays a significant role during sexual response. The
autonomic system is involved in controlling the involuntary responses.

The efferent cerebrospinal nerves transmit the sensory messages to the brain to
create stimulus and later initiating a sexual response. The brain will interpret the
sensory message and dictate what will be the immediate and appropriate response of
the body. The muscles contract in response to the signal coming from the motor nerve
fibers while glad secretes their respective product. So, sexual response is dependent
the activity of the nervous System.

Hypothalamus and limbic system are part of the brain believed to be responsible
for regulating the sexual response, but there is no specialized “sex center” that has
been located in the human brain.

Apart from brain-controlled sexual responses is the reflex. This reflex is mediated
by the lower spinal cord that leads to erection and ejaculation for male, vaginal
discharges and lubricant for female when the genital areas are stimulated. But still, the
brain can overrule and suppress such reflex activity, when sexual response is socially
inappropriate.

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Sexual problems

These may be classified as physiological, psychological and social in origin.

Physiological problems are the least among the three categories. Small number of
people suffering from diseases due to abnormal development of the genitalia or that
part of the neurophysiology controlling sexual response. Example: vaginal infection,
retroverted uteri, prostatitis, adrenal tumors, diabetes, senile changes of the vagina and
cardiovascular problems.

Medication: Through surgery

Psychological problems: usually caused by socially induced inhibitions,

maladaptive attitudes, ignorance and sexual myths held by society. Example: mature
sex must involve rapid erection, prolonged coitus and simultaneous orgasm. Methods:
magazines, married books and general sexual folklore often strengthen these
demanding ideals which are not always achieved; therefore, can give rise to feeling of
inadequacy anxiety and guilt. Hence, resulting negative emotions can definitely affect
the behavior of an individual.

Premature emission of semen is a common problem for young males. Why?

Because of the natural result of excessive tension in a male who has been sexually
deprived. Erectile impotence is almost always a psychological problem in males under
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40; in other cases, the impotence may be the result of disinterest in the sexual partner,
fatigue, and distraction because of nonsexual worries, intoxication and other causes
such as occasional impotency is common and requires no therapy.

Ejaculatory impotence [inability to ejaculate in coitus] is uncommon and usually

of psychogenic origin. Why? It is due to the past traumatic experiences. Warning!
Occasional ejaculatory inability can be possibly expected in older men or in any male
who has exceeding his sexual capacity.

Lastly, vaginismus is a strong spasm [contraction] of the pelvic musculature

constricting the female reproductive organ so that penetration is painful or impossible. It
can be due to anti-sexual conditioning or psychological trauma as an unconscious
defense against coitus.

Medication: through psychotherapy and by gradually dilating/widening the female

organ with increasing large cylinders.

Sexual Reproductive diseases are the following:

1. Chlamydia

2. Gonorrhea

3. Syphilis

4. Chancroid

5. Human Papillomavirus

6. Herpes simplex virus

7. Trichomonas vaginalis

Natural and artificial methods are the following:

1. Abstinence

2. Calendar method

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3. Basal body temperature

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4. Cervical mucus method

5. Symptothermal method

6. Ovulation detection

7. Coitus interruptus

Artificial methods are the following:

1. Oral contraceptive

2. Transdermal patch

3. Vaginal ring

4. Subdermal implants

5. Hormonal injections

6. Intrauterine device

7. Chemical barriers

8. Diaphragm

9. Cervical cap

10. Male condoms

11. Female condoms

12. Surgical methods (vasectomy and ligation)

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ACTIVITY 1
1. Make a slogan that will raise the awareness of the college students and to help
eliminate sexually transmitted diseases especially among the youth.

2. Agree or Disagree. Are you in favor of legalizing marriage among

LGBTQ+? Why?

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PART 2: MATERIAL SELF: TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY?

We are living in a world of sale and shopping spree. We are given a wide array of
products to purchase from a simple set of spoon and fork to owning a restaurant.
Almost everywhere, including the digital space, we can find promotions of product
purchase. Product advertisements are suggestive of making us feel better or look
good. Part of us wants to have that product. What makes us want to have those
products are connected with who we are. What we have and already possess is
related to our self.

Belk stated that “we regard our possessions as part of our selves. What we have
and what we possess.” There is a direct link b/w self-identity with what we have and
possess.

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Explain the association of self and possessions;

2. Identify the role of consumer culture to self and identity; and
3. Appraise one‟s self-based on the description of material self.

LESSON PROPER
Material self

A Harvard psychology in the late nineteenth century, William James, wrote in the
book, the principles of psychology in 1890 that understanding the self can be examined
through its different components namely: 1] its constituents; 2] the feelings and
emotions they aroused self-feelings; 3] the actions for which they prompt the seeking
and self-preservation. The constituents of self are composed of material self, the social
self, the spiritual self, and the pure ego.

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The material self, according to William James primarily is about: our bodies;
clothes; immediate family; home.

HOME

Immediate Family

Clothes

Body

MATERIAL SELF:

1. Body is the innermost part of material self. You are directly attached to this
commodity that you cannot live without. You strive hard to make sure that this body
functions well and good. Example is Mariah Carey, she was reported to have placed a
huge amount for the insurance of his vocal cords and legs.

2. Clothes is next to the body that was being influenced by the “the philosophy of
dress” by Herman Lotze. William James believed that an essential part of the material
self is clothing. Lotze stipulated in his book that any time you bring an abject into the
surface of your body, you invest that object into any consciousness of your personal
existence taking in its contours to be your own and making it part of the self.

3. Immediate Family is the third in the hierarchy. Your parents and siblings hold
another great important part of yourself. What they do or became affects you. When an
immediate family member dies, part of you dies, too. When their lives are in success,
you feel their victories as if you are the one holding the bacon. In their failures, you are
put to chance or guilt. When they are disadvantage situation, there is an urgent urge to
help like a voluntary instinct of saving one‟s self from danger.

4. Home is the fourth component of material self. Home is where your heart is. It
is the earliest nest of your selfhood. Your experience inside the home were recorded
and marked on particular parts and things in your home. There was an old cliché about
rooms: “if only walls can speak”. The home thus is an extension of self, because in it,
you can directly connect yourself.
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We are what we have

Russel Belk (1988) posits that “… we regard our possessions as part of our
selves. We are what we have and what we possess.” The identification of the self to
things stared in our infancy stage when we make a distinction among self and
environment and others who may desire our possessions.

The possessions that we dearly have tell something about who we are, our self-
concept, our past, and even our future.

ACTIVITY 1

1. Create a collage of your treasured possessions including your current clothing

style. You may use symbols or pictures of your treasured possessions. Put a
short note why you treasure each item.

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PART 3: SPIRITUAL SELF: BELIEVE IT OR NOT!

Spiritual self is one of the four (4) constituents of the “self” according to William
James in his book, The Principles of Psychology in 1890. The spiritual self is the most
intimate, inner subjective part of self – the most intimate version of the self because of
the satisfaction experienced when thinking of one‟s ability to argue and discriminate, of
one‟s moral sensibility and conscience, and our unconquerable will is purer than all
other sentiments of satisfaction.

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Identify various religious practices and beliefs;

2. Understand the self in relation with religious beliefs; and
3. Explain ways of finding the meaning of life.

LESSON PROPER
Religion

Rebecca Stein (Stein 2011) works on the definition of religion "as a set of beliefs
and practices that usually includes some or all of basic characteristics.
These characteristics are:

1) A belief in anthropomorphic supernatural being, such as spirit and gods

2) A focus on the sacred supernatural, where sacred refers to a feeling of reverence
and awe
3) The presence of supernatural power or energy that is found on supernatural
beings as well as physical beings and objects

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4) The performance of ritual activities that involves the manipulation of sacred

object to communicate to supernatural beings and/or to influence or control
events
5) The articulation of worldview and moral codes through narratives and other
means
6) Provide the creation and maintenance of social bonds and mechanism of social
control within a community; provide explanation for unknown and a sense of
control for individuals.

An individual lives in a society where there are many practices of religion. The
choice of religious belief lies within the spiritual self although the choice may be
influenced by the society and its culture.

Ritual

It is the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by a tradition or sacred law

(Britannica 2017). Ritual is a specific, observable mode of behavior exhibited by all
known societies. It is thus possible to view ritual as a way of defining or describing
humans.

There are three fundamental characteristics of rituals according to Penner

(Britannica 2017). Ritual has the characteristics of:

1) A feeling or emotion of respect, awe, fascination, or dread in relation to the

sacred
2) Dependence upon a belief system that is usually expressed in the language of
myth
3) Is symbolic in relation to its reference

The self can be described as a ritual being who exhibits a striking parallel between
their ritual and verbal behavior. Just as language is a system of symbols that is based
upon arbitrary rules, ritual may be viewed as a system of symbolic acts that is based
upon arbitrary rules. Participation to rituals is expressions of religious beliefs.

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Some World Religious Beliefs and Practices

There are different religious with different beliefs and practices. Some of the
major world religions are Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. Excerpt
of some religious beliefs and practices are found in the University of London's Religion
and Belief Guide 2017.

Core beliefs

Buddhism believes that life is not a bed of roses. Instead, there are suffering,
pain, and frustrations. When people suffer, they want to experience the goodness of life
and avoid disappointments. It becomes a habit known as the reactive cycle of wanting
and hating, like and dislike, band craving and aversion. This reactive cycle can be
broken through the practice of mediation, acquiring more wisdom and deeper
understanding, and acceptance of things as they are.

Customs and Practices

There are two types of meditation practices: samatha and vipassana. The
Samatha is practiced as mindfulness of breathing and development of loving kindness
(Metta Bhavana). Vipassana practices aim developing insight into reality. Acquiring
wisdom is by studying Buddha's teaching, the Dharma. Through the reflection of
Dharma, Buddhist can achieve a deeper understanding of life. Buddhists believe in non-
violence principle.

Some of the major Buddhist celebrations are Parinirvana Day in February;

Buddha Day (Wesak) in May; Dharma Day in July; Padmasambhava Day in October;
and Sangha Day in November.

Christianity

Core beliefs

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Christians believe in Trinitarian God. One God in three personas: God the Father
(Creator), God the Son( Savior),and God the Holy Spirit Sustainer). Eternal after death
will be achieved through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is, God the Son, who came
into flesh, to spread the good news of salvation. He died on the cross for the sins of the
humanity but resurrected from the death, so that anyone who believes in him will be

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saved in have eternal life. The holy bible is a selection of books, which is divided in to
two, the Old Testament and New Testament.

Customs and Practices

Sacrament of Baptism and Sacrament of Communion are practiced by Christian

churches. The sacrament of Baptism symbolizes the birth in Christian world, while the
sacrament of communion is an act of remembrance of Jesus Christ 's sacrificial love.
Jesus Christ teaching in unconditional love that is expressed in loving the poor,
oppressed, and outcast of the society

Christmas and Resurrection (Easter) are the two major celebrations in

Christianity. Christmas, usually on December 25, commemorates the birth of Jesus
Christ while Resurrection Sunday (depends on the lunar calendar, sometime in March
or April) celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death.

Hinduism

Core beliefs

Hinduism covers a wide range of traditional beliefs and religious groups; thus,
there is no single founder or leader. Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth,
death and rebirth, governed by Karma. Karma is a concept where the reincarnated life
will depend on how the past life was spent. Hindus believe that the soul passes through
a cycle of successive lives and it's next in carnation is always dependent on how the
previous life was lived. Vedas are sacred Scriptures of Hindus. Mahabharata and
Ramayana are two other important texts of the Hindus.

Custom and practices

Diwali and Navrati are the most celebrated festivals of the Hindus. Diwali is the
festival of lights while Navrati is the festival of nine nights, which celebrate the triumph
of good over evil. Hindus have set dates to honor particular manifestations of God.

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Islam

Core beliefs

Muslims believe in Allah, who is their "One God" They believe in the unity and
universality of God. Muslims also have a strong sense of community or "ummah" and an
awareness of their solidarity with all Muslims worldwide. Islam means "willing
submission to God ".

Muslims believe that Mohammed is the last and final prophet sent by God.
Mohammed was born in Mecca in 570 CE and received revelations from God through
the Angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years. The Holy Bible of Islam is called the Quran,
which was taught to be recited in Arabic because any translation is seen as inadequate.

Customs and practices

Muslims believe in the five pillars of Islam, which are the foundation of Muslim
life:

1) Shahadah - statement of faith: "There is no God but the one true God and
Mohammed is his messenger".
2) Salat - the prayer that is practiced five times a day.
3) Zakat - the monetary offering for the benefit of the poor. It comprises the 2.5% of
a Muslim's assets.
4) Haji – the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims who can afford are asked to do
the pilgrimage at last once in their lifetime.
5) Sawm – the fasting. Muslims do fasting from food, drink, and sexual act during
the celebration of Ramadan s the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The
fast is from dawn to sunset.

Two of the major festivals in Islam are Eidul-Fitr and Eidul-Adha. The first one refers

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to the celebration at the end of Ramadan, while Eidul-Adha is the celebration within the
completion of the Pilgrimage, the Haji.

Judaism

Core beliefs

The Jews believe in the God of Abraham ,the same God that liberated the Hebrew
slaves from Egypt to Canaan, the promised land through the leadership of Moses
and later, Joshua.
The Jews believe in the coming of Messiah, the Savior. The sacred scripture of
the Jews is called the Torah or the Law. The Torah is the guide of the Jewish living. The
study and interpretation of Torah is part of the Jewish culture.

Customs and Practices: There are five major festivals observed by the Jews:

1. Rosh Hashanah - the New Year

2. Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement

3. Pesach - Passover

4. Shavuot - Pentecost

5. Sukkot - Tabernacles. The Jewish Sabbath begins on Friday evening at sunset and is
an important time when families gather for the Shabbat meal.

Finding and Creating Meaning of Life

Another extensive study of self can be found in the works of Dr. Viktor E. Frankl.
[The following are the excerpts from the website:
http://www.victorfranklinstitute.org/About_Viktor_Frankl.html

He was born on March 26, 1905 in Vienna, Austria, where famous psychiatrists
Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler lived. He graduated with medical degree from the
University of Vienna in 1930. He was assigned in Vienna Hospital suicide ward and
headed thee Rothschild Hospital.

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A survivor of the holocaust, he published a book about logotherapy. In 1959, the

book was translated to English and was revised in 1963 as The doctor and the Soul: An
Introduction to Logotherapy. His book, Man‟s search for meaning has been used as a
textbook in high school and college courses. He died in 1997.

Logotherapy
It is a psychotherapy introduced by V. Frankl, who is considered the father of
logotherapy. The main belief of logotherapy is that “man‟s primary motivational
force is search for meaning.” Logotherapy aids individuals to find personal
meaning of life, whatever life situation they may be.
In logotherapy, meaning can be discovered by creating a work or doing deed,
experiencing something or encountering someone and the attitude toward unavoidable
suffering. According to V. Frankl institute of logotherapy, it uses the philosophy of
optimism in the face of tragedy, where people are capable of turning suffering into
human achievement and accomplishment deriving from guilt the opportunity to change
oneself for the better; and deriving from life‟s transitoriness an incentive to take
responsible action.

Basic concept of Franklian Psychology

There are three basic concepts using Franklian Psychology:

1) Life has meaning under all circumstances.

2) Main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.
3) Freedom to find meaning.

Furthermore, his psychology aims to: 1] become aware of spiritual resources; 2]

make conscious spiritual resources; and 3] use defiant power of the human spirit and
stand up against adversity.

Logotherapy assumptions (that cannot be proven w/

certainty) These include the following:

1. The human being is an entity consisting of body [soma], mind [psyche] and spirit
[noos]. i.e. according to him, the body and mind are what we have and the spirit is what

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we are.

2. Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable. Ie. it‟s hard to
grasp but it is something everyone experiences and it represents an order in a world w/
laws that go beyond human laws.

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3. People have a will to meaning. When we see meaning, we are ready for any type of
suffering. This is considered to be different than our will to achieve power and pleasure.

4. People have freedom under all circumstances to activate the will to find meaning.
This deals with change of attitudes about unavoidable fate.

5. Life has a demand quality to w/c people must respond if decisions are to be
meaningful. The meaning of the moment is more practical in daily living than ultimate
meaning. Unlike ultimate meaning this meaning can be found and fulfilled.

6. The individual is unique. This enhanced by the realization that we are irreplaceable.

In essence, all human are unique w/ an entity of body, mind and spirit. We all go
through unique situations and are constantly looking to find meaning.

Frankl’s Sources of Meaning

There are three possible sources of meaning of life: 1] purposeful work –

meaning of life is unique to every individual; 2] courage in the face of difficulty – a
meaningful life is a life with suffering. Suffering is part of life; and 3] love – is the only
way to grasp another human being in the innermost core of his personality. The ultimate
factor to find meaning of life is love.

Costello captured V. Frankl‟s message: “The ultimate secret on the spiritual

foundation of life is that love is salvation and joy eternity.” The ultimate factor to find
meaning of life is love.

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ACTIVITY 1

Reflection paper: Reflect on V. Frankl‟s sources of the meaning of life.

Make a documentary report about Filipino rituals and commentaries covering the
municipality of Tiwi with reaction paper.

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PART 4: MORAL SELF: LIVING WITH PURPOSE

This lesson primarily defined moral and morality as having to do with right and
wrong in the context of societal norms and expectations. The lesson went on to say that
one‟s level of morality is tested especially when one is placed in a dilemma in w/c s/he
has to make a decision on what best course of action to take while taking into account
that his/her decision does not disturb, offend or hurt other people.

It will be pointed out that the process of moral development is in sync w/

intellectual development. It implies that moral development has cognitive or intellectual
foundations. As one goes through each stage of moral development [Kohlberg], s/he
also experiences the corresponding stage of intellectual development [Piaget].

The importance of teaching the children the ability and skill to determine what is
right or wrong was likewise emphasized. Parenting styles are considered a significant
factor in developing moral reasoning. The four styles or parenting were also described
in this lesson.

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Explain the basic concepts related to morality and moral self

2. Identify behaviors characteristic of the different stages of moral development
3. Relate the development of personal values to the development of a philosophy of
life
4. State the different influences or factors related to moral self
5. Evaluate practices that lead to the development of desirable moral values and
6. Apply concepts on morality in particular situations to develop a philosophy of life.

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LESSON PROPER

Every day, people are confronted with various dilemmas. Solving them requires
one to decide on what kind of action or response to make. In some instances, it is easy
for one to respond to a difficult situation, while in some cases, choosing the best
response is difficult.

A dilemma is a problematic/complex situation in which a difficult choice must be

made. The kind of responses taken or made when one is in a quandary/ predicament
serves as a good test of a person‟s level of moral development.

Moral is related to a sense or standard that determines what is right and what is
wrong. It distinguishes correct/ right/ good from incorrect/ wrong/ evil from inappropriate.
Morality refers to system of beliefs and values that ensures that individuals will keep
their obligations to others in the society and behaves in ways that do not interfere with
the right and interests others.

Decision-making is understandably difficult, the degree of w/c depending on the

situation. An individual who has a good sense of what is right and wrong will be an
honest and upright member of the community possessing a better moral self.

Moral reasoning

It refers to the judgment people make about what courses of action are correct or
incorrect in particular situations. Reasoning is a cognitive skill, but influences moral
development

Lawrence Kohlberg came up with the Theory of Moral Development by studying

the concept of moral reasoning. This theory is shaped by and tied up to Piaget‟s Stages
of Intellectual Development. Piaget asserts that intellectual development proceeds in
stages or levels. The 1st is the sensorimotor stage in w/c the child learns and develops
knowledge about his/her environment by relating sensory experiences to motor action.
2nd is the preoperational stage in w/c the child learns to use symbols like words or
mental images to solve simple problems. 3rd is the concrete operations stage in w/c the
child develops the ability to perform a number of logical operations on concrete objects
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that are present. And lastly, formal operations stage in w/c the individual acquires the
ability to solve abstract problems in a logical manner.

This progression is related to the development of moral resoning. Thus the

evolution of one‟s sense of right and wrong in making decisions depends on his/her
level of intellectual development. This connection implies that advanced levels of
intellectual development are associated with higher stages of moral development. With
this situation, a child cannot exhibit advanced level of moral development if s/he is still
at an early stage of intellectual development.

Early in life, at the lowest level of development, self-preservation and self-interest

are the main reasons for one‟s actions and decisions. From there, moral development
proceeds to the next level guided by a more social or other oriented motivation, like
avoidance of criticism or censure from others, or simply for reasons of gaining social
acceptance. At this level, the child conforms w/ then gradually starts to conform with the
laws of society. The highest level of moral development goes much beyond the self and
social reasons. At this point, decision making considers social justice and the good of
the society at large. Moral reasoning tries to strike a balance b/w individual rights and
laws of society.

At times, you might be placed in a dilemma w/c requires you to make a decision.
You 1st have to harness your intellectual capacity and reasoning ability in choosing
what “best” decision to take.

When you are at the crossroads of making a decision, always go back to your
goals and your philosophy of life as your guide.

Parenting styles and practices

The physiological or biological basis of moral and intellectual development has

been discussed earlier. One other factor w/c affect the individual‟s development is
environmental influence. This is the external forces outside of the individual person.

Parenting styles

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It is known as the parent‟s strategies. According to Diana Baumrind, there are

three parenting styles, namely authoritarian [parents attempt to shape, control and
evaluate the behaviors and attitudes of their children in accordance w/ an absolute or
respected authorities, thus, obedience becomes a virtue]; authoritative [parents direct
their children‟s activities in a rational and intelligent way. They are supportive, loving
and committed; support a give-and-take relationship; discuss their rules and policies w/
children and encourage children to present their viewpoints] and permissive [parents
are less controlling and behave with an accepting and non-punishing attitude towards
their children‟s desires, actions and impulses.]

The fourth style was introduced by Maccoby and Martin in 1983. They coined the
term uninvolved or neglectful [parents who take on a hands-off stand in the affairs of
their children.]

However, most parents combine different styles in child –rearing.

Effects of Parenting Styles

Parenting styles influence the development of children‟s personality.

1. Authoritarian parents are demanding and their children have less behavioral
problems w/c are easily prevented. However, studies show that children reared under
autocratic parents tends to become withdrawn, fearful, and dependent. Children may
suffer from low self-esteem.

2. Authoritative parents have children who are independent, reliable, rational and
confident. These children generally feel good about themselves.

3. Permissive parents rarely impose rules and are non-punishing. Thus, they tend
to have children who do not put structure and order in things that they do. For these
children, anything goes.

4. Uninvolved parents are detached and indifferent to the needs of their children. As
such, children grow up feeling unloved and cannot follow instructions. Some fall prey or
sort to substance abuse as a form of distraction or a way to get attention.

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It must be noted that the kinds of parenting styles represent the dominant
practices applied by parents in dealing with their children. it is important that when
children misbehave, they are made to realized the consequences of their behavior. On
the other hand, if they behave well, the corresponding reward or motivation should be
given.

ACTIVITY 1
Write your philosophy of life in your journal notebook by considering the following points
and share your output in the class:

a. Goal in life

b. What you expect to happen in your life in about 10 years

c. What ways, mechanisms, or strategies you should do to achieve your goal

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PART 5: POLITICAL SELF: BEING FILIPINO

What makes a Filipino a genuine Filipino? Do physical characteristics make one

a Filipino? Or is it a person‟s language, birthplace, and ethnicity? If you were to
introduce yourself as a Filipino to another nationality and s/he asks, “Who are
Filipinos?” what will you reply?

LESSON OBJECTIVES

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Develop a Filipino identity;

2. Identify different Filipino values and traits; and
3. Reflect on your selfhood in relation to your national identity

LESSON PROPER
The Philippines has only emerged in the 1890‟s after over three centuries of
colonization of the Spaniards. Liberation from the last colonizers, the Japanese, only
occurred in 1946. Foreign culture, beliefs, language, and religion have made a huge
dent on our own by setting a foundation to the contemporary Filipino identity and
culture.

An individual‟s race, ethnicity, and physical characteristics are not the only
factors that make a person‟s national identity. Values and traits also important indicator
that set apart one nationality.

Through common goals, principles, and values of its people a nation empowers.

Who is a Filipino?

Filipinos globally renowned personalities; Manny Pacquiao; Lea Salonga; Michael Cinco
who have made the Filipinos recognized around the world through their expertise.

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Buwan ng Wika and Independence Day celebrations prompt us to go back to our

roots and reflect on the question: Who is a Filipino? According to the 1973, of Philippine
Constitution, Filipino citizens are;

a. Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines.

b. Those born before January 17, 1973,of Filipino mother.
c. Who elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority.
d. Those who are naturalized in accordance with law.

Citizenship is not only a marker of being a Filipino. Culture and history greatly
influenced the manner that Filipinos learn, live and behave to date.

Filipino Values and Traits

Philippines is a lush island paradise famous for its grandiose mountain views,
pristine beaches, and rich and diverse culture changing from province to province.
Philippines well known for its awe-inspiring beauty, perhaps the Filipinos unique traits,
reputable values, and laudable talents make the country a place to be.

“Mabuhay!” and “Salamat" the common Filipino phrases. “Po” and “Opo” habits
saying to the elders. “Kumain ka na ba?” meaning “Have you eaten yet?” and
importunate asking of a Filipino.

The Filipino Hospitality

Filipino‟s brand of hospitality is known everywhere. Filipinos welcome their

guests and tourists as if they are their own brothers and sisters.

They always make their guests feel at home, offering them something to eat, and
or even a place to stay. They are also fond of giving pasalubong or tokens and pabaon
or farewell gifts to their visitors.

Respect for Elders

Filipinos greet their elders by kissing their hand while saying “Mano Po!”
constantly using “Po" and “opo” in conversation. There is also a wide array of

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references to elder people such as ate for elder sister; kuya for older brother; Tito and

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Tita for uncle and aunt ;Lolo and Lola for grandparents ;and Manong and Aling for older
people outside the family.

Close Family Ties

Filipino maintains a tight relationship with their families regardless if the children
are old enough and already have a family of their own.

Cheerful Personality

Filipinos have a habit of smiling and laughing a lot. Smiling is a coping strategy
for many Filipinos especially during trying Times and calamities. Filipino always tries to
maintain a positive outlook in life which makes them resilient and able to manage
almost everything with a simple smile.

Self-sacrifice

The self-sacrificing attitude of Filipinos can be seen as an extension of the

Filipino hospitality. Filipinos go out of their way to extend help to their friends, families,
and loved ones.

Bayanihan

Is the spirit of communal unity and cooperation of Filipinos. Giving without

expecting something in return. Filipinos are always ready to share and help their friends
and loved ones who are in need.

“Bahala na” Attitude

“Bahala na” is a Filipino version of the famous line “Hakuna Matata,” meaning no
worries. The phrase said originated from the “Bathala na,” where Bathala means God,
and the phrase meaning leaving everything into God's hands. It can also view as
cheerful and positive attitude of Filipinos and allowing situations take care of themselves
instead of worrying about them.

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Colonial Mentality
It is regarded as the lack of patriotism and the attitude where Filipinos favor
foreign products more than their own. It does not only concern goods, but also the
desire to look more foreign than local and keep up with foreign beauty trends. It is
attributed to the centuries of colonization Filipinos had experienced under the Spanish,
American and Japanese rule.

“Mañana” Habit

Filipino term for procrastination. It was derived from a longer Filipino phrase
called “Mamaya na” means dawdling things, which could have been done at an earlier
time. It was a poor habit of laziness that results in heavier workloads.

“Ningas Kugon"

“Ningas" is a Filipino term for flame and “Kugon" is a Filipino term for Cogon
grass that easily burns out after it is put into flames. It is refers to the attitude of eagerly
starting things but quickly losing eagerness soon after experiencing difficulty. Filipinos
are regarded as “Juan Tamad” or Lazy Juan because of laziness.

Pride

When two parties are not in good terms, they find it so hard to apologize and wait
until the other party asks for an apology first.

Crab Mentality

Where one resents the achievement of another, instead of feeling happy for that
person. They pull each other down and ruin each other reputation rather than bringing
them up, resulting to no progress.

Filipino Time

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Filipinos have this common attitude of arriving late at commitments, dinner, or

parties especially if they are meeting someone close to them. They tend to not observe
punctuality altogether.

Filipino Markers
1. Proverbs or Salawikain - Damiana Eugenio, regarded as the mother of Philippine
Folklore, classified proverbs into six categories (Eugenio,2000);
a. Proverbs expressing a general attitude toward life and the laws that
govern life;
b. Ethical proverbs recommending certain virtues and condemning certain
vices;
c. Proverbs expressing a system of values;
d. Proverbs expressing general truths and observations about life and
human nature;
e. Humorous proverbs; and
f. Miscellaneous proverbs.
2. Superstitions – Filipinos subscribe to their own set of superstitious passed down
from generation to generation. Some of the superstitious influenced by beliefs
from other cultures, but Filipinos have retold according to their own experiences
and they sometimes end up even more interesting.
3. Myths and legends
4. Heroes and Icons – Heroes serve as a reminder of true patriotism and
nationalism as they have sacrificed their lives for the sake of their country‟s
freedom and progress. The last monday of August we lend to celebrate our
heroes to remember their greatness, bravery, and resilience that has led to the
freedom we know today. Lea Salonga, Manny Pacquiao, and our national hero
Jose Rizal, serve as important Filipino markers as they have made the Filipino
name pronounced worldwide through their own expertise.

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How to be a Good Filipino

The following are a few ways on how to be a good Filipino;

1. Be an active Filipino citizen.

2. Study the Philippine history.
3. Support local products.
4. Speak the Filipino language.
5. Do not spread fake news and be democratic in engaging with dissent.

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ACTIVITY 1
Make an acrostic below w/c will describe you, in relation to your being a Filipino:

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PART 6: DIGITAL SELF: WHO I AM IN THE CYBER WORLD?

These days, more people are becoming active in using the internet for research,
pleasure, business, communication, and other purposes. On the other hand, people
assume different identities while in the cyberspace. People act differently when they
are online and offline. We have a real identity and online identity.

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Define online identity

2. Compare real identity versus online identity
3. Describe the influence of internet on sexuality and gender
4. Discuss the proper way of demonstrating values and attitudes online

LESSON PROPER
It has only been 25 years since Tim Berners - Lee made the World Wide Web
available to the public, but in that time, the internet has already become an integral part
of everyday life for the most of the world's population.
Almost two-thirds of the world's population now has a mobile phone. More than
half of the world's web traffic now comes from mobile phones. More than half of all
mobile connections around the world are now "broad band." More than one in five of the
world's population online in the past 30 days.

Media users in the Philippines grew by 12 million or 25% while the number of
mobile social users increased by 13 million or 32%. Those growth figures are still higher
compared to the previous year. More than half the world now uses a smartphone.

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Based on Figure, the number of digital users worldwide increases. More people
are becoming interested and devoted in using the Internet for various activities. In
Philippines, adolescents are among the most avid users of the internet.
ONLINE IDENTITY is actually the sum of our characteristics and our interaction.
PARTIAL IDENTITY is a subset of characteristics that make up our identity. Meanwhile
persona is the partial identity we create that represents ourselves in a specific situation.

Selective Self-Presentation and Impression Management

According to Goffman (1959) and Leary (1995), self-presentation is the "Process
of Controlling how one is Perceived by other people" and is the key to relationship
inception and development. To construct positive images, individuals selectively provide
information about them and carefully cater this information in response to other's
feedback.
Anything posted online should be considered "Public" no matter what our
"Privacy" setting are. PERSONAL IDENTIT is the interpersonal level of self which
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differentiates the individual as unique from others. SOCIAL IDENTITY is the level of self
whereby the individual is identified by his or her group membership.
BELK (2013) explained that sharing ourselves is no longer new and has been
practiced as soon as human being formed. Digital devices help us share information
broadly, now than ever before. In older Family albums, the photographer was not often
represented in the album (Mendelson and Papacharissi 2011), whereas with arm's-
length photos, they are necessarily included.
As Schwarz (2012) mentioned, we have entered an extraordinary era of self-
portraiture. Blogs and web pages have been continually used for greater self-reflection
and self-presentation facebook and other social media application are now a key part of
self-presentation for one sixth of humanity. As a result, researchers and participants
become concerned with activity managing identity and reputation and to warn against
the phenomenon of "over sharing".
Many teenagers, as well as adults, share even more intimate details with their
partners like their passwords (Gershon 2010). This could be an ultimate act of intimacy
and trust or the ultimate expression of paranoia and distrust with partners. This
condition has been called "Fear of Missing Out". People would like to remain updated
and they keep on sharing themselves online because it adds a sense of confidence at
their end especially if others like and share their post.
One of the reason for so much sharing and self-disclosure online is the so called
"Disinhibition Effect” (Ridley 2012: Suler 2004.) the lack of face-to-face gaze-meeting,
together with feelings of anonymity and invisibility, gives people the freedom for self-
disclosure but can also “flame” others and may cause conflict sometimes. The resulting
disinhibition causes people to believe that they are able to express their “true self” better
online than they ever could in face-to-face context [Taylor 2002]. However, it does not
mean that there is a fixed “true self.” The self is still a work in progress and we keep on
improving and developing ourselves every single day. Seemingly self-revelation can be
therapeutic to others especially if it goes together with self-reflection (Morris et al. 2010.)
But it does appear that we now do a large amount of our identity work online.
When the Internet constantly asks us “Who are you” and “What do you have to
share?”, it is up to us if we are going to provide answers to such questions/ queries

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every time we use the internet and do what extent are going to share details ourselves
to others.
Many of us share the bad, embarrassing and lustful things we experience. We
also react and comment on the negative experiences of others. Sometimes we
empathize with people. We also argue w/ others online. Relationships may be made
stronger or broken through posts online. Blogs and Social Media are the primary digital
for a on which such confessions, occur, but they can also be found in photo- and video
sharing sites where blunders and bad moments are also preserved and shared
( Strangelove 2011). According to M. Foucault, confessing our secret truths feels
freeing, even as it binds us in a guilt-motivated self-governance born of a long history.
According to Foucault`s (1998) Confession along with contemplation, self-
examination, learning, reading, and writing self- critical letters to friends, are a part of
the “ technologies of the self” through which we seek to purge and cleanse ourselves.
Despite the veil of invisibility, writers on the internet write for an unseen
audience (Serfaty 2004). Both the number and feedback of readers provide self
validation for the writer and a certain celebrity (O` Regan 2009). Confessional blogs
may also be therapeutic for the audience to read; allowing both. Sincere empathy and
the voyeuristic appeal of witnessing a public confession (Kitzmann 2003).
Thus, we should have a filtering system to whatever information we share online,
as well as to what information we believe in, w/c are being shared or posted by others
online. In the same way, we should also think before we post or share in order to
prevent conflict, arguments, and cyber bullying and to preserve our relationships w/
others.
Gender and Sexuality Online
According to Marwick (2013), the term “sex”, “gender” and “sexuality” are often
thought of as synonymous, they are actually quite distinct. The differences b/w the
common understandings of these terms and how researchers think about them yield
insights about the social functioning of gender.
SEX is the biological state that corresponds to what we might call a “man” or a
“woman”. While “sex” is often explained as biological, fixed, and immutable, it is actually
socially constructed (West and Zimmerman 1987). Gender- is the social understanding

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of how sex should be experienced and how sex manifests in behavior, personality,

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preferences, capabilities and so forth. A person with male sex organs is expected to
embody a muscular gender. While sex and gender are presumed to be biologically
connected, we can understand a socio culturally specific set of norms that are mapped
onto a category of “sex” (Kessler and Mc Kenna 1978, Lorber 1994). Gender is
historical. It is produced by media and popular culture. It is taught by families, schools,
peer groups, and nations states (Goffman 1977). It is reinforced through songs, sayings,
admonition, slang, language, fashion, and discourse (Cameron 1998; Cameron and
Kulick 2003), and it is deeply ingrained.
Sexuality is an individual expression and understanding of desire. While like
gender, this is often viewed as binary (homosexual or heterosexual), in reality, sexuality
is often experienced as fluid.

Performing Gender Online

Theorist Judith Butler (1990) conceptualized gender as a performance.
She argued that gender was performative in that it is produced through millions
of individual actions rather than something that comes naturally to men and women.
According to the disembodiment hypothesis, Internet users are free to actively choose
which gender or sexuality they are going to portray with the possibility of creating
alternate identities (Wynn and Katz 1997).
Social Media sites like Twitter and YouTube have led to the emergence of a
“free culture” where individuals are empowered to engage to engage in cultural
production using raw materials, ranging from homemade videos to mainstream
television characters to create new culture of memes, mash-ups, and creative political
activism allows for civic engagement and fun creative acts. While Digg, 4chan, and
Reddit are used mostly by men, most social network site users are women; this is
true in Facebook, Flickr, Live Journal, Tumblr, Twitter, and Youtube (Chappell 2011;
Lenhart 2009; Lenhart et al.2010)

Setting Boundaries to your Online Self: Smart Sharing

The ff. guidelines will help you share information online in a smart way that will
protect yourself and not harm others. Before posting or sharing anything online,

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consider the ff.

1. Is this post / story necessary

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2. Is there a real benefit to this post? Is it funny, warm- hearted, teachable-or

am I just making noise online without purpose?
3. Have we (as a family or parent/ child) resolved this issue? An issue that is still
being worked out at home, or one that is either vulnerable or highly emotional,
should not be made public.
4. Is it appropriate? Does it stay within the boundaries of our family values?
5. Will this seem as funny in 5, 10, 15 yrs.? Or is this post better suited for
sharing with a small group of family members? Or maybe not at all?
Rules to Follow
Here are additional guidelines for proper sharing of information and ethical use of
the Internet according to New (2014)
 Stick to safer sites
 Guard your passwords
 Limit what you share
 Remember that anything you put online post on a site is there forever, even if
you try to delete it.
 Do not be mean or embarrass other people online.
 Always tell if you see strange or bad behavior online.
 Be choosy about your online friends.
 Be patient

ACTIVITY 1
Make a slogan or poster about becoming responsible internet user. Use coloring
materials to improve your output. Then, present it to the class.

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UNIT 7: SOCIAL SELF: RELATING WITH OTHERS

This lesson tacked the field of social psychology. It particularly discussed the
central of social relationships. The different conditions and factors related to social
relationships, namely perceptions, social norms, attitudes, stereotypes, group effort,
and cooperation, were also prevented. It was showed that these factors affect a
person‟s relationship w/ others. This instructional module defines love and
differentiated the kinds of love. Finally, it emphasized the importance of maintaining
good social relationships, as well as the guidelines and rules on how to go about it
so that people can live harmoniously w/ one another.

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Explain the basic concepts of social relationship

2. Discuss how relationships w/ others could be enhanced and improved by
applying the ideas on social relationships
3. Identify and evaluate critical factors for meaningful social relationships from those
behaviors that are not acceptable
4. Analyze your behaviors to achieve harmonious relationships w/ others

LESSON PROPER
Social psychology

Many things may come to mind when you hear the word social. Generally, the
term has something to do w/ relating well or interacting w/ others. The study of
relationships or interactions is called social psychology. Lahey [2007] defines social
psychology as the branch of psychology that studies individuals as they interact with
others. Plotnik and Kouyoumdjian [2014] state that it is a broad field whose goal is to
understand and explain how thoughts, feelings, perceptions and behaviors are
influenced by the presence or, o interactions w/, others. Additionally, for Gerrig and
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Zimbardo [2002] it is the study of the effect of social factors on individual behavior,
attitudes, perceptions, and motives. Thus, social psychology is the study of group
and intergroup phenomena.

The key words are interactions and relationships. Interaction refers to the mutual
and reciprocal exchange of communication or action b/w two or more persons or
groups. Relationships refers to a particular way in w/c two or more individuals,
groups or even countries talk to behave toward or deal with each other. These two
terms imply two-way exchanges.

There is fine line b/w interaction and relationship. Interaction is always a

component of a relationship. On the other hand, relationship includes not only the
kind f interaction b/w the members but also the intellectual, psychological or even
emotional investment made by the parties to develop and maintain the relationship.

One a relationship w/ other people or groups is established, it is important to

maintain and nurture that association.

Person perception

In psychology, person perception refers to forming impressions and making

judgment about another person‟s likability after seeing or meeting him/her. The
assessment involves as well what kind of person one is, including his/her intentions,
traits, and behaviors. First impressions, w/c are formed w/n a very short time w/ little
conscious thought and biased by past experiences, are part of person perception
[Macrae and Quadflieg, 2010].

Another factor that influence one‟ judgment or perception is physical appearance.

People usually use external appearance as immediate basis for assessing, judging
or evaluating others. But, it is wrong to judge the character of a person on the basis
of first impressions because biases and errors may occur. It is advisable to validate
perception through observations, gathering of feedback and reports and interaction
among others, before making judgment.

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Social norms
Norms are patterns or traits characterized as typical or usual for a group. Other
terms associated w/ norms are “average” and normal.

Norms change over time. Social norms refer to spoken and unspoken rules for
behaving in particular situations. Norms in social behavior serve to guide or regulate
the manner in w/c people conduct themselves. Behaviors have to be controlled or
regulated because of social consequences.

Together as a group

On many occasions, people work in groups. In social situations, where people

work and do things together for a purpose, two things may happen. 1st, the
performance of each individual member of the group is improved. This is also
referred to as social facilitation. For example two groups w/ 3 members each in a
javelin throw competition. The rule is to add the individual distances traveled by the
javelin for each group. In this case, each member will exert tier best to throw the
javelin to the farthest point possible.

2nd, working with group may also reduce individual effort, a phenomenon known
as social loafing. Example, if a group may no longer try their best to contribute to the
solution because they feel that there are others who can do it better.

One must bear in mind that in a group work, it is important that each member
exerts his/ her best effort to facilitate the attainment of the objectives of the group as
a whole.

Conformity

It refers to yielding to group pressure to act as everyone does, even when no

direct request has been made. It is the tendency to behave like others in the group
do. This is brought about by two motivations: to gain reward [approval] or avoid
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punishment [disapproval]; and to gain information.

Some factors make conformity more likely to exist in a group: 1] size of the
group; 2] unanimous group; 3] culture; and 4] gender.

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In social groups, likelihood of conformity among members is very high. However,

individual members are not expected to always yield to the pressure to conform. An
individual member can decide for himself whether or not to conform and to what
extent.

As a member of a social group, one has to subscribe to basic and established rules,
policies, or guidelines for him to truly belong. If all members of the group live by
these institutionalized requirements, then, order, discipline, system, peace and
harmony will be sustained.

Social roles and Social Norms

Man is a social animal. Being in a group can be advantageous or vice versa. As

member of the society, each person has a role to play; w/c may support or
complement the roles of other people s/he interacts with.

Social roles specify the part or position of a person in society. It specifies

behavior expected to be exhibited by an individual in practicing his role. So, when a
mother is at home, she plays the role of a parent; if she is in office as the manager,
then she plays the role of a boss.

It is important to note that social role play a positive role in society. W/o these
delineated roles, a student, for example, will not know to expect from his teacher.

A sociogram indicates the social structure of a group and the relationship of

people w/n the group. It shows who are popular, isolates, islands, and mutual
friends.

Nature and Depth or relationships

Relationships are among the most important aspects of our lives. They can be
positive or conflicted, but the lack of relationship could be the worst of all, as it
creates loneliness.

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Familiarity
It refers to being comfortable w/ another person and is necessary condition for a close
relationship to develop. Research has shown that people like to associate w/ others
who are similar to them in terms of the following: attitudes, behavior patterns, personal
characteristics, taste in fashion, intelligence, personality and the like.
Attraction

Attraction may lead to deeper relationship.

Love

It is a special attachment one has for himself/herself or for somebody else. It is

an intense felling of deep affection and welfare of the other. 3 of the most common
kinds of love are as follows:

1. Romantic love – called as passionate love, it includes an intermingling of different

emotions: fear, anger, sexual desire, joy and jealousy among others.

2. Affectionate love – referred to as compassionate love, it is a type of love that

occurs when someone has deep and caring affection for a person and desires to
have her near constantly.

3. Consummate love – the strongest and fullest type of love. This ideal form of love
involves passion, intimacy and commitment.

Triangular theory of Love

In 1985, Robert Sternberg postulated that love is made of 3 components

passion, intimacy, and commitment. Passion has something to do w/ physical and
sexual attraction to another. Intimacy is characterized by emotional feelings of warmth,
closeness, and sharing of the relationship. Lastly, commitment is the cognitive appraisal
of the relationship and the intent to maintain it even in the face of problems.

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Interpretations on the illustration are as follows:

1. If passion is the only ingredient present, the feeling is infatuation, as in a fling or

an affair.

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2. Intimacy and commitment w/o passion show affectionate love.

3. The combination of passion and commitment w/o intimacy results in fatuous love.

4. Consummate love is achieved if all three components are present.

Every person is capable of loving. W/o love, people become lonely and social
relationships suffer. People who freely share and give love and are loved in return,
are happy people.

Attitudes

Attitudes are beliefs that predispose people to act and feel in certain ways
towards people, objects or ideas. It can either be positive or negative. A positive
attitude reflects a happy, pleasant and optimistic disposition. On the contrary, a
negative attitude associates with pessimism or general feeling of dislike. 3 distinct
features of an attitude include belief, feelings, and disposition.

For instance, the negative attitude of a person towards sidewalk vendors can be
described by:

a. A belief that sidewalk vendors are dishonest

b. A strong dislike for sidewalk vendors and

c. A refusal to buy from sidewalk vendors.

How attitudes originate?

Generally, attitudes of a person develop over time and have emotional

components. However, they are normally acquired from 2 sources – 1st hand
experience and accounts by others.

People develop positive or negative attitude towards certain an object because of

a direct experience with it. Attitudes are learned from others through modeling and
reinforcement.

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Persuasion and attitude change:

Attitudes are not permanent. It can be changed or modified even after they have been
formed. Persuasive communication plays a big part in this process. The extent of
change in the attitude depends on the speaker, the message, and the listener. If a
speaker is a credible source of information, s/he is more likely persuaded to change.
The more credible the speaker is, the more persuasive the message becomes. An
attractive speaker is more effective in changing opinions.
Stereotypes

It is a generalization in which the same traits or characteristics are assumed to

be possessed by all members of a group. Some stereotypes are based on an
outsiders experience w/ a number of people in a group, w/c were concluded as
encompassing of all members of the group and oftentimes proven inaccurate.

Negative stereotypes are accompanied by prejudice and discrimination.

Prejudice s an unfair, biased, intolerant attitude or opinion towards members of a
group. Discrimination is an unfair behavior or treatment towards the members of a
group. Discrimination against people based on their skin, color or race or ethnic
heritage is called racism, while discrimination against people because of their
gender is referred to as sexism.

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ACTIVITY 1

A. Two different pictures of teachers inside the classroom are presented. Answer
the questions that follows.

1. Which picture do you like better? Justify your answer.

2. What are your initial thoughts about the teacher on the left or on the right?

3. If you were the teacher in the pictures, how would you want to be dressed?
Describe it and explain your reason for your choice.

B. Create your own poem with love as the theme. Read and share it with your
classmates.
C. Watching “inspiring video on positive attitude towards others by AKPStudio on
youtube.

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MODULE 3: MANAGING AND CARING FOR SELF

PART 1: INTELLIGENT BEHAVIORS: LEARNING TO BE A BETTER

LEARNER

Knowing the "self "is not enough. Since "you are" is partly made up of your
choices you must also have the ability to choose especially to be better "you".

There are several techniques that you can adapt depending on your situation and
preferences to make you a better learner. Learning should not just mean studying for
your quizzes and exams in school. Learning could also acquire outside classroom or
even outside school. A certain hobby or skills, your favorite sports are some
examples that you want to enhance and acquire techniques. However some
techniques or new ways on how to study better will be discovered and rediscovered.
What important is you learn how to learn these things at this moment.

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Explain how learning occurs

2. Enumerate various metacognition and studying techniques
3. Identify the metacognitive techniques that you find most appropriate for yourself

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Lesson proper

We are Homo sapiens or "wise man". We think more complex. But being called
wise man not only about how we think, how you process information and how you
utilize techniques while you are studying. By this you have higher chance of
improving your learning process than those who do not reflect on their methods. This
idea falls under metacognition. Metacognition is defined as "thinking about thinking"
(Livingston 1997, Papaleontioulouca 2003).

It is the awareness and limitations of your current knowledge and skills

(Meichenbaum 1985 in American Institute Research 2010). By this metacognition
enables the person to adapt their existing knowledge and skills to a learning task,
seeking for the optimum result of the learning experience.

Metacognition is not limited to thinking process of the individual. It includes :

keeping ones emotion and motivations while learning .

Some people learn better because:

• They like the topic.

• They challenge by the topic.

• They have reward system after finished task.

The emotional and motivation state is the ideal state for that person in order to
further facilitate his learning.

Two aspects of metacognition:

1. SELF-APPRAISAL means is your personal reflection on your knowledge and

capabilities .

2. SELF-MANAGEMENT is the mental process you employ using what have in

planning adapting in a successfully learn to or accomplished a certain task .

METACOGNITION elements:

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1. METACOGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE what you know about how you think.

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Variables that affect how you know as a thinker:

A) First the personal variables which is your evaluation to your strength and
weaknesses in learning

B) Secondly the task variables this is what you know and what you think about
the nature of the task and the task requires.

C) Lastly refers to what strategies or skills you already have in dealing with
certain task

2. METACOGNITIVE REGULATION means on how you adjust your thinking

process to help you learn better.

According to Waterloo Student Success Office here are Metacognitive skills:

1. KNOWING YOUR LIMITS - it is very important here to be honest and accurate

evaluation of what you know and what you do not know.

2. MODIFYING YOUR APPROACH - It begins with recognition that your strategy is

not appropriate with the task or that you do not comprehend the learning experience
successfully.

3. SKIMMING - This is basically browsing over the material and keeping an eye on
keywords, phrase or sentence. It is also about knowing where to search for such key
terms.

4. REHEARSING - This is not just all about repeatedly talking ,writing or doing what
you have learn but trying also to make a personal interpretation or summary of your
learning experience.

5. SELF-TEST - This is to test your comprehension of your learning experience or

skill you have acquired during learning.

Other strategies:

• asking questions about your methods

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• Self-reflection

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• finding a mentor or support if necessary

• thinking out loud

• "welcoming errors" for clarification

• Having more positive towards mistakes

You can identify four types of metacognitive learners such as:

1. "tacit" learners who are unaware of their metacognitive process although they
know the extent of their knowledge .

2. "aware" those who learners know some of their metacognitive strategies but do
not plan on how to use these techniques .

3. " strategic" those who strategize and plan their course of action toward a learning
experience .

4. "reflective" learners reflect on their thinking while they are using the strategies and
adapt metacognitive skills depending on their situation .

The goal of metacognition is for the student to be a self-regulated learning ie, the
education should not be limited by the capabilities of the teachers, in short, you should
have the capability to study things on your own as well as accurately evaluate our
progress.

14 Intelligent Behaviors

Performance can be greatly influenced by one‟s behavior. Behavior is defined as

the manner in which a person conducts himself in different circumstances.

Here are the following 14 intelligent behaviors indicative of an efficient and effective
problem-solver, many of w/c were originally compiled by Costa [2000]:

1. Persistence – not giving up

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2. Overcoming impulsiveness –involves planning, clarifying, exploring, and

considering

3. Listening to other – listen to another person

4. Flexibility in thinking

5. Metacognition – awareness of how one is thinking

6. Checking for accuracy and precision

7. Questioning and problem-posing

8. Applying past knowledge to new situation

9. Precision of language and thought – provide criteria for value judgments

10. Using all the senses

11. Creativity – applying ingenuity, originality and insight

12. Living w/ a sense of wonderment –behave in an inquisitiveness, curiosity,

openness to beauty, intricacy, complexity and simplicity

13. Cooperation

14. Sense of Humor

Possessing many of these intelligent behaviors is an advantage in the corporate

world. Business firms looks not for knowledge and experience, but also for efficiency
and effectiveness.

Other tips that you can use in studying are the following:

1. Make an outline of things you want to learn

2. Break down the task in smaller and more manageable details

3. Integrate variation in your schedule and learning experience.

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4. Try to inculcate your ideas.

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5. Revise, summarize and take down notes the reread them to help you minimize
cramming in the last minute

6. Engage what you have learned.

Important reminder: "Utilize and adapt the appropriate techniques in whatever learning
experiences you are about to accomplish and find enjoyment and success in learning
..."Constant practice makes things perfect.”

ACTIVITY 1

Create a diagram or schedule using at least 5 of the metacognitive strategies, skills and
studying techniques mentioned in this lesson on how you would prepare for the nest
days before the final examinations

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PART 2: EMOTIONAL SELF: ACHIEVING MY EMOTIONAL

COMPETENCIES

The American Psychological Association (2017) has these statements about stress:

“Stress is often described as a feeling of being overwhelmed, worried, or

run-down. Stress can affect people of all ages, genders, and circumstances and
can lead to both physical and psychological health issues. By definition, stress is
any uncomfortable „emotional experience accompanied by predictable
biochemical, physiological, and behavioral changes.‟ Some stress can be
beneficial at times, producing a boost that provides the drive and energy to help
people get through situations like exams or work deadlines. However, an
extreme amount of stress can have health consequences and adversely affect
the immune, cardiovascular, neuroendocrine and central nervous systems.”
Since stress is inevitable to life, we have to learn how to handle and cope up with it.
More so, we have to be familiar with other approach to a healthy lifestyle, which is self-
care.

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Explain the effects of stress to one‟s health;

2. Examine cultural dimension of stress and coping; and
3. Design a self-care plan

LESSON PROPER

Stress and Human Response

The American Institute of Stress (AIS) has distinguished different types of stress
and the human response to it.

Hans Selye defined stress as the body‟s nonspecific response to any demand,
whether it is caused by or results in pleasant or unpleasant stimuli. It is essential to
differentiate between the unpleasant or harmful variety of stress termed distress,

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which often connotes disease, and eustress, which often connotes euphoria.
Eustress is stress in daily life that has positive connotations, such as marriage,
promotion, baby, winning, money, new friends and graduation. Distress is stress in
daily life that has negative connotations such as divorce, punishment, injury,
negative feelings, financial problems, and work difficulties.

However, eustress causes much less damage than distress. This demonstrates
conclusively that it is how an individual accepts stress that determines ultimately
whether the person can adapt successfully to change (AIS 2017).

Selye hypothesized a general adaption or stress syndrome. This general stress

syndrome affects the whole body. Stress always manifests itself by a syndrome, a
sum of changes, and not by simply one change (AIS 2017).

The general stress syndrome has three components:

1. The alarm stage - represents a mobilization of the body‟s defensive forces. The
body is preparing for the entire “fight or flight” syndrome. This involves a number of
hormones and chemicals excreted at high levels, as well as an increase in heart
rate, blood pressure, perspiration, and respiration rate, among others.

2. The stage of resistance – the body becomes adaptive to the challenge and even
begins to resist it. The length of this stage of resistance is dependent upon the
body‟s innate and stored adaptation energy reserves and upon the intensity of the
stressor. The acquired adaption is lost if the individual is subject to still greater
exposure to the stressor.

3. The exhaustion stage – the body dies because it has used up its resources of
adaptation energy.

Stress diseases are maladies caused principally by errors in the body‟s general
adaptation process. They will not occur when all the body‟s regulatory processes are
properly checked and balanced. The biggest problems with derailing the general
stress and causing disease is an absolute excess, deficiency, or disequilibrium in the
amount of adaptive hormones. For example: Corticoids, Adrenocorticotropic
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Hormone (ACTH ), Growth Hormones are produced during stress. Unfortunately, if

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stress is induced chronically, our defense response lowers its resistance since fewer
antibodies are produced and an inflammatory response dwindles (AIS 2017).

In the article “Understanding Stress Response” of the Health Harvard Journal

(2017), it further discussed chronic stress and human body response:

“Chronic stress is unpleasant, even when it is transient. A stressful situation ---

whether something environmental, such as a looming work deadline, or
psychological, such as persistent worry about losing a job can trigger a cascade
of stress hormones that produce well-orchestrated physiological changes. A
stressful incident can make the heart pound and breathing quicken. Muscles tense
and beads of sweat appear.”

This combination of reactions to stress is also known as the “fight-or-flight”

response because it evolved as a survival mechanism, enabling people and other
mammals to react quickly to life-threatening situations.

Unfortunately, the body can also overreact to stressors that are not life-
threatening, such as traffic jams, work pressure, and family difficulties.

Research suggests that chronic stress contributes to high blood pressure,

promotes the formation of artery – clogging deposits, and causes brain changes that
may contribute to anxiety, depression and addiction.

More preliminary research suggests that chronic stress may also contribute to
obesity, both through direct mechanisms (causing people to eat more) or indirectly
(decrease sleep and exercise) (Health Harvard 2017).

The stress response begins in the brain. When someone confronts an oncoming
car or other danger, the eyes or ears (or both) send the information to the amygdala,
an area of the brain that contributes to emotional processing. The amygdala
interprets the images and sounds. When it perceives danger, it instantly sends a
distress signal to the hypothalamus (Health Harvard 2017).

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Functions of Hypothalamus
When someone experience a stressful event, the amygdala, an area of the brain
that contributes to emotional processing, sends a distress signal to the
hypothalamus. This area of the brain functions like a command center,
communicating with the rest of the body through the nervous system so that the
person has the energy to fight or flee (Health Harvard 2017).

The hypothalamus is a bit like a command center. This area of the brain
communicates with the rest of the body through the autonomic nervous system,
which controls involuntary body functions like breathing, blood pressure, heartbeat,
and the dilation or constriction of key blood vessels and small airways in the lungs
called bronchioles. The autonomic nervous system has two components the
sympathetic nervous system and the parasym-pathetic nervous system. The
sympathetic nervous system functions like a gas pedal in a car. It triggers the fight-
or-flee response, providing the body with a burst of energy so that it can respond to
perceived dangers.

The parasympathetic nervous system acts like a brake. It promotes the “rest and
digest” response that calms the body down after the danger has passed (Health
Harvard 2017).

After the amygdala sends a distress signal, the hypothalamus activates the
sympathetic nervous system by sending signals through the autonomic nerves to the
adrenal glands . These glands respond by pumping the hormone epinephrine (also
known as adrenaline) into the bloodstream. As epinephrine circulates through the
body, it brings on a number of physiological changes. The heart beats faster than
normal, pushing blood to the muscles, heart, and other vital organs. Pulse rate and
blood pressure go up. The person undergoing these changes also starts to breathe
more rapidly. Small airways in the lungs open wide. This way, the lungs can take in
as much oxygen as possible with each breath. Extra oxygen is sent to the brain,
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increasing alertness. Sight, hearing, and other senses become sharper. Meanwhile,
epinephrine triggers the release of blood sugar (glucose) and fats from temporary
storage sites in the body. These nutrients flood into the bloodstream, supplying
energy to all parts of the body (Health Harvard 2017).

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All of these changes happen so quickly that people aware of them. In fact, the
wiring is so efficient that the amygdala and hypothalamus start this cascade even
before the brain‟s visual centers have had a chance to fully process what is
happening. That is why people are able to jump out of the path of an incoming car
even before they think about what they are doing. As the initial surge of epinephrine
subsides, the hypothalamus activates the second component of the stress response
system known as the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis glands. The HPA
axis relies on a series of hormonal signals to keep the sympathetic nervous system–
the “gas pedal” –pressed down. If the brain continues to perceive something as
dangerous, the hypothalamus releases corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH),
which travels to the adrenal glands, prompting them to release cortisol. The body
thus stays revved up and on high alert. When the threat passes, cortisol levels fall.
The parasympathetic nervous system– the “brake”– then dampens the stress
response (Health Harvard 2017).

Persistent epinephrine surges can damage blood vessels and arteries,

increasing blood pressure and raising risk of heart attacks or strokes. Elevates
cortisol levels create physiological changes that help to replenish the body‟s energy
stores that are depleted during the stress response. But they inadvertently contribute
to the buildup of fat issue and to weight gain. For example, cortisol increases
appetite, so that people will want to eat more to obtain extra energy. It also
increases storage of unused nutrients as fat. Chronic low – level stress keeps the
HPA axis activated, much like a motor that is idling too high for too long. After a
while, this has an effect on the body that contributes to the health problems
associated with chronic stress (Health Harvard 2017).

Techniques to Counter Chronic Stress

Several techniques to counter chronic stress were presented in the same article
(Health Harvard 2017):

1. Relaxation response. Dr. Herbert Benson, director emeritus of the Benson-Henry

Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, has devoted

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much of his career to learning how people can counter the stress response by using

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a combination of approaches that elicit the relaxation response. These include deep
abdominal breathing, focus on a soothing word (such as peace or calm),
visualization of tranquil scenes, repetitive prayer, yoga, and tai chi.

2. Physical activity. People can use exercise to stifle the buildup of stress in several
ways. Exercise, such as taking a brisk walk shortly after feeling stressed, not only
deepens breathing but also helps relieve muscle tension. Movement therapies such
as yoga, tai chi, and qi gong combined with fluid movements, with deep breathing,
and mental focus, all of which can induce calm.

3. Social support. Confidants, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, relatives,

spouses, and companions all provide a life-enhancing social net, and may increase
longevity. It is not clear why, but the buffering theory holds that people who enjoy
close relationships with family and friends receive emotional support that indirectly
helps to sustain them at times of chronic stress and crisis.

Self-care therapy

Nancy Apperson [2008] of Northern Illinois University has provided steps for self-
care:

1. Stop, breathe and tell yourself: “This is hard and I will get through this one step at
a time.”

2. Acknowledge to yourself what you are feeling. All feelings are normal so accept
whatever you are feeling.

3. Find someone who listens and is accepting. You do not need advice. You need
to be heard.

4. Maintain your normal routine as much as possible.

5. Allow plenty of time for a task.

6. Take good care of yourself. Remember to:

a. Get enough rest and sleep.

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b. Eat regularly and make healthy choices

c. Know your limits and when you need to let go

d. Identify or create a nurturing place in your home.

e. Practice relaxation or mediation

f. Escape for a while through reading books, watching movies, or short trip.

Self-compassion theory

It is another counter stress by Kristin Neff [2012] in her article “science of self-
compassion]

“Self-compassion entails being warm and understanding toward ourselves when

we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate, rather than flagellating ourselves w/ self-criticism.
It recognizes that being imperfect and experiencing life difficulties is inevitable. So
we soothe ourselves when confronting pain rather than getting angry when life fails
short of our ideals…self compassion recognizes that life challenges and personal
failures are part of being human, an experience we all share. In this way, it helps us
to feel less desolate and isolated when we are in pain.

Self-compassion phrases according to Neff

3 components: 1] helps to mindfully open to the sting of emotional pain. [ex. It

hurts!]; 2] reminds us that suffering unites all living beings and reduces the tendency
to feel ashamed and isolated when things go wrong in our lives; and 3] begins the
process of responding w/ self-kindness rather than self-criticism. The final phrase
reinforces the idea that you both need and deserve compassion in difficult moments.

Self- compassion and emotional well-being

One of the most consistent findings in the research literature is that self-
compassion is linked to less anxiety and depression. The key feature of self
compassion is the lack of self-criticism, and self-criticism is known to be an important
predictor of anxiety and depression. Self-compassion is not merely a matter of
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looking on the bright side of things or avoiding negative feelings. Self-compassionate

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people recognize when they are suffering, but are kind toward themselves in these
moments, acknowledging their connectedness with the rest of humanity. Self-
compassion is associated with greater wisdom and emotional intelligence,
suggesting that self-compassion represents a wise way of dealing with difficult
emotions.

Self-compassionate letter

An example of self-compassion exercise is the self-compassionate letter.

This exercise has been used in therapeutic programs. Below are the following
steps in doing the self-compassionate letter exercise as provided by Neff (2012).

1. Candidly describe problem that tends to make you feel bad about yourself, such
as a physical flaw, a relationship problem, or failure at work or school. Note what
emotions come up – shame, anger, sadness, fear – as you write.
2. Think of an imaginary friend who is unconditionally accepting and
compassionate; someone who knows all your strengths and weakness,
understands your life history, your current circumstances, and understands the
limits of human nature.
3. Finally, write a letter to yourself from that perspective. What would you friend say
about your perceived problem? What words would s/he use to convey deep
compassion? How would your friend remind you that you are only human? If your
friend were to make any suggestions, how would they reflect unconditional
understanding?
4. When you are done writing, put the letter down for a while and come back to it
latter. Then read the letter again, letting the words sink in, allowing yourself to be
soothed and comforted.
Less stress, more care

You should be in control of the stress that confronts us every day. Self-care and
self-compassion are two ways to positively confront stress. We should love and care for
our self-more and more each day.

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ACTIVITY 1

Make Self – care plan. Design for your self-care plan for the whole school year.

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PART 3: RESPONSIBLE SELF: MY COMMITMENT TO LIFELONG

GROWTH

This module presented the critical factors in developing oneself to function

effectively as a responsible contributing member to his/her family, community, and
society. These variables include intelligence, emotional quotient, motivation, and
decision-making ability. This unit will explain Gardner‟s theory that intelligence is not a
general ability, but rather, it is comprised of several areas of intelligences. The role of
two broad contributory factors, namely nature and nurture, on intelligence will be
illustrated. Emotional quotient will be cited as critical to developing responsibility
because it affects social relationships. Motivational level serves as underlying drive to
produce n output or perform a task. Decision making is a key factor in developing one‟s
responsibility, in which inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning are differentiated in
this unit to arrive at a good and better decision.

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Identify the specific intelligences that one can develop to be successful

2. Determine the critical factors that contribute to growth and personality
development
3. Explain the principles in making critical decisions in one‟s life
4. Fully use your talents, abilities and decision- making to become responsible
citizens
5. Explain the role of motivation in facilitating academic success

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LESSON PROPER

Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences

In an early lesson, it was said that general mental or cognitive abilities contribute
to the kind of person one is and one can be. Charles Spearman [1904] believed that
intelligence consists of the general mental abilities or intelligence quotient [IQ/ g
factor] and domain-specific abilities. IQ is a standardized measure that represents a
person‟s reasoning skills.

In psychology, intelligence is not a single characteristic but rather it comprises of

different particular traits. Consequently, researchers have attempted to identify and
measure further the different components of intelligence. One of the famous works
for this is Howard Gardner‟s theory of eight intelligences. Following are the specific
intelligences espoused by Gardner [1983]:

1. Verbal-linguistic intelligence – characterized by ability to think and use language

to express meaning [word smart]

2. Logical –mathematical intelligence – ability to carry out mathematical operations

and handle long chains of reasoning [number/reasoning smart]

3. Spatial visual intelligence – ability to think in images, pictures, or three-

dimensional figures [picture smart]

4. Bodily kinesthetic intelligence – ability to be physically adept at manipulating

objects skillfully and controlling one‟s bodily movement [body smart]

5. Musical rhythmic intelligence – sensibility to pitch, melody, rhythm and tone

[music smart]

6. Interpersonal intelligence – ability to understand and interact effectively w/ others

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as well as the capacity to discern, motivate, etc. [people smart]

7. Intrapersonal intelligence – ability to understand oneself, knowledge to one‟s

strength and weaknesses, desires, and feelings [self smart]

8. Naturalist intelligence – ability to observe patters in nature and understand

natural and human-made systems, sensitivity to the differences among diverse
species and ability to interact w/ living creatures [nature smart]

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9. Existentialist intelligence – it concerned w/ ultimate issues, and is next to be

possibility considered by Gardner as he argues that scores reasonably well on the
criteria. Although a 9th intelligence might be attractive, Gardner is not disposed to
add it to the list. He said that he finds the phenomenon perplexing enough and the
distance from the other intelligence vast enough to dictate prudence-at least for now
[philosopher theories].

Contributors to intelligence

Two factors: heredity [nature] – refers to genes one inherits from his/ her
parents, w/c provide the upper and lower limits of his/her intelligence quotient; and
environment [nurture] – involves the experiences and psychological and physical
exposure of the individual to the various influences around him/her. It been resolved
that heredity and environment both interact to contribute in intelligence and
personality.

While you may be low on certain skill, there might be other capabilities that you
are. Just discover and develop them further.

Motivation

It is a stimulation of action toward a particular objective where previously there

was little or no attraction toward that goal. Thus, it is a process of arousing,
maintaining, energizing, directing, sustaining and controlling interest. Motivation is
also a significant influence in personality development aside from heredity and
environment. Here are some level f motivations of individuals:

a. Evolutionary theory – according to this theory, the motivation for sex,

achievement, aggression and other behaviors is rooted in the organism‟s
evolutionary pass [Buss, 2000]. So, if a species is highly competitive, it is because
such competitiveness has been improved its chances of survival, and it is then
passed down through genes from generation to generation.

b. Drive reduction theory – this theory explains that organisms are driven by
physiological needs. A need energizes one‟s drive to eliminate or reduce the
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deprivation, ex. If one feels hunger, hunger is the motivator in order to satisfy the
need.

c. Optimum arousal theory – Yerkes-Dodson Law states that performance is at its

highest under conditions of moderate arousal rather than high or low arousal. Ex. W/
a low arousal, one might be too lazy or willing to perform the task. At times, the level
of arousal depends on the kind of task on hand.

Personal characteristics of an individual may also influence the level of

motivation. Sensation –seeking is the motivation to experience varied novel,
complex, and intense feelings of experience. This seeking has various forms,
namely: 1] motivated to engage in sports; 2] attracted to vocations/ occupations; 3]
drink heavily, smoke, use illicit drugs; and 4] short term hedonistic attitude towards
intimate partners.

d. Cognitive approach – there are two aspects of this approach, namely: intrinsic
motivation [refers to inherent or internal stimulus of an individual to satisfy his/ her
drive w/o the need for reward and punishment]; and extrinsic motivation [based on
incentives w/c are artificial devices w/c are employed to evoke conducive
satisfaction]. Therefore, the former refers to internal factors like self-determination,
curiosity, challenge and effort. The latter involves outside factors such as rewards
and punishment.

Emotional intelligence (EI)

EI, measured by emotional quotient [EQ], is a type of intelligence that refers to

the abilities to perceive, appraise, understand, and express emotions accurately and
appropriately. This is also the counterpart of IQ. EQ has an intellectual component,
especially in using emotions to facilitate thinking or logical reasoning. Ex. In a class,
the teacher asks the question, “In which geographical region is the Philippines
located?” Paul sees Jane raising her hand but he blurts out, “Southeast Asia!” one
will readily think that Jane might be angry because Paul gets the credit.it may thus
be said that paaul has a high IQ but low EQ.

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Reasoning
People make decisions every day. Making a decision involves picking or
selecting the best option that will give the best consequences. Reasoning is a
cognitive or intellectual skill. It is a way to determine if a choice is the best from
among several options. It is a mental process that involves using and applying
knowledge to solve problems.

Reasoning is of two types: deductive [begins w/ making general assumption and

then drawing specific conclusions based on this assumption] and inductive [a
process in w/c a conclusion is determined based on a number of true facts or
premises]. Researchers used inductive reasoning when they use past experiences
to form a general hypothesis. A hypothesis is a statement that must be tested by
gathering date. It is an expectation of what is going to happen.

Biased reasoning refers to the act of jumping to conclusion before even

knowing all the facts. Confirmation bias is the tendency to look for information that
supports one‟s decisions and beliefs while ignoring disconfirming information.

Both intellectual and emotional abilities are necessary tapped in decision making.

ACTIVITY 1

Write a journal describing a situation in which you have encountered difficulty in

making decision. What were the choices or alternatives available to you? What
enabled you to come up with a decision in favor of one option? What course of
action or processes did you undertake?

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Unit 4: DO NOT JUST DREAM, MAKE IT HAPPEN

Jack Canfield is an epitome of success. He had authored seven books listed in

the Guinness Book of World Records as New York Times bestseller, beating Stephen
King (Macmillan 2017)

One of Canfield‟s featured quotes about success is “by taking the time to stop
and what you have achieved – and perhaps learned through a few mistakes, stumbles
and losses you actually can enhance everything about you. “Self-acknowledgment and
appreciation are what give you the insight and awareness to move forward higher goals
and accomplishments” (Brown 2016)

LESSON LEARNINGS:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Use Bandura‟s self-efficacy theory for self-assessment

2. Differentiate growth and fixed mindset by Dweck
3. Design personal goals adapting Locke‟s goal setting theory

LESSON PROPER
The Bobo Doll Experiment was studied by Dr. Bandura in 1950‟s. In this
experiment, the sample children were presented with new social models of violent and
nonviolent behavior towards an inflatable redounding Bobo doll. The result were: the
group of children who saw the violent behavior model became violent to the doll, while
the control group who was presented with the nonviolent behavior model was rarely
violent to the doll. Dr. Bandura introduced the social learning theory that focuses on
what people learn from observing and interacting with other people.

Bandura’s social cognitive theory

It states that people are active participants in their environment and are not
simply shaped by that environment. Dr. Bandura continues to do research such as self-

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efficacy, stress reactions, and effects of modeling on human behavior, emotion, and
thought.

Summary of Self-efficacy Theory

Weibell (2011) summarized Albert Bandura‟s self-efficacy theory:

Self-efficacy theory – is based on the assumption that psychological procedures

as a means of creating and strengthening expectations of personal efficacy.

Outcome expectancy - is a person‟s estimate that a given behaviour will lead to

certain outcomes.

Efficacy Expectation - is the conviction that one can successfully execute the
behavior required to produce the outcomes.

Weibell (2011) stated that Dr. Bandura defined self-efficacy as “people‟s beliefs
about their capabilities to produce designed levels of performance that exercise
influence over events that effects their lives.” He identified acts of people with high
assurance in their capabilities such as:

1. Approach difficult tasks as challenges to be mastered.

2. Set challenging goals and maintain strong commitment to them;
3. Heighten or sustain efforts in the face of failures or setbacks;
4. Attributed failure to insufficient effort or deficient knowledge and skills which are
acquirable;
5. Approach threatening situations with assurance that they can exercise control
over them.
In contrast, people “who doubt their capabilities”:

1. Shy away from tasks they view as personal threats;

2. Have low aspirations and weak commitment to goals they choose to pursue;
3. Dwell on personal deficiencies, obstacles they will encounter, and all kinds of
adverse outcomes, rather than concentrating on how to perform successfully;
4. Slacken their efforts and give up quickly in the face of difficulties;

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5. Are slow to recover their sense of efficacy following failure or setbacks;

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6. Fall easy victim to stress and depression

Dr. Bandura described four main sources of influence by which a person‟s self-
efficacy is developed and maintained. These are:

1. Performance accomplishments or mastery experiences;

2. Vicarious experiences;
3. Verbal or social persuasion; and
4. Physiological (somatic and emotional) states.
Dr. Bandura identified that “mastery experiences‟‟ or personal performance
accomplishments‟‟ are most effective ways to create a strong sense of efficacy. Verbal
or Social persuasion also effects one‟s perception of self-efficacy. It is “a way of
strengthening people‟s beliefs that they have what it takes to succeed.

Dr. Albert Bandura‟s quotes about self- efficacy (Kendra 2017) are as follows:

“Self efficacy is the belief in one‟s capabilities to organize and execute the
sources of action required to manage prospective situation.”
“If efficacy beliefs always reflected only what people can do routinely, they
would rarely fail but they would not set aspirations beyond their immediate reach
nor mount the extra effort needed to surpass their ordinary performances.” (from
Encyclopedia of Human behavior, 1994)
“Self-belief does not necessarily ensure success, but self-disbelief assuredly
spawns failure.”(From Self- efficacy: The exercise of control, 1997)
“By sticking it out through tough times, people emerge from adversity with the
stronger sense of efficacy.”(From Encyclopedia of Human Behavior, 1994)
CAROL S. DWECK’S FIXED AND GROWTH MINDSET THEORY

Author of Mindset: The New Psychology of

Success. Born on October 17, 1946

Graduated from Bernard College in 1967 and earned her PhD from Yale University in
1972. She taught at Colombia University, Harvard University, and University of Illinois
before joining Stanford University in 2004(Up closed 2017) Her research focuses on

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why people succeed and how to foster success.

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Fixed and growth mindset

Dr. Dweck described people with two types of mindset. People who believe that
success is based in their innate abilities have a “fixed” theory of intelligence, which goes
under fixed mindset. People who believe that success is based on hard work, learning,
training, and perseverance have growth theory of intelligence, which goes under Growth
mindset. According to Dr. Dweck, individuals may not necessarily be aware of their own
mindset, but their mindset can still be discerned based on their behavior.

Fixed mindset individuals dread failure because it is a negative statement on

their basic abilities, while growth mindset individuals do not mind or fear failure as much
because they realize their performance can be improved and learning comes from
failure. These two mindsets play an important role in all aspects of a person‟s life. Dr.
Dweck argues that the growth mindset will allow a person to live a less stressful and
more successful life (Upclosed 2017)

For example, children given praise such as “good job”, and you like “good job,
you worked very hard” are likely to develop a growth mindset. In other words, it is
possible to encourage students to persist despite failure by encouraging them to think
about learning in a certain way.

Edwin A. Locke’s Goal Setting Theory

Edwin A. Locke is internationally known for his research on goal setting. He was
born on January 5, 1938. He is a Dean‟s Professor (Emeritus) of leadership and
motivation at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland,
College Park.

GOAL SETTING THEORY

This theory was first studied by Dr. Locke in the middle of 1960s. In 1996, he
published another article entitled “Motivation through Conscious Goal Setting.” Locke
(1996) first described that the approach of goal setting theory is based on what Aristotle
called final causality; that is, action caused by a purpose.

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Goal Attributes
Goals have both an internal and an external aspect. Internally, they are ideas (desired
ends), externally, they refer to the object or condition ought (e.g., a job, a sale, a certain
performance level). The ideas guide action to attain the object. Two broad attributes of
goal are content (the actual object sought) and the intensity (the scope, focus, and
complexity, among others of the choice process). Qualitatively, the content of a goal is
whatever the person is seeking. Quantitatively, two attributes of content, difficulty, and
specificity, have been studied (Locke 2017).
14 research findings:

A research was made by Locke (2017) under the article “Motivation through
Conscious Goal Setting”. The research has the following findings:

1. The more difficult the goal, the greater the achievement.

2. The more specific or explicit the goal, the more precisely performance is
regulated.
3. Goals that are both specific and difficult lead to the highest performance.
4. Commitment to goals is most critical when goals are specific and difficult.
5. High commitment to goals is attained when:
a) the individual is convinced that the goal is important;
b) the individual is convinced that the goal is attainable (or that, at least, progress
can be made toward it)
Commitment can be enhanced by effective leadership. Relevant leadership
techniques include:

o Providing and communicating an inspiring vision;

o Acting as role model for the employees;
o Expecting outstanding performance;
o Promoting employees who embrace the vision and dismissing those who
reject it;
o Delegating responsibility (“ownership”) for key tasks;

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o Goal setting itself can be delegated for capable, responsible employees;

o Expressing (genuine) confidence in employee capabilities;
o Enhancing capabilities through training; and

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o Asking for commitment in public.

6. In addition to having a direct effect on performance, self-efficacy influences:
a) the difficulty level of the goal chosen or accepted;
b) commitment to goals;
c) the response to negative feedback or failure; and
d) the choice of task strategies
7. Goal setting is most effective when there is feedback that shows progress in
relation to the goal.
8. Goal setting (along with self- efficacy) mediates the effect of knowledge of past
performance on subsequent performance.
9. Goals affect performance by affecting the direction of the action, the degree of
effort exerted, and the persistence of action overtime.
10. Goals stimulate planning in general. Often, the planning quality is higher than
that which occurs without goals.
11. When people strive for goals on complex tasks, they are least effective in
discovering suitable task strategies if:
a) They have no prior experience or training on the task;
b) There is high pressure t perform well; and
c) There is high time pressure (to perform well immediately).
12. Goals (including goal commitment) in combination with self-efficacy mediate or
partially mediate the effects of several personality traits and incentives on performance.

13. Goal setting and goal-related mechanisms can be trained and/or adopted in the
absence of training for the purpose of self-regulation.

14. Goals serve as standards of self- satisfaction, with harder goals demanding
higher accomplishment in order to attain self-satisfaction than easy goals.

People with growth mindset, where there is room for improvement of

performance, with a positive perceived self-efficacy, where s/he has high confidence on
his/her capabilities, and set specific achievable goals, have high possibility to attain
success in life.

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ACTIVITY 1
Make a collage of your own perceived self-efficacy using Bandura‟s four sources of
influence for the development and maintenance of self –efficacy.

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PART 5: ASSESSING FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT: DIRECTING MY

DESTINY

This lesson emphasized the role of assessment in understanding oneself. An

individual goes through assessment for various reasons and purposes. Irrespective of
the tool used or purpose of assessment, the assessment should result in a more
objective way of looking at oneself. The end goal of assessment thus is self-
improvement.

The lesson further explained the various tools available. However, you are
encouraged to do research on other tests or measures relevant to your needs. In the
use of tools, two general approaches to measurement namely formal and informal, were
presented.

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Identify the tools or measures used for the assessment process

2. Discuss the ways of assessing the various aspects of personality
3. Differentiate a formal assessment from an informal one
4. Explain how the results of assessments help improve one‟s personality
Assessment

One of the closest experiences you have w/ assessments is taking a writing test
and going through interviews w/ academic officials before enrolling in a school of your
choice.

Assessment is a process that determines the presence or absence, as well as

the extent or level, of a characteristic or behavior in a person. In doing this, tools are
used. They are also called measures or data-gathering tools. Tests are type of tools.
The data derived from a tool provides the basis for knowing the presence of a behavior
or characteristics.

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Measurement deals only w/ the administration of the tool and determining the
numerical values of the data gathered from a tool. Psychological assessment refers to
use of specified testing procedures to evaluate the abilities, behaviors, and personal
qualities of people. It describes the extent to which a person is similar to or different
from others.

Assessment tools are important in gathering information about the behaviors of

people. Feedback, reports, or narratives from others are not enough to determine
someone‟s behavior. Assessment contributes to building profiles, determining,
interventions, developing programs and making personal and professional decisions.

Kinds of assessment

The following are the kinds of test according to purpose, ie. in terms of
characteristic they intend to measure:

a. Achievement test – this test measures what has been learned w/n a specific
period of time.

b. Mental ability test – measures one‟s level of mental ability, such tests are known
as IQ tests.

c. Aptitude test – measures the inclination of individual towards certain specific

areas. It determines what particular work an individual would most possibly be
successful at.

d. Personality test –measures facets of personality, some of w/c are attitudes,

perceptions, interests, psychological aberrations, personality disorders and the like.

The kind of test to use or apply is determined by its purpose. Using inappropriate
assessment tools invalidates the results.

General methods of assessment

There are two methods: formal assessment [standardized and generally carried
out in professional settings by experts in the behavior being measured; the bases for

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the assessment of a person are his/her responses or scores on a test]; and informal

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assessment [do not observed formal process; the bases for assessing a person are
unstructured or simple observations of his/her behaviors in informal settings and
occasions]. Informal assessment gives a clue to what might be happening w/ the
behavior being studied for described.

Application of assessment

Assessment provides many advantages; foremost of w/c is to gain a better

understanding of oneself. Thus, one will know exactly what areas are to be improved or
enhanced and more importantly, what to do to overcome his/her weakness and turn into
strength.

ACTIVITY 1

Make a portfolio by compiling all the reaction papers, activities, analysis,

reflection papers, journal, and essay. Lastly include one reflection paper regarding
your personal discoveries in the subject in relation to yourself.

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