THE SELF FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PSYCHOLOGY

Main Argument: the self evolves from both A. PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT OF

observable/repetitive and THE SELF
unobservable/unconscious behaviors and • Asserts the importance of childhood as
responses. These behaviors can be classified as a developmental phase in the totality of
overt and covert, rational and irrational and self-construction.
simple and complex. These patterns of • Contends that we go through a series of
behavior are believed to come from various psychosexual stages.
experiences as well as unconscious dimensions • Each psychosexual stage has conflicts
of personality. that we must resolve in order to develop
our adult personality.
The Six Questions about Human Nature • Fixation(s): result of the unresolved
Dimension conflicts in every stage.

Are people’s Are people’s

behavior behavior freely, SIGMUND FREUD’S
Determinism vs.
determined by consciously PYSCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT
Free Will
forces out of one’s chosen by them?
control? STAGE CONFLICT EROGENOUS IMPLICATIONS
ZONE TO
Are a person’s Are a person’s PERSONALITY
characteristics Nature vs. characteristics ORAL DEPENDENCE Mouth Over stimulated:
defined mostly by Nurture defined mostly by VS. gullible,
INDEPENDENCE gossiping,
heredity? the environment?
dependency
Under
Is behavior Is behavior fueled stimulated: low
basically a by future goals? self-esteem,
Past vs. Future
function of past anxious,
experiences? aggression
ANAL COMPETENCE Anus Anal Retentive:
Is the outstanding Is the outstanding VS. rigid, meticulous
feature of people feature of people INFERIORITY Anal Expulsive:
messy, generous
their their common
Uniqueness vs. PHALLIC PURPOSE VS. Genitals Oedipus
individuality? characteristics?
Universality ENVY Complex (boys):
Does personality Does personality trying to prove
define individual define likeness? toughness
differences? Electra Complex
(girls): feeling
Are people Do people have inferior to men
motivated to the urge to grow LATENCY INTIMACY VS. Non-sexual High or low
maintain a Equilibrium vs. and develop? ISOLATION levels of
sociability
physiological Growth
GENITAL CONTROL VS. Genitals Unresolved
balance IMPULSE conflicts:
(homeostasis)? withdrawn from
the opposite sex
Are people Are people Resolved
doomed to live capable of conflicts: loving,
Pessimism vs.
miserable and becoming happy, healthy and
Optimism mature
troubled lives? healthy human
relationships
beings?
 THE SELF FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PSYCHOLOGY

Freudian Defense Mechanisms Jung theory of the unconscious

• The Personal Unconscious –

compared to pre conscious reservoir of
material that was once conscious but
has been forgotten or suppressed.
• Complexes – core pattern of emotions,
memories, perceptions and wishes
organized around a common theme.
Ex. Person have complex about power
or status, does he / she will invest
seeking for achievements or run for
election to gain authority over the
other.
• The Collective Unconscious – it
accumulates personal experiences of the
human and pre human species in the
collective unconscious. This heritage is
B. CARL JUNG’S ANALYTICAL passed to each new generation.
PSYCHOLOGY: reflects on the combination of • Archetypes – is the ancient experiences
a person’s past childhood experiences which contained in the collective
will determine not only a person’s future unconsciousness
behavior but also his/her future aspirations. • The Persona – is the mask that we
Jung’s idea of Psychic energy: portray each day. This role we play is
• The Principle of Opposite: Existence necessary for everyday survival.
of the opposites or polarities in physical • The Anima / Animus archetypes –
energy. Ex. Heat vs. cold, creation vs. Human are essentially bisexual. Anima
decay. is the psych contains feminine side of a
• Principle of equivalence – relates to male while animus is the masculine
the physical principle of conservation of psych of a female.
energy. Energy expanded in bringing • The Shadow – most powerful and dark
about some condition is not lost but side archetype, we conform to live
rather is shifted to another. harmoniously to our society and so we
• Principle of entropy – equalization of suppressed or fight this shadow.
energy differences. Ex. Heat will flow • Self-Archetype – represent unity,
from the hotter object to the colder integration, harmony; helps to balance
object until they are in equilibrium at our personality; the hero, the mother,
the same temperature. and wise old men are other archetypes.
 THE SELF FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PSYCHOLOGY

C. PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ERIK ERIKSON’S PSYCHOSOCIAL

THE SELF DEVELOPMENT
• Psychosocial development involves both
the psychological and social Stage Crisis Favorable Unfavorable
Outcome Outcome
development of a person. This means
Early Autonomy Will Compulsion
that a person’s personality is greatly Childhood vs. Shame or loss of
influenced by social interactions and and Doubt self- control
Play Age Initiative vs. Purpose Fear of
his/her immediate social environment.
Guilt punishment
• Erik Erikson is the most notable figure School Age Industry vs. Competence Sense of
in the theory of psychosocial Inferiority Inadequacy
Adolescence Identity vs. Fidelity Confusion or
development. He focused on the Identity identity crisis
formation of ego identity which he Confusion
referred to as the conscious sense of self Young Intimacy vs. Love Avoidance
Adulthood Isolation
which we develop through social Middle Age Generativity Care Self-
interaction. vs. Indulgence
Stagnation
• He asserted that our ego identity is
Old Age Integrity vs. Wisdom Disgust with
constantly changing due to new Despair Life
experience and information which we
acquire through daily social interaction.
• His primary argument revolves around
the idea of being competent in one
aspect of life to healthily proceed to the
next. Accomplishing the desired
outcome in each stage’s crisis builds
mastery. Not acquiring the favorable
Source: https://www.verywellmind.com/erik-eriksons-stages-of-psychosocial-deve
outcome in each stage however, builds
an accumulated sense of inefficiency
that will bring about life crises in the
future.
 THE SELF FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PSYCHOLOGY

D. HUMANISTIC APPROACH TO THE Rogers’ Personality Theory

DEVELOPMENT OF THE SELF
• Rogers described the self as “that
• Humanistic psychology is also called as whole which expresses who we
the existentialist theory. really are” and that it could be
• It is a perspective which emphasizes the divided into three components:
good in people, concentrating on the
Self- How individuals see
free-will, self-efficacy and the concept of
image themselves; one’s ideas about
self-actualization rather than self-image can be positive or
dysfunctions and fixing what is bad negative and impact what they
among people. experience and how they act.
• Self-actualization in a nutshell, refers to Self- The value individuals place on
the fulfillment of the maximum worth themselves. It is forged in
potential of human beings anent to a childhood through individuals’
positive well-being and a transcendental interactions with their parents.
personality. Humanism further Ideal The person an individual wants
contends thatthis need for fulfillment Self to be. The ideal self-changes as
and personal growth is a key motivator we grow and our priorities
of all behavior because people are change.
continually looking for new ways to
grow, to become better, to learn new • He further asserted that for this
things, and to experience psychological sense of self to ensue and develop,
growth and the following concepts are essential:
self-actualization.
Unconditional Occurs in social
Positive Regard situations when an
CARL ROGERS
individual is supported
and not judged
• He argued that self-actualization is not regardless of what the
just the fulfillment of the ladder of needs. individual does or says.
Rather, he added that for a person to
"grow", he/she needs an environment It instills the needed to
that will provide him/her genuineness experiment with what
(as exemplified in openness and self- life has to offer and
disclosure), acceptance (being seen with make mistakes.
unconditional positive regard), and
empathy (being listened to and People who experience
understood). According to Rogers, unconditional positive
without these, relationships and healthy regard, especially from
their parents while they
personalities will not develop as they
are growing up, are
should. more likely to self-
• As such, he mentions that, “the actualize.
Congruence A concept of the ideal
organism has one basic tendency and
self and the tendency of
striving - to actualize, maintain, and people to constantly
enhance the experiencing organism.” want to feel and act in
 THE SELF FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PSYCHOLOGY

ways that are consistent

with this ideal.
ABRAHAM MASLOW
Incongruence means
identity crisis and it • His approach in the construction of
happens when the ideal a sense of self focused on people’s
self often doesn’t match subjective experiences, human
with the person’s image agency and the innate drive of
of who they are. people towards self-actualization.
• Maslow laid down that people follow
Congruence is achieved
a hierarchy of needs and the
through unconditional
fulfillment of each need leads to the
positive regard and the
pursuit to self- fulfillment of our transcendent or
actualization. self-actualized self. He however,
Self-actualization The achievement of a noted that our needs change as we
person’s full potential. go through life and these changes
influence the development of our
It can only arise in a sense of self.
supportive • For Maslow, self-actualization also
environment. includes creative expression, the
The Fully Rogers mentions the quest for spiritual enlightenment, a
Functioning Person following as the deep pursuit of knowledge and the
characteristics of a fully
desire to give back to the society.
functioning person
coming from
expressions of
unconditional positive
regard, congruence and
is near self-
actualization:

openness to
experience

Living in the moment

Trust in one’s feelings

and instincts

Self-direction and the

ability to make
independent choices

Creativity and
malleability

Reliability

Feeling fulfilled and

satisfied by life