Psychological
Perspective of
the Self
TOPIC 4
At the end of the topic, students will be able to:
1. identify the different ideas about in Psychology
about the “self”;
2. create your own definition of the “self” based
on the definitions from Psychology; and
3. analyzed the effects of various factors identified
in psychology in the formation of the “self”.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Psychology has different ways of
understanding a person. The “self” is a
reference by an individual to the same individual
person. The psychology of studying self is about
either the cognitive and affective representation
of one's identity or the subject of experience.
The earliest formulation of the self in modern
psychology forms the distinction between the
self as I, the person knower, and the self as Me,
the person that is known.
INTRODUCTION
1. The Self and It Selves (William James)
2. Conception of Self (Carl Rogers)
3. Concept of Unified and Multiple Self
(Kenneth Gergen)
4. True Self and Fake Self
Topic Content
William James Main Concepts
*the “me-self”
and the “I-self”.
*sub-categories of
self,
1. the material
self;
2. the social self;
and
3. the spiritual
self.
“The Self and It Selves”
The “me-self” is the phenomenal self, the
experienced self or the self as known. It is the self
that has experience the phenomena and who had
known the situation.
The “I-self” is the self-thought or the self-knower.
James had claimed that the understanding of Self
can be separated into three categories: “1. Its
constituents; 2. The feeling and emotions they arouse
– Self-feelings; 3. The actions to which they prompt –
Self-seeking and self-preservation (James, 1890,
p162).
The Material Self is constituted by our bodies, clothes,
immediate family and home. It is in this that we attached
more deeply into and therefore we are most affected by
because of the investment we give to these things.
The Social Self is based on our interactions with society
and the reaction of people towards us. It is our social self
that thought to have multiple divergence or different
version of ourselves. It varies as to how we present
ourselves to a particular social group.
The most intimate self, the spiritual self. It is the most
intimate because it is more satisfying for the person that
they have the ability to argue and discriminate one’s moral
sensibility, conscience and indomitable will.
sub-categories of self
Carl Rogers Main Concept
* the
Person-cent
ered
therapy.
Conception of Self
Person-centered therapy. It is a
non-directive intervention because
it believes that all people have the
potential to solve their own
problems.
Rogers believe that people must
be fully honest with themselves in
order to have personal discovery on
oneself.
In this concept of self, he had come up
with three sides of a triangle.
a. The Perceived Self (Self worth - how the
person sees self & others sees them)
b. The Real Self (Self Image - How the
person really is)
c. The Ideal Self (How the person would
like to be)
Kenneth Gergen
The individual has
many potential selves.
He carries within him
the capacity to identify
himself, whether warm
or cold, dominant or
submissive, sexy or
plain.
Concept of Unified and Multiple Self
How we bring ourselves in
every situation will hold us get
through for a day. Therefore,
maybe it is healthy to have many
mask. Multiple selfhood is part of
what it means to be human, and
forcing oneself to stick to one
self-concept maybe unhealthy.
True Self, as rooted from early infancy is called
the simple being. The sense of self based on
spontaneous authentic experience and feeling of
being alive, having “real self”. Example, as a baby we
react base on our sense of reality. The baby reacted
spontaneously based on our instinctual sense.
Fake Self, is our defense facade. Overlaying or
contradicting the original sense of self. The problem
is, it might build false set of relationship through
concealing a barren emptiness behind an
independent-seeming façade.
True Self and Fake Self
Excellence:Self-Reliance Psalm 139:13-16
1. Takes full You made all the
responsibility for delicate, inner parts
the development of my body and knit
of one’s me together in my
potential mother’s womb.
TLA 1: CO2- This is Me Activity
Instruction: List 10-15 qualities that you think best defines who you are. Paste a
picture of yourself in the mirror and write the qualities below the picture. For
Category 2 and 3, used google docs and submit your activity using google
classroom.
TLA2: CO2- “You” through others’ Eyes
Instruction: Look for 10-15 people (family, friends, mentors) who can honestly tell
you the qualities you have. Paste a picture of yourself in the mirror and write the
qualities below the picture.
AT: CO2
Using your output in TLA 1 and TLA 2, answer the
following questions:
1. What qualities are common in TLA 1 and TLA 2?
2. In TLA 2, is/are there a quality/ies that you
think does/do not describe you? Enumerate and
explain why you do not agree with them.
3. What do you think are the reasons why other
people see you differently?
For Category 2 and 3, used google docs and submit
your activity using google classroom.
Pointers:
1. The Philosophical Perspectives of the Self
2. The Sociological Perspectives of the Self
3. The Anthropological Perspectives of the Self
4. The Psychological Perspectives of the Self
Example: Philosophical Perspectives
1. Josie learned that if she has discernment and virtue she
will not be lured into wrongdoings.
Sociological Perspectives
1. One of those loci of the self that is subject to alteration,
change, and development.
Prelim Examination
4. The students must charge their cellphones, laptops, tablets,
pocket wifis and power banks a night before the scheduled online
exam to prevent interruptions. Students must also prepare their
extra load for cellphone data in case of “brown-out” or loss of
internet connection.
5. In case of unexpected “brown-out” or loss of internet connection,
students must immediately notify their instructors via on the class
agreed platform (e.g. messenger or text message). The professor will
then give further instructions regarding this.
5.1 Students will then be required to take pictures of their
output/answers and send these to their professors via the class
agreed platform within the designated time frame.
5.2 The student’s name should be included in the first picture.
5.3 If the student did not inform the professor immediately, he/she
will not be able to proceed with the exam.
5.4 If the student was using his/her cellphone or tablet, he/she can
take a screenshot of their answers.
5.5 But if a laptop was used to answer the exam, the student should
take pictures of the answers together with the time shown in the
laptop/cellphone/tablet screen.
6. For the output’s submission, whether in word format or pdf file
(or any form as required by the professor), the students should start
uploading their answers at least 15 minutes before the due time to
avoid online congestion resulting to late submission
7. After submission, students must check the answer sheets they
have submitted to confirm if they had successfully attached the
document.
8. All the answers in the examination will be checked for
plagiarism. If found so, deductions will be taken from the grade.
Originality is part of the exam rubrics.
9. If the exam is passed after the time frame, it will be considered
late. Late submissions will have deductions in the equivalent grade
of the examination. A 5-minute allowance is allowed.
9.1 after 5 minutes, 5% deduction
9.2 after 20 minutes, 10% deduction
10. In case of special examination, same provision is applied (pls.
refer to Student Handbook). Students can take the special
examination within 3 days after the last day of the exam.