Psychology of Self and Personality

Self

• The self is a unique and distinct concept where "I" represents actions and decisions within the world while "Me" reflects self-evaluation.

Components of Self

• Self-awareness: Recognizing and understanding one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, including strengths, weaknesses, and values.
• Self-concept: Beliefs, perceptions, and evaluations of oneself, answering the question "Who am I?"
  • Can be positive or negative.
• Real self: How one views oneself.
• Ideal self: Aspires to be.
• Self-esteem: Overall self-evaluation or sense of self-worth.
  • Influenced by roles, social identities, comparisons to others, successes and failures, and judgments from others.
• Self-efficacy: Competency or ability to perform and complete tasks.
• Self-presentation: Behavioral expressions of self, focusing on influencing others' perceptions.

Personality

• An individual's unique and relatively stable psychological traits.
• Personality traits: Individual characteristics that make up someone's personality.

Five-Factor-Model of Personality:

• O - Openness: Imagination, curiosity, and unconventionality.
• C - Conscientiousness: Thoughtfulness, organization, and goal-directedness.
• E - Extroversion: Sociability, assertiveness, and emotional expressiveness.
• A - Agreeableness: Cooperativeness, trustworthiness, and helpfulness.
• N - Neuroticism: Tendency toward unstable emotions, such as anxiety, worry, and sadness.

Development

• Growth: Physical changes in size and weight, easily measurable.
• Development: Changes from conception to adulthood, including physical growth, abilities, behaviors, and understanding.
• Maturity: Natural unfolding of physical and behavioral changes due to aging.
• Learning: Relatively permanent change in behavior due to experiences or practice.

Heredity and Environment

• Heredity: Inborn traits passed down from biological parents through genes.
• Environment: Non-hereditary factors, including experiences and influences during growth.

Principles of Development

• Cephalocaudal Principle: Development proceeds from the head downward.
• Proximodistal Principle: Development proceeds from the center of the body outward.
• Lifelong Development: Development is a continuous process throughout life.
• Maturation and Learning: Maturation involves automatic changes with age, while learning is based on experiences and efforts.
• Simple to Complex: Development progresses from basic to more complex ideas and concepts.
• General to Specific: Development starts with broad abilities and gradually refines skills and traits.
• Multidirectional: Development can progress in some areas while regressing in others.
• Multidimensional: Development involves interconnected physiological, cognitive, social, and psychological domains.

Holistic Development

• Gestalt: Focuses on the whole, interconnected parts of development.
• Holism: The idea that a whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Aspects of Development

• Physiological Development: Physical attributes, senses, physique, body, and health.
  • Prepubescent phase: Body preparation for puberty.
  • Pubescent phase: Sudden physical changes of puberty.
  • Postpubescent phase: Body adapting to major changes.
  • Primary sexual characteristics: Directly involved in reproduction (e.g., reproductive organs).
  • Secondary sexual characteristics: Not directly related to reproduction (e.g., facial hair, breast size).
• Cognitive Development: Mental processes of learning, thinking, problem-solving, perception, attention, memory, language, and creativity.
• Social Development: Social relationships and interactions, involving family, friends, and social support.
• Spiritual Development: Consciousness, beliefs, values, and virtues that guide and give meaning to life.
• Psychological Development: Interaction of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
  • Thoughts: Ideas and beliefs about oneself, others, and the world.
  • Feelings: Reactions to experiences.
  • Behaviors: Actions taken based on thoughts and feelings.

Developmental Period

• A specific time period in a person's life with unique characteristics.

Adolescence

• One of eight stages of human development, marked by significant physical, psychological, and emotional changes.

Developmental Tasks

• Specific duties one needs to complete at a certain stage for growth and development.

Developmental Theories

• Sigmund Freud's Psychosexual Development Theory:

  • Oral Stage: Focus on oral pleasure.
  • Anal Stage: Focus on bowel control.
  • Phallic Stage: Focus on genitals.
  • Latency Stage: Sexual urges are repressed.
  • Genital Stage: Mature sexual development.

• Erik Erikson's Psychosocial Development Theory:

  • Infancy (Trust vs. Mistrust): Developing trust in caregivers.
  • Early Childhood (Autonomy vs. Shame): Developing independence and self-control.
  • Play Age (Initiative vs. Guilt): Developing initiative and purpose.
  • School Age (Industry vs. Inferiority): Developing skills and competence.
  • Adolescence (Identity vs. Role Confusion): Developing a sense of self and identity.
  • Young Adulthood (Intimacy vs. Isolation): Developing intimate relationships.
  • Adulthood (Generativity vs. Stagnation): Developing a sense of purpose and contributing to society.
  • Old Age (Integrity vs. Despair): Reflecting on life and finding meaning.

• Jean Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory

  • Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 Years): Learning through senses and motor actions.
  • Preoperational Stage (2 to 7 Years): Developing symbolic thought and language.
  • Concrete Operational Stage (7 to 11 Years): Developing logical thinking about concrete objects.
  • Formal Operational Stage (11 Years and Up): Developing abstract thinking and reasoning.

• Lawrence Kohlberg's Moral Development Stages Theory:

  • Preconventional Morality
    • Stage 1 (Obedience and Punishment): Avoiding punishment to determine right and wrong.
    • Stage 2 (Self-Interest): Acting in one's own best interest.
  • Conventional Morality
    • Stage 3 (Good Boy/Girl): Seeking approval and pleasing others.
    • Stage 4 (Law and Order): Following rules and upholding societal order.
  • Postconventional Morality
    • Stage 5 (Social Contract): Recognizing individual rights and societal laws.
    • Stage 6 (Universal Ethical Principles): Following a personal code of ethics based on universal principles.

Brain Hemispheres

• Left Hemisphere: Language, logic, analytical thinking.
• Right Hemisphere: Spatial awareness, creativity, visual comprehension.

Stress

• A mind-body reaction to disruptive situations that threaten well-being.

Categories of Stress

• Eustress: Beneficial and positive stress.
• Distress: Harmful stress, often experienced when overwhelmed and unable to manage a challenging situation.
• Acute Stress: Sudden and short-term stress.
• Chronic Stress: Repeated or prolonged exposure to stressful events or situations.

Responding to Stress

• Fight or Flight Response: Body's instinctive response to stress.
  • Fight: Reacting aggressively, getting angry, or confronting the problem.
  • Flight: Avoiding the stressor, withdrawing, using substances, or distracting oneself.

Stress Appraisal

• Primary Appraisal: Initial assessment of the situation.
  • Irrelevant Response: The situation is not relevant to the person.
  • Benign/Positive Response: The situation is positive or non-threatening.
  • Stressful Response: The situation is harmful, threatening, or challenging.
• Secondary Appraisal: Evaluates the stressor after a primary appraisal identifies it as negative or stressful.
  • Harm: Considering the damage already done.
  • Threat: Anticipating potential problems.
  • Challenge: Identifying ways to overcome the situation.

Stressors Among Adolescents

• Academics: Schoolwork, exams, academic expectations.
• Finances: Personal spending, family financial issues, future financial stability.
• Physical/Mental Health: Illness, fitness, anxiety, depression.
• Relationships: Conflicts with friends, family, or romantic partners.
• Time Management: Balancing school, extracurricular activities, social life, and personal time.

Effects of Stress

• Physical Effects: Release of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
• Mental and Emotional Effects: Anxiety, irritability, depression.
• Behavioral Effects: Anger, frustration, risky behaviors.