Psychology: William James and Carl Rogers Self Theories

Study Notes

William James, a philosopher and psychologist, developed a theory of self-consciousness in his work, Principles of Psychology in 1890.
The main concept of self has two parts: the Me-self and the I-self.
Me-self is the empirical self, or the self as known.
I-self is the thinking self, self that knows who he or she is.
The "Me-Self" is further divided into subcategories:
- Material Self: Encompasses everything a person values and desires materially.
- Social Self: Refers to how a person acts in social situations.
- Spiritual Self: The most intimate and important part of the self, encompassing purpose, motives, emotions, values, conscience, and moral behaviour.

Carl Rogers, an American psychologist, defined the self as a flexible and changing perception of personal identity.
The self develops from interactions with significant people and self-awareness.
Human beings strive for self-fulfillment or self-actualization.
There are two types of self-concept:
- Real Self-concept: Awareness of "what I am and what I can do" (self-image).
- Ideal Self-concept: Person's conception of what one should be or wants to be, including goals and ambitions.
The discrepancy between real and ideal self can lead to unhappiness or satisfaction.

David Lester proposed the concept of Multiple Self, wherein the mind is composed of subselves representing different sets of psychological processes (dreams, desires, emotions, and memories).
These subselves vary across different roles and relationships.
The integration of these subselves into one is the Unified Self.

Walter Mishcel believed that people behave differently based on the situations they find themselves in and their different histories of learning.

D. W. Winnicott, an English paediatrician and psychoanalyst, believed the self is composed of the True Self and the False Self.
True Self represents real feelings and desires.
False Self involves a change in behaviour, repressed feelings, and putting aside needs to survive.

The self is often compared to an onion, representing layers of self-awareness, social roles, and personal values.

Albert Bandura, a psychologist, suggested that humans have the ability to act and make things happen.
He views people as proactive agents of their experiences.
Agency encompasses endowments, belief systems, self-regulatory capabilities, and structures and functions of the self.

Intentional: Actions performed with full awareness of behavior.
Forethought: Anticipating the consequences of prospective actions.
Self-Reactiveness: Choosing appropriate courses of action.
Self-Reflectiveness: Reflecting upon oneself and the adequacy of thoughts and actions.

Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, conceived the structure of personality (psyche) as a complex network of interacting systems striving for harmony.
The Ego is the conscious mind, including perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and memories.