Understanding The Self (UTS 101) Handouts PDF

Bulacan State University City of Malolos. Bulacan **Understanding the Self** **(UTS 101)** **PART 2: UNPACKING THE SELF** In this lesson, the students must be able to: 1. Understand the biological concept of our sexual and physical selves; 2. Understand how each stage of love may be driven...

Bulacan State University City of Malolos. Bulacan **Understanding the Self** **(UTS 101)** **PART 2: UNPACKING THE SELF** In this lesson, the students must be able to: 1. Understand the biological concept of our sexual and physical selves; 2. Understand how each stage of love may be driven by the release of different hormones; 3. Analyze the impact of culture on body image and self-esteem; 4. Celebrate beauty in diversity. ***I. The Sexual Self*** ======================== This section tackles one of the most crucial aspects of human development, the sexual self. It highlights biological and environmental factors that shape sexual development. Tips on regulating sexual behavior are also provided. **The Biology of Self** At birth, the sexual genitalia (penis for male, vagina for female) is a biological feature that distinguishes males from females. Moreover, during puberty, observable changes in the human body also known as secondary sexual characteristics begin. When physiological changes are triggered within the adolescent's reproductive system, he or she is likely to experience sexual urges, become more sensitive to sexual stimuli, and feel sexual arousal. Humans are likely to engage in sexual activities to satisfy sexual urges. However, the kind of sexual activities they engage in may vary. A person should be aware of his/her sexuality and sexual attributes in order to make responsible decisions. Adolescents need to realize the importance of making informed choices. **Sexual Identity and Gender Orientation** - - - **The Three Stages of Love: lust, attraction, and attachment by Helen Fischer.** The feeling of being in love can not only affect our brain, but it can also lead to changes in human physiology and behavior. According to scientists from around the world, each stage of love for another human may be driven by the release of different hormones. **[Hormones]** are chemicals that coordinate different functions in your body by carrying messages through the blood to organs, skin, muscles, and other tissues **1. Lust.** The first phase of falling in love is the lust or the desire phase. Lust is the craving for sexual satisfaction which is a feeling that evolved in humans to motivate union with a single partner. During this phase, men and women both release healthy amounts of testosterone and estrogen. In females, estrogen plays a role in vaginal health, longing for physical closeness with a mate, and the desire for sex. In both males and females (but more so in men), testosterone drives sexual desire, openness, and seductiveness. During this phase, the primary objective is to have sex rather than form an emotional connection. **2. Attraction.** Scientists have found evidence that adrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin are involved in the attraction phase. [Adrenaline] is a hormone that is released during the human stress response and also plays a role in enhancing the attraction and arousal of humans. This hormone causes the heart to beat faster and stronger, results in a surge of energy, and focuses attention solely on your potential mate. It can also heighten feelings of anxiety or nervousness and butterflies in the stomach. [Dopamine] is a hormone that plays a role in motivation, addiction, attention, and desire. Once released, this chemical messenger produces a feeling of happiness and bliss. Dopamine is also released in response to cocaine and sugar which are both incredibly addictive. [Serotonin] is a hormone that acts as a neurotransmitter and plays a role in maintaining mood balance, appetite, sleep, memory, sexual desire, and sexual function. During the attraction phase, serotonin levels decrease which can result in sleeplessness. During this attraction phase, one may experience a feeling of euphoria or exhilaration and a craving for union with the other human that they desire. Since hormones associated with the stress response are released during the attraction phase, individuals also may experience physiological changes such as sleeplessness, increased energy, loss of appetite, rapid heart rate and accelerated breathing. **3. Attachment.** Once the attraction phase has settled down dopamine, serotonin, and adrenaline levels return to normal and another phase begins. The two major hormones involved in the attachment (or long-term bonding) phase are oxytocin and vasopressin which both play a role in social and reproductive behaviors in humans. [Oxytocin], also referred to as the "love hormone" is released during the attachment phase in correlation with physical touch and results in an increase in dopamine (the happy hormone). This is perhaps why the area of the brain which is associated with the feeling of reward and pleasure is activated when oxytocin is released during contact with another human. Gestures such as hugging, kissing, cuddling and sex can boost oxytocin levels which enhances the monogamous bond between both partners. Oxytocin is also released in mothers while breastfeeding their infant which facilitates a deep mother-infant bond. [Vasopressin] is another hormone released after physical touch that initiates the desire to stay with that particular individual and develops a strong emotional attachment. The attachment phase brings a feeling of calmness, security, a desire to protect one another, emotional union, and comfort. This attachment phase does not just exist in romantic relationships, but can also be present with other types of bonds such as family and friends. **The Consequences of Sexual Choices** *Sexual intercourse* (**copulation**) is the reproductive act in which the male organ (penis) enters the female's reproductive tract (vagina). Adolescent couples who engage in sexual intercourse are usually overwhelmed by the sensations they feel during the act. However, if the woman is fertile during the time of intercourse, pregnancy is likely to occur and it lasts approximately nine months before the birth of the child. Having a child entails a big responsibility and should not merely be a consequence of an impulsive moment. Physical risks to having an early pregnancy may impact an adolescent's development, including miscarriage, emotional stress, and health risks to both mother and infant. Aside from pregnancy, another consequence of impulsive and careless sexual intercourse is the risk of acquiring *sexually transmitted diseases* (**STDs**). Among common STDs are *Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and Genital Warts.* The most alarming sexually transmitted disease is *acquired immune deficiency syndrome* (**AIDS**) caused by the *human immunodeficiency virus *(**HIV**). It can be transmitted by contact between broken skin, wounds, or mucous membranes and HIV-infected blood or blood-contaminated body fluids. It is important that everyone makes responsible decisions concerning sexuality and sexual behavior. Responsible sexual behavior entails the following: - - - - **II. The PHYSICAL SELF or the SELF AS IMPACTED BY THE BODY** This section identifies and explains the biological and environmental factors that shape the physical self. It also delves into socio-cultural issues associated with physical well-being. **The Self as impacted by the body**. The [Physical Self] refers to the body which is interfaced with the environment and other human beings. [Physical development] is the process that starts in human infancy and continues into late adolescence concentrating on gross and fine motor skills as well as puberty. [Physical characteristics] are the defining traits or features of your body. [Physical Appearance] is the way a person looks. **The Biological Blueprint.** The physical self is shaped by biological and environmental factors. In the experiment done by **Gregor Mendel**, he first figured out how genes are passed from parents to offspring in plants, including humans. His experiments on pea plants showed that genes are passed intact from generation to generation and that traits are not blended. Mendel discovered that it is through the genes that traits were passed from parent to offspring through several generations. This is called **Heredity** which is defined as the transmission of traits from parents to offspring. The traits are made up of specific information embedded within one's **genes**. Biologically speaking, the way we look depends on the genes that we inherit, being dominant or recessive. **Genotype** refers to the specific information embedded within one's genes; not all genotypes translate to an observed physical characteristic. **Phenotype** is the physical expression of a particular trait. Each individual carries 23 pairs of **chromosomes, **which are threadlike bodies in the nucleus of the cell and the storage unit of genes. The 23rd pair, also known as **sex chromosomes, **determines the sex of an individual. Within each chromosome is the **deoxyribonucleic acid** (DNA), which is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions specifying the biological development of every individual. **Maturation** is known as the completion of the growth of a genetic character within an organism or the unfolding of an individual's inherent traits or potential. **Environmental Conditioning.** As you grow up, you are exposed to environmental influences that shape your physical self, including those from your social networks, societal expectations, and cultural practices. **Family, **being your first social group, forms a crucial foundation of your development, including that of your physical self. As you grow older, you get exposed to a larger social group with new practices and standards. As a result, you may begin engaging in acts that would make you attractive and acceptable to others. One aspect of physical beauty is a **person's body type**. Contemporary media has portrayed slim bodies as the ideal body type for women and muscular bodies for men. Thus, adolescents indulge in activities that would enable them to achieve these ideal body types. However, some adolescents may resort to unhealthy habits just to achieve the ideal body type. **Body Image.** It is the perception that a person has of their physical self and the thoughts and feelings that result from that perception. It can be positive or negative. It is influenced by individual and environmental factors. These factors include family, environment, ability or disability, the attitudes of peers, the media and advertising, the fashion industry, and cultural background. Social media also has a big influence on teenage body image, particularly when teenagers post and view photos of themselves and others on social media. A [positive body] [image] is feeling happy and satisfied with your body, as well as being comfortable with and accepting the way you look. A [negative body image] is feeling unhappy with the way you look. Truth is, women have been evaluated based on their appearance more than men (Wade, 2017). They have been valued and devalued based on how they look. It is for this reason that many of them fall prey to even unnecessary cosmetic surgeries hinging from that desire of wanting to look good, if not perfect. **Body modification.** Body modification is the physical alteration of the body through the use of surgery, tattoo, piercing, implants, and other practices. Those who are so self-anxious that they seek cosmetic surgeries to solve their body issues may eventually suffer a disorder called Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Those who are diagnosed with this disorder are very much preoccupied by a perceived physical flaw that is either absent or so trivial that only the one suffering from it sees it as a problem, being so distressed about it, that daily routines are affected (Wilhelm, 2006). They are so obsessed about their appearance, that they think about their flaws, real or not, incessantly and uncontrollably (Body Dysmorphic Disorder: A Quest for Perfection, 2012). **Body image disturbance. BID** is an important aspect of several pathologies in psychology, particularly eating disorders. It has two components: The perceptual component which refers to how we accurately perceive or see our body size, also known as body size estimation, which is how we see our body, and the attitudinal component {affective, cognitive, and behavioral} which refers we think and feel about the size and/or shape of their body, which if not correctly processed, will result to body dissatisfaction (Greene, 2011). It is important to remember that physical beauty is only skin-deep; that what matters is feeling good about oneself and embracing a healthy perception of one's physical worth. These are ways into a**chieving Physical Well-being:** - - - - In the Philippines, the construction of local standards of beauty can be traced to our colonial influences. Skin color signifies the value of the people in society. Lighter-skinned individuals are considered higher in terms of social status, and therefore, in the social rank compared to those with brown or dark skin (Rondilla, 2012). The colonization of our country by these white-skinned people lasted for more than three centuries. We were forced to believe that they were superior people, more civilized, and even how they looked was deemed as standard beauty- a very Eurocentric perspective that has influenced our concept of attractiveness even today. Free as we claim we are; our mindset is still a slave to the white culture. Their whiteness has become a goal for most Filipinos and even our television and movie personalities here mirror their looks. Culture is one big chunk that helps us analyze our self-understanding. Remember that the self, as a social being, is influenced by culture. People attempt to change their bodies to meet their cultural standards of beauty. **[Body adornment]** is the practice of enhancing the body through styling and decorating hair and fingernails, painting the body, and wearing jewelry and clothing. **Synthesis**. Embracing our physical self entails affirming each other regardless of our skin color, stature, and body mass index. We are supposed to celebrate the authentic us, where we do not need to hide our physical flaws and to resist the demands of a depreciating, image-driven society. We have to be reminded that our health is foremost in all these. Remember that body size, shape, skin color, and stature are never correct indicators of a healthy life. Beauty must be celebrated in diversity. References: The Sexual Self retrieved on Octo 15, 2023 from Three Stages of Love and Hormones retrieved on October 1, 2024 from The Concept of Physical Self in Psychology by Sanjay Singh from ww.allaboutpsychology.com What is body image? by Collin McShirley from [www.psychalive.com](http://www.psychalive.com) Body image: pre-teens and teenagers from https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/healthy-lifestyle/body-image/body-image-teens The Perception of Beauty from https://sites.psu.edu/psych256sp14/2014/02/02/the-perception-of-beauty/