PSY 100 Understanding the Self PDF

PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado MODULE 1: Defining the Self Lear...

PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado MODULE 1: Defining the Self Learning Outcomes: By the end of the module, you should be able to: 1. To explain why it is essential to understand the self. 2. Describe the different ways by which society and culture shape the self. 3. Analyze the effects of various factors identified in Psychology in the formation of the “self” TASKS TO COMPLETE: 1. Class Recitation: Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oocunV4JX4w 2. Submit your ACTIVITY 1 on your SILID: QUESTIONS FOR ACTIVITY 1: 1. Who am I? 2. What are the questions that I usually ask about myself? Give at least 3 3. What are the things I hate about myself? 4. What are the things I love about myself? Lesson 1 - The self from various perspectives  A name no matter how intimately bound it is with the bearer, however, is NOT the person. It is only a SIGNIFIER.  The SELF is something that a person perennially molds, shapes, and develops.  The SELF is something that a person perennially molds, shapes, and develops.  It was the Greeks who seriously questioned myths and moved away from them in attempting to understand reality and respond to questions of curiosity, including the question of self. Page 1 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how people interact within these contexts. Since all human behavior is social, the subject matter of sociology ranges from the intimate family to the hostile mob; from organized crime to religious cults; from the divisions of race, gender and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture; and from the sociology of work to the sociology of sports. In fact, few fields have such broad scope and relevance for research, theory, and application of knowledge. Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior, according to the American Psychological Association. It is the study of the mind, how it works, and how it affects behavior. The APA adds that it “embraces all aspects of the human experience, from the functions of the brain to the actions of nations, from child development to care for the aged.” Page 2 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado SOCRATES  Arche – explains the multiplicity of things in the world.  SOCRATES was more concerned with another subject, THE PROBLEM OF SELF. Page 3 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado  He is the 1st philosopher who ever engaged in a systematic questioning about the self. To Socrates, this has become his lifelong mission, the true task of the Philosopher is to know oneself.  During his trial for allegedly corrupting the minds of the youth, Socrates declared without regret that his being indicted was brought about by his going around to Athens engaging men, young and old, to question their presuppositions about themselves and about the world particularly about who they are.  Most men in his reckoning were really not fully aware of who they were and the virtues that they were supposed to attain in order to preserve their souls for the afterlife.  Socrates thought that this is the worst that can happen to anyone.  For SOCRATES, every man is composed of body and soul. This means that every human is DUALISTIC (composed of 2 important aspects of his personhood). For Socrates, this means all individuals have an imperfect, impermanent aspect, the body, while maintaining that there is also a soul that is perfect and permanent. Socrates posits that if you know who you are, all basic issues and difficulties in life would be gone in a simple snap of a finger. If you know who you are, then everything would be clearer and simpler. One could now act according to his own self-definition without any doubt and self-contradiction His simple technique of asking basic questions such as “who am I?”, “what is the purpose of my life?”, “what am I doing here?”, “what is justice” were all questions predicated on the fact that humans must be able to define these simple things so as to move forward and act accordingly based on what is the definition of the said individual PLATO  Socrates’ student basically took off from his master and supported the idea that man is a dual nature of body and soul.  He added that there are 3 components of the SOUL: RATIONAL, SPIRITED, APPETITIVE.  Plato also contended that man has a soul and that there is more to man than his worldly body. The soul here symbolically represents the self. Plato is also the founder of a school that he called the “academe” which is the precursor of all the words that the word academic brings. Page 4 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado ST. AUGUSTINE  Augustine’s view of the human person reflects the entire spirit of the medieval world when it comes to man.  There is an aspect of man, which dwells in the world, that is imperfect and continuously yearns to be with the divine while other is capable of reaching immortality.  The body is bound to DIE on earth and the soul is to anticipate living eternally in a realm of spiritual bliss in communion with God.  The goal of every human person is to attain this communion and bliss with the Divine by living his life on earth in virtue. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS  “Man is composed of 2 parts – MATTER and FORM”  “The soul is what animates the body it is what makes us HUMANS”  MATTER- HYLE in Greek. Common stuff that makes up everything in the universe. Man’s body is part of this form.  FORM – MORPHE in Greek. Essence of a substance or thing. What makes a human person a human person is his ESSENCE. RENE DESCARTES  Father of Modern Philosophy  Conceived that the human person as having a BODY and MIND.  The Meditations of First Philosophy – famous treatise. There is so much that we should doubt.  In fact, he says that much of what we think and believe, because they are not infallible, may turn out to be FALSE.  One should only believe that which can pass the test of doubt.  If something is so clear and lucid as not to be even doubted, then that is the only time when one should actually by a proposition. Descartes thought that the only thing that one cannot doubt is the EXISTENCE OF THE SELF.  Cogito ergo sum – “I think therefore, I am”  Rene Descartes issued the famous line “I think, therefore I am.” Page 5 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado  This very common phrase in western philosophy assured in an era of self awareness.  From this perspective doubting yourself is the very reason why you should believe that you exist and are capable.  In this regard doubt is the very foundation of truth, that we doubt what we have thought of is proof that we stumbled on knowledge.  The body is nothing else but a machine that is attached to the mind. The human person has it but it is not what makes man a man. That is the MIND. JOHN LOCKE The other remarkable contribution of this country lawyer was the notion of “tabula rasa”. This concept posits that everyone started as a blank slate, and the content is provided by experiences and by what one could prove, as collected by life experiences. DAVID HUME  Scottish philosopher who has a very unique way of looking at man.  The SELF is not an entity over and beyond the physical body.  Empiricism – school of thought that discuss the idea that knowledge can only be possible if it is sensed & experienced.  Men can only attain knowledge by EXPERIENCING.  To David Hume, the SELF is nothing else but a bundle of impressions.  IMPRESSIONS – the basic object of our experience or sensation. Form the core of our thoughts. Products of our direct experience with the world.  IDEAS – copies of impressions.  SELF according to Hume, is simply “A bundle or collection of different perceptions, which succeed each other with an inconceivable rapidity & are in a perpetual flux & movement.”  In reality, what one thinks as unified self is simply a combination of all experiences with a particular person. Page 6 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado IMMANUEL KANT  Kant recognizes the veracity in Hume’s account that everything starts with perception and sensation of impressions.  There is necessarily a mind that organizes the impressions that men get from the external world.  Without the self, one cannot organize the different impressions that one gets in relation to his own experience. Kant suggests that the “SELF” is an actively engaged intelligence in man that synthesizes all knowledge & experiences. Thus, the self is not just what gives one his personality. It is also the seat of knowledge acquisition for all human persons. GILBERT RYLE  He solves the mind-body dichotomy that has been running for a long time.  For Ryle, what truly matter is the behaviors that a person manifests in his day-to-day life.  The SELF is not an entity one can locate and analyze but simply the convenient name that people use to refer to all the behavior that people make. MAURICE MERLEAU PONTY  Mind and body are so intertwined that they CANNOT be separated from one another.  One’s body is his opening toward his existence in the world.  For him, the Cartesian problem is nothing else but plain misunderstanding.  The living body, his thoughts, emotions and experiences are all ONE. The main articulation of the self-philosophy of Merleau-Ponty is existentialism. Very briefly, existentialism is predicated on the premise that man gives meaning to his own life. Happiness and sadness are dependent on the individual and his perception of his on reality Why is it important to know yourself better? 1. You’ll learn to accept who you are 2. You can let go of self-doubt 3. Your confidence will improve 4. You’ll make better life choices 5. You’ll express yourself freely 6. You will improve your emotional intelligence 7. Self-compassion will come more easily 8. You’ll know your worth Page 7 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado 9. Being disliked won’t bother you 10. You’ll overcome your fears 11. You’ll form better relationships 12. Your path in life will become clear 13. You’ll have more self-control Lesson 2- Self, Society and Culture  Self is distinct from other selves. The self is always UNIQUE and has its own identity.  One cannot be another person. Self is also self-contained and independent because in itself it can exist.  Self is unitary in that it is the center of all experiences and thoughts that run through a certain person.  SELF is private. Each person sorts out information, feelings and emotions and thought processes within the self. MARCELL MAUSS  According to Marcel Mauss, every self has 2 faces: PERSONNE and MOI Moi – person’s sense of who he is, body and basic entity; biological givenness. Personne – composed of the social concepts of what it means to be who he is. HERBERT MEAD & LEV VYGOTSKY  For them, human persons develop with the use of language acquisition and interaction with others.  They treat the human mind as something that is made, constituted through language as experienced in the external world and as encountered in dialogues with others.  Vygotsky believes a child internalizes real-life dialogues that he has had with others, with his family, primary caregiver or his playmates. Page 8 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado SELF in Families  The impact of family is still deemed as a given in understanding the self.  The kind of family that we are born in and the resource available to us (spiritual, economic, etc) will certainly affect us and the kind of development that we will have as we go through life.  Human beings are born virtually helpless and the dependency period of a human baby to its parents for nurturing is relatively longer than most other animals.  In trying to achieve the goal of becoming a fully realized human, a child enters a system of relationship, most important of which is the FAMILY.  Babies internalize ways and styles that they view from their Family. Notice how kids reared in a respectful environmental becomes respectful as well and the converse if raised in a converse family. Without a FAMILY, biologically and sociologically, a person may not even survive or become a HUMAN PERSON. Parenting Style SELF-IDENTITY  The SELF IDENTITY is NOT restricted to the present. It includes PAST selves and FUTURE selves.  Refers to global understanding a person has of themselves. Composed of relatively permanent selfassessments, such as personality attributes, knowledge of one’s skills & abilities, one’s occupation and hobbies and awareness of one’s physical attributes. Page 9 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado SELF-CONCEPT  The knowledge about himself. Can be influenced not only by observing one’s own self and behavior objectively, but also by observing the reactions that other people have to you and your behavior, or imagining what other people might think of you, or what you would think of yourself if you saw yourself from outside. Components of Self-Concept  SELF-ESTEEM – judgment of personal performance compared with self-ideal. Derived from a sense of giving and receiving love and being respected by others.  ROLE PERFORMANCE – level of self-esteem is dependent upon the self-perception of adequate role performance in various social roles. (ROLE – refers to set of expected behaviors determined by familial, cultural, and social norms)  BODY IMAGE – attitude about one’s physical attributes and characteristics, appearance, and performance.  PERSONAL IDENTITY or SELF-IDENTITY – what sets one person apart as a unique individual. IDENTITY – includes name, gender, family status and roles. SELF-IMAGE  The way you think about yourself and your abilities or appearance.  One’s conception of oneself or one’s role. BIG 5 FACTOR THEORY  OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE – suggests characteristics that include having broad range of interest & willing to try out even most unusual ideas. They are intellectually curious, sensitive to beauty and tend to hold unconventional beliefs.  CONSCIENTIOUSNESS - Tend to be self-disciplined, dutiful and prefer planned behavior.  EXTRAVERSION – gain energy when exposed to the external world. They tend to be action oriented, enthusiastic, visible to people and are capable of asserting themselves.  AGREEABLENESS – trustworthy, helpful, kind, generous and do not hesitate to compromise their interest with others.  NEUROTICISM – tendency to experience anger, depression anxiety and other forms of negative emotions. Also called EMOTIONAL INSTABILITY. Page 10 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado SELF UNDERSTANDING  Compare and contrast how the self can be influenced by the different institutions in the society.  Represents the sum total of people’s conscious perception of their identity as distinct from others. Lesson 3- Self as Cognitive Construct SELF - Defined as a symbol using individual who can reflect upon his/her own behavior It covers 3 things – body, social identity, self SELF CONCEPT – Product of experience and as a result of the individual-growth process and his personal –social development WILLIAM JAMES  William James was one of the earliest psychologists to study the self and he conceptualized the self as having 2 aspects – “I” and “ME”.  SELF is the sense of personal identity and of who we are as individuals.  I – Thinking, acting and feeling self. Me - Physical characteristics as well as the psychological capabilities that makes who you are. Basic Concepts William James (1890) I – self as knower, experiencer, present tense, story teller Page 11 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado Me – self as known, experienced, past tense, story 3 ASPECTS OF ME: 1. SPIRITUAL ME – one’s own understanding of selves as creatures who think, feel, act and experience life 2. SOCIAL ME – it consists of the recognition that the self can get from others. James believe that people have several social me’s 3. MATERIAL ME – it consists of one’s body, valued possessions, and loved ones. It identifies the self most clearly in terms of material possessions. CARL ROGERS  Theory of personality also used the same terms, the “I” as the one who acts and decides while the “ME” is what you think or feel about yourself as an object.  IDENTITY – composed of one’s personal characteristics, social roles & responsibilities, as well as affiliations that defines who one is.  SELF-CONCEPT – basically what comes to your mind when you are asked about who you are. Page 12 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado SIGMUND FREUD ❖ Saw the SELF, its mental processes and one’s behavior as the results of the interaction between the Id, Ego, Superego. Page 13 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado NATURE VS. NURTURE  Nature: Our genetics determine our behavior. Our personality traits and abilities are in our “nature”.  Nurture: Our environment, upbringing, and life experiences determine our behavior. We are “nurtured” to behave in certain ways. Page 14 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado Page 15 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado 3 REASONS WHY SELF & IDENTITY ARE SOCIAL PRODUCTS 1. We do not create ourselves out of NOTHING. 2. We actually need others to affirm & reinforce who we think we are. 3. What we think as important to us may also have been influenced by what is important in our social or historical context. THE LOOKING GLASS SELF ❖ It is the process of developing a self-image on the basis of the messages we get from others, as we understand them. 3 Components 1. Imagine how we appear to others. 2. Imagine what their judgment of that appearance must be. 3. Develop some self-feeling, such as pride or mortification, as a result Page 16 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado SELF-DISCREPANCIES Individuals have the following self-perceptions:  An actual self (qualities people think they actually possess).  An ideal self (qualities people would like to have).  An ought self (qualities people think they should possess). Upward social comparison – comparing ourselves with those who are better off than us. Downward social comparison – we create a positive self-concept by comparing ourselves with those who are worse off than us. WE USUALLY REACT IN 3 WAYS. Page 17 of 18  PSY 100: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education Prepared By: Ariane Marie P. Zarate & Angelu Cielo J. Desquitado 1. We distance ourselves from that person or silent treatment 2. We may also reconsider the importance of the aspect or skill in which you were outperformed. 3. We may also strengthen our resolve to improve that certain aspect of ourselves (E.g Attending seminars, practice, read more, etc.) NARCISSISM  Trait characterized by overly high self-esteem, self-admiration and self-centeredness. They are often charismatic because of how they take care of their image.  Taking care of that image includes their interpersonal relationship thus, they will try to look for better partners, better acquaintances, as well as people who will appreciate them a lot. Activity - After Reading Questions/Discussion Question s: 1. What is the importance of unders tanding the self? 2. What is the relationship between self, society and culture ? 3. How do parenting styles affect the development of a person ? Learning Tasks: 1. Reflective essay – Who am I? 2. Essay - The effects of Parenting types to ones’ personality 3. Quiz References: Chafee, J. (2013). Who are you? consciousness, identity and the self. In the Philosopher’s way: thinking critically about profound ideas. Pearson Education, Inc. Magalona, E. (2018). Understanding the self-developing life skills. Manila International Book Fair. Otig, V. (2018). A holistic approach in understanding the self: a workbook-textbook for college students. Malabon city: Mutya Publishing House, Inc. Palean, E. (2018). Introspection: understanding the self. Mandaluyong City: Books Atpb Pub. Inc. Santos, R. (2016). Personal development. Rex Book Store. Page 18 of 18