Understanding The Self Reviewer PDF

**UNDERSTANDING THE SELF** **CHAPTER 4 -- THE PHYSICAL SELF** **Gregor Mendel** first figured out how genes are passed from parents to offspring in plants, including humans. **Mendel** discovered that it is through the genes that traits were passed from parent to offspring through several generati...

**UNDERSTANDING THE SELF** **CHAPTER 4 -- THE PHYSICAL SELF** **Gregor Mendel** first figured out how genes are passed from parents to offspring in plants, including humans. **Mendel** discovered that it is through the genes that traits were passed from parent to offspring through several generations. **Heredity** is the procedure of passing of traits from the parent to the offspring. The Filipinos obsession with beauty translates not only with women, but also with men. Take the case of **Xander Ford, previously known as Marlou Arizala**, a former member of Hash5- a teen boy band which became an online sensation not because of their attractiveness nor talent, but because of the disgust and animosity they receive for their 'ugly' faces. **Dr. Samuel Eric Yapjuanco**, Xander's plastic surgeon, conducted three procedures on **Shiryl Saturnino**, March of last year, but latter died with **fat etabolism** -- a condition where there was fat in the blood vessels which entered into the lungs of the victim, making it hard for her to breathe. **Body Dysmorphic Disorder or BDD** - Those who are suffering from BDD are so obsessed about their appearance, thus think about their flaws, real or not, incessantly and uncontrollably. - They are so self-anxious that they seek cosmetic surgeries to finally solve their body issues. **Anorexia** is defined as a serious mental illness where people are of low weight due to limiting their energy intake. **Body Shaming** which is criticizing yourself or others because of some aspect of physical appearance has resulted in the loss of self-confidence of those who have been thin-shamed or fat-shamed. **Body image disturbance (BID)** is an important aspect of several pathologies in psychology, particularly eating disorder. It has two components: **Perceptual Component** -- refers to how we accurately perceive our body size, also known as body size estimation. **Attitudinal Component** -- refers to how we think and feel about the size and/or shape of their body, which if not correctly processed, will result to body dissatisfaction. Stice and Whitenton (2002), found out that body dissatisfaction is also linked with mental disorders including depression and anxiety among adolescents. **The Filtered Self -** The more we approve of the filtered us, the more we disregard our real, unfiltered physical selves. **CHAPTER 5 -- THE SEXUAL SELF** **Sexuality** - Commonly defined as "the ways people experience and express themselves as sexual beings". - It is a central aspect of being human throughout life encompasses sex, gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction. **Sex** refers to a person's characterization as female or male at birth, typically based on the appearance of external genitalia or other biological characteristics. **Puberty** is the one to three-year process of hormonal and physical change that causes the young person to reach sexual maturity, girls usually entering it about a year or two earlier than boys. **Secondary sex characteristics** are traits that differ between the two sexes but are not part of the reproductive system: they include breasts in females and facial hair in males. **Erogenous Zones** or sexually stimulating zones of both sexes. When the erogenous sone are touched, there is an expected automatic sensation. **Sexual violence** is defined by WHO as any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic, or otherwise directed, against a person's sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting. **Sex** is also at times called "**love making**" giving premium to the act being based on and done out of love. According to Fisher, there are **three stages of romantic love:** 1. Lust 2. Attraction 3. Attachment **Models for Sexual Response** **Masters and Johnson (1966)** 1. Excitement -- arousal; penis erection, vagina lubricant 2. Plateau -continuation and heightening of the arousal 3. Orgasm- peak or intense pleasure 4. Resolution body returns to normal state **Kaplan (1979)** 1. Desire 2. Excitement 3. Orgasm **Sexual Orientation** refers to our sexual preferences towards males, females, or both. In the acronym LGBT which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, "LGB" pertains to sexual orientation. **Types of Sexual Orientation:** **Homosexual (Gay/Lesbian)** -- sexually attracted to same sex **Bisexual** -- sexually attracted both sexes **Heterosexual (straight)** -- sexually attracted to opposite sex **Pansexual/Omnisexual** -- can sexually attracted to any sex or gender **Asexual** -- not sexually attracted to any sex or gender The "T" in LGBT, which stands for transgender or gender non-conforming, pertains to gender identity. Some who do not identify as either male or female prefer the term "genderqueer". **Transsexual** is one who transitions from one sex to another through undergoing several surgical procedures. Engaging in sexual contact, either vaginal, oral, or anal, can give temporary intense pleasure and, with it, a possibility of transmitting more than 30 different bacteria, viruses, and parasites that may result to a lifetime of **Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)** **Family Planning** intends to provide accessible information on sexual and reproductive health for people to choose from depending on their needs and preferences. **Contraception** is focused on the ways to prevent pregnancy in line with the FP program. **CHAPTER 6 -- CONSUMER CULTURE AND THE MATERIAL SELF** The **material self**, according to William Jones, is centered on the physical body, which emphasis on an individual's material possessions and the family to which he/she belongs. **Consumption** -- Usually, this is done through the use of signs and symbols, and the manipulation of their meanings. It affects one identity formation, as our material possessions and preferred lifestyles slowly become extensions of who we are. Affected as well is our behavior in relation to consumer goods, enshrined in **Philip Kotler's Buyer Decision Process.** One's proclivity for buying things, as **Max Weber's** interpretation of the Protestant ethic suggests, is but willed by God, as it is a clear-cut manifestation of how one's hard work can be divinely compensated in concrete form. While for **Karl Max**, consumption is momentary escape from imposed labor in a capitalist society, often resulting in alienation. According to Ferdinand de Saussure, **meanings** are based on conventions and are, by nature, arbitrary, Words, therefore, are unmotivated signs, with no fixed definitions. Essentially, present always is the **signifier**, which can be a phrase, sound, or image, and the signified, or the concept or abstraction attached to it. **Langue** is language as a structure that dictates the rules and conventions, while **parole** is any given linguistic fragment or item extracted from that very structure. **Denotation (or the "object language")** is defined as the literal interpretation of something, while **Connotation** pertains to culture and ideology- specific meanings, attached to it sometimes for purposes of myth-making. In his book "The Rhetoric of the Image", Roland Barthes (1978) wrote of two kinds of relationships between text and image: anchorage and relay. **Anchorage** underlines the importance of text in making sense of an image, while **Relay** puts emphasis on a more complementary relationship between the two. According to Philip Kotler (1980), there are five stages in the so-called "Buyer Decision Process": 1. Needs Arousal/Recognition 2. Information Search 3. Evaluation Behavior 4. Purchase Decision 5. Post-Purchase Feelings **Fetishism** -- a rather primitive belief that inanimate objects can be imbued with God-like powers. **Alienation** - a condition of workers in a capitalist economy, resulting from a lack of identity with the products of their labor and a sense of being controlled or exploited. **KEYWORDS** **CHAPTER 1 -- WHO AM I? A PHILOSOPHICAL JOURNEY TO DISCOVERING THE SELF** **Body** -- the physical presence of a person **Category mistake** -- is a term coined by philosopher Gilbert Ryle that refers to a type of informal fallacy in which things that belong to one grouping are mistakenly placed in another. **Dualism** -- the position that mental phenomena are, in some respects, nonphysical and that as a result the mind and physical body are not identical. **Form** -- the essence of a thing that makes it what it is. **Matter** -- refers to the common "stuff" that makes up the material universe **Mind** -- a separate part of the body which is unseen **Soul** -- Interchanged at times with the concept of mind. Considered as part of the body that transcends the death of the body. **CHAPTER 2 -- THE SELF AS SOCIAL CONSTRUCT** **Culture** -- a complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, law, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by human as a member of society. Gen Z -- born between 1995 and 2010 **Independent view of the self** -- Also known as **individualism**, this sees an individual as a separate entity in the community who decides based on his own logic, and is disengaged from the social matrix. **Interdependent view of the self** -- Also known as **collectivism**, a person sees himself as an integral part of the communal group. Thus, his decisions are always inclined to include his social sphere. **Material Culture** -- consists of human technology -- all the things people make and use **Non-material culture** -- this is inclusive of the intangible human creations that include beliefs, values, norms, and symbols. **Self-centric** -- an idea separate from self-centeredness, which is based solely on improving one's quality of life in his own volition, and not depending on the help that the family; or a loved one can give. **CHAPTER 3 -- THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SELF** **Congruence** -- alignment of ideal and real self **Ideal self** -- who we want to be **Incongruence** -- misalignment of ideal and real self **Real self** -- who we really are **Self-concept** -- organized, consistent set of perceptions of and beliefs about oneself **Self-efficacy** -- how one performs **Self-esteem** -- one's overall assessment of one's worth as a person **Self-schemas** -- perceptions and beliefs that comprise our self-concept CHAPTER 7 -- THE SPIRITUAL SELF One's belief is what sets the foundation for one's action. The Religious practice Is the action which manifests the belief of that person. The spiritual self will be cohesive in its belief and practices that one's belief is echoed by one's act. One's identity of spiritual self is deeply tied to the center of their religion and worship. For the Christians, the belief is that man was created in the image of God and it is the most common belief in the Philippines. For Buddhism and Hinduism, man's goal is to reach Nirvana, that is the removal of desires and sufferings. For the Muslims, the name muslin itself means one who surrenders and submits to Allah and his laws and it is the second largest religion in the Philippines. Protestantism is a salvation through Christ Jesus was deeply emphasized and one must born again -- that is to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior. Buddhism is brought by Chinese traders. There is no personal God but one should follow the path of Buddha -- the enlightened one. Worship is done as a sign of respect rather than veneration. Indigenous beliefs are often characterized as animism. Inanimate objects may be worshiped. The idea of soul has permeated the consciousness of human beings as soon as humans started to speculate on what is the nature of man. For St. Thomas Aquinas, each living thing has a soul and that physical death is not the end. It will be the soul that will enjoy eternal life in the General Resurrection. In Hinduism the atman ("breathe or "soul") is the universal, eternal self, of which each individual soul (jiva or jiva-atman) partakes. The jiva-atman is also eternal but is imprisoned in an earthly body at birth and death will liberate it into a new existence as assessed by the judgment of karma. From the point of view of the "babaylan", inside the body of a living person dwells the "Dungan" (a companion that co-exists). This Dungan gives life, animation, and sensibilities to a person. It can temporarily leave the body at will. Rituals are a form of communication which signifies commitment to other members of the group. Witchcraft refers to individuals who have an innate ability to do evil. Sorcery involves rituals and magic which is not a requirement in witchcraft. Victor Frankl is a psychiatrist who provides three ways of discovering the meaning of life. His Book, Man's Search for Meaning was a reminder of that life which, maybe because of his training. According to logotherapy, we can discover this meaning in life in three different ways. 1. By creating a work or doing a deed 2. By experiencing something or encountering someone 3. By the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering Logotherapy developed by Victor Frankl whose aim is the striving of one's meaning one identifies in his/her life. Meaning in one's life is the most powerful motivation for survival and continued life. Magic is a method that somehow interface with the supernatural and by which people can bring about particular outcomes. Soul also considered as spirit which is seen as that part of human beings that will exist even after death. Religion is an organized group who believes and performs the same religious or spiritual rituals. Ritual is patterned, recurring sequence of events Religious Rituals involves the manipulation of religious symbols such as prayers, offerings, and readings of sacred literature. CHAPTER 8 -- THE POLITICAL SELF: THE FILIPINO CITIZEN According to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Art 4, Sec. 1, these are the citizens of the Philippines: 1. Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption of this Constitution; 2. Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines; 3. Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority; and 4. Those who are naturalized in accordance of law. Art 2, Set 5 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states: The maintenance of the peace and order, the protection of life, liberty, and property, and the promotion of the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of democracy. Citizenship is one's political identity in one stage Constitution is the highest law of the land Democracy is a form of government whose ideal is that all the adult members of a state should enjoy the right to participate in deciding on public matters. Nationalism is a loyalty and devotion to a nation National Identity is viewed as the set of meanings and predisposition defining one's attachment or sense of belonging to a national community. Participative democracy emphasis on the participation of the members to the different political processes. Race Jealousy is a consciousness to prove that Filipinos are equal with the other race CHAPTER 9 -- THE VIRTUAL YOU: THE SELF IN THE CYBERSPACE Abstraction is the non-physical properties one gets to try and interest with when consuming technology. They are: Real Life Reality pertains to life away from digital devices and where interaction happens on a physical level. Simulation is to copy reality as closely as it can. Augmented Reality is real-life reality spliced with the unreal. Virtual Reality is completely detached from real-life reality. The immersion within said abstraction can eventually lead to what is called virtualization. Hyperreality is the inability to distinguish the real from the otherwise. The elements of the dramaturgical self - Performance - Setting - Appearance - Matter - Front Multiphrenia is the idea that countless alternatives to self-expression neuters identity information Anonymity is the act of communicating wherein the sender does not openly reveal his/her identity Pseudonymity is same as anonymity, but the sender takes on alternate personas Online Disinhibition Effect is the removal of social inhibitions and/or restrictions imposed upon people's behavior when engaging in the web CAUSES: 1. DISSOCIATIVE ANONYMITY -- the confidence you feel every time you anonymously engage in online activities. 2. INVISIBILITY -- you can sometimes intentionally misrepresent yourself to come across as in entirely different person. 3. ASYNCHRONICITY- face to face communication 4. SOLIPSISTIC INTROJECTION -- communicate online through typewritten words. 5. DISSOCIATIVE IMAGINATION -- this is the faulty belief that online interaction is a game, and whose rules you can easily break with no perceived implications. 6. MINIMIZATION OF STATUS AND AUTHORITY -- "your rules don't work online" TWO CATEGORIES: 1. BENIGN DISINHIBITION -- this focuses on personal development, self-understanding, and the exploration of new emotional domains of experience. 2. TOXIC DISINHIBITION -- it disparaging remarks, death threats, blackmails, and hate slurs among others CHAPTER 10 -- LEARNING TO BE A BETTER STUDENT METACOGNITION -- thinking about your thinking NEURON -- nerve cell in our brain that helps in the learning process SELF-REGULATED LEARNING -- includes the cognitive, metacognitive, behavioral, motivational, and emotional/affective aspects of learning CHAPTER 11 -- MANAGING AND CARING FOR THE SELF: SETTING GOALS FOR SUCCESS GOAL is an object to aim for and also sets the standard of success Bandura's Self Efficacy Theory -- People will only try to do what they think they can do, and won't try what they think they can't do Self -- efficacy is the belief in one own's ability to successfully accomplish something Self-confidence is an important aspect in the achievement of success. There are 4 factors that influence one's self confidence or self- efficacy MASTERY EXPERIENCE -- happens when we do something and we become successful. Encouraged, we do it again and again until we have mastered it. VICARIOUS EXPERIENCE -- this is the observation of the success and failures of others through modelling, who are similar to one's self. VERBAL PERSUASION -- the more people verbally encourage one, then the more likely the person's self-efficacy will increase. SOMATIC AND EMOTIONAL STRESS -- when someone is contemplating on doing something, the emotional state of the person will also have an influence in the success or failure of the task. GOAL SETTING THEORY 1. CLARITY -- the goal has to be specific and not abstract. 2. DIFFICULTY -- people tend to work harder 3. COMMITMENT -- largely dependent on the level of commitment the person has towards the achievement of the goal 4. FEEDBACK -- this gives them accountability 5. TASK COMPLEXITY -- brings out the knowledge of the person MINDSET -- is the mental attitude one takes that determines how one will respond and understand the situation SUCCESS- means the accomplishment of an aim or purpose CHAPTER 12 -- TAKING CHARGE OF ONE'S HEALTH REACTION -- is driven by the beliefs, biases and prejudices of the unconscious mind. RESPONSE -- is based on information from both the conscious mind and unconscious mind. STRESS -- is the experience of a perceived threat to one's mental, physical, or spiritual well-being resulting from a series of physiological responses and adaptations. THREE TYPES OF STRESS EUSTRESS (+) - good stress - any stressor that motivates an individual toward an optimal level of performance or health NEUSTRESS - any kind of information or sensory stimulus that is perceived as unimportant or inconsequential - neither positive or negative DISTRESS (-) - unfavorable or negative interpretation of an event to be threatening that promotes continued feeling of fear or anger - more commonly known simply as stress COGNITIVE APPRAISAL -- the process of perceiving and interpreting a stimulus and this is a type of a stress response TWO STEPS IN COGNITIVE APPRAISAL 1. PRIMARY APPRAISAL -- it is the initial evaluation of a stimulus and categorizing is as either positive, negative or neutral 2. SECONDARY APPRAISAL -- is the evaluation of our perceived ability to cope with the situation, that is, the resources you have to deal with it. STRESSOR -- is any real or imagined situation, circumstance, or stimulus that is perceived to be a threat. THREE GENERAL TYPES OF STRESSORS CATACLYSMIC EVENTS - Strong stressors - Occur suddenly - May affect many people simutaneously - Disasters such as tornadoes, plane crashes - Natural or man-made calamity PERSONAL STRESSORS - Major life events - Death of a parent or spouse, loss of one's job, major personal failure - Even something positive like getting married BACKGROUND STRESSORS - Daily hassles - Minor irritations in life - Standing in a long line at a bank - Getting stuck in s traffic jam - Long term chronic problem -- dissatisfaction with school or a job, unhappy relationship THREE RESPONDS TO STRESS - EMOTIONAL - PHYSIOLOGICAL - BEHAVIORAL The way our body responds to stress is called the GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME (GAS) which consists of three stages: ALARM - Triggers stress hormones - Heart rate, blood pressure, even sugar level increases - Fight or flight response RESISTANCE - Body tries to counteract the alarm stage - Body tries to normalize - Struggling to concentrate and may be irritable EXHAUSTION - Body is tired of fighting stress - Tiredness, depression, anxiety, feeling unable to cope Examples of negative or counter-productive coping strategies that we may have been guilty of are: 1. Giving up -- feeling helpless 2. Acting aggressively -- to hurt someone physically or verbally 3. Indulging yourself -- excessive indulgence 4. Blaming yourself -- irrational and negative self-talk 5. Defense Mechanism -- avoidance strategies 6 DEFENSIVE MECHANISMS REPRESSION -- keeping distressing thoughts and feelings buried in the unconscious PROJECTION -- attributing one's own thoughts, feelings, or motivates to another person DISPLACEMENT -- diverting emotions from the original source to a substitute target REGRESSION -- reversion to immature patterns of behavior RATIONALIZATION -- creation of false but plausible excuses to justify unacceptable behavior IDENTIFICATION -- bolstering self-esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with some person or group THREE BROAD CATEGORIES OF POSITIVE COPING STRATEGIES APPRAISAL-FOCUSED STRATEGIES - Detecting and disputing negative self-talk - Rational thinking - Using positive reinterpretation - Finding humor in the situation - Turning to religion PROBLEM-FOCUSED STRATEGIES - Active problem solving - Seeking social support - Enhancing time management - Improving self-control - Becoming more assertive EMOTION-FOCUSED STRATEGIES - Releasing pent-up emotions - Distracting oneself - Managing hostile feelings - Meditating - Using systematic relaxation procedures **GOODLUCK EVERYONE!! \