GEC007 – Understanding the Self- MIDTERM (1).pdf

GEC007 – Understanding the Self INSTRUCTOR: CHRISTANIEL IVAN C. FRIAS, RPM  st Topics expected to be covered for 1 semester Midterm: (5 weeks) Chapter 2 Unpacking the Self Material Self Physical, social, cognitive development of the self Political Self Spir...

GEC007 – Understanding the Self INSTRUCTOR: CHRISTANIEL IVAN C. FRIAS, RPM  st Topics expected to be covered for 1 semester Midterm: (5 weeks) Chapter 2 Unpacking the Self Material Self Physical, social, cognitive development of the self Political Self Spiritual Self Digital Self Introduction Living in a world where both material and immaterial self is represented Physical Reality vs. Virtual Reality Society shapes us in many ways, possibly more than we realize it. This involves: How we perceive our bodies physically How we feel about our physical appearance How we think and talk to ourselves and our bodies Our sense of how the other people view our bodies. Introduction A positive view of “self” involves understanding that healthy, attractive bodies come in many shapes and sizes, and that physical appearance says very little about our character or value as a person. Overview Objective: You will be able to unpack your self in various aspects Learning Outcomes: Discuss the different representations and conceptualizations of the self from various disciplinal perspectives; Compare and contrast how the self has been represented across different disciplines and perspectives Examine the different influences, factors, and forces that shape the self; Demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing the development of one’s self and identity by developing a theory of the self. Physical Self UNPACKING THE SELF - ONE Beauty (Gonzales?) Do you believe in the old adage “beauty is in the eye of the beholder?” Why or why not? How important is “physical beauty” for you? Beauty What is beauty? How beauty is appreciated varies through time, culture, and the various perceptions about the world. - It can be defined in many ways but you can simply define it as happiness. Every person is unique. We have different sizes, shapes, colors, heritage, and roles. No culture, company, or concept could ever truly define beauty. “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart” – Helen Keller Beauty – from the philosophers’ perspective Beauty, traditionally, was among the ultimate values along with goodness, truth, and justice. Two most-debated views are: 1. Beauty is objective 2. Beauty is subjective  Beauty – from the philosophers’ perspective Before the 18th century, most Western philosophical views on beauty treated it as an objective quality. For example: 1. St. Augustine asked whether things were beautiful because it gave delight, or whether it gave delight because it was beautiful. He believed it to be in the latter. 2. Plato connected beauty as a response to love and desire. He asserted that beauty exists in the realm of Forms, and that objects are found beautiful because they are a reflection of the idea of beauty that already exists in the realm of forms. 3. Aristotle asserted that the chief forms of beauty are order, symmetry, and definitiveness that can be demonstrated by mathematical sciences.  Beauty – from the philosophers’ perspective By the 18th century, however, beauty was associated with pleasure as a personal preference. Some philosophers who hold this view are: 1. David Hume – “Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the mind which contemplates them. And each mind perceives a different beauty. One person may perceive deformity, where another is sensible of beauty; and every individual ought to acquiesce in his own sentiment, without pretending to regulate those of others” 2. Immanuel Kant – “The judgment of taste is therefore not a judgment of cognition, and is consequently not logical but aesthetical, by which we understand that whose determining ground can be no other than subjective” 3. Francis Hutcheson – “The perception of beauty does depend on the external senses of sight; however, the internal sense of beauty operates as an internal or reflex sense. The same is the case of hearing: hearing music does not necessarily give the perception of harmony as it is distinct from the hearing”  TRIVIA The term for a makeup artist in Egyptian hieroglyphic is derived from the root “sesh” which means, “to write, to engrave” Makeup application was taken pretty seriously back then: the same accuracy was needed to paint lips as etching symbols into a rock. Beauty – from the psychology’s perspective Research shows that a person who is perceived as attractive makes more money than a person of below-average looks. In politics, voters ho are not actively engaged in social and political issues choose candidates based on “looks” 90% of the time. These studies can be contributed to a cognitive bias called “halo effect”. Cognitive bias – is an error in reasoning, evaluating, remembering, or any other mental process that often a result of holding on to one’s preferences and beliefs regardless of contrary information. Halo effect – (also known as the physical attractiveness stereotype and the “what is beautiful is good” principle) refers to the tendency of people to rate attractive individuals more favorably for their personality traits or characteristics as compared to those who are less attractive. Beauty – from the psychology’s perspective Evolutionary Psychology – from this perspective, it was found out that faces hold certain fundamental and important characteristics that could indicate a person’s quality as a romantic partner and as a mate. Structural qualities are also sex-typical. Example In the eyes of female experimental participants, an attractive man is generally one with relatively prominent cheekbones and eyebrow ridges and a relatively long lower face. Structural qualities are also sex-typical. Example Male raters generally found women to be attractive with prominent cheekbones, large eyes, small nose, a taller forehead, smooth skin, and an overall or even childlike appearance Beauty – from the psychology’s perspective Hormones involved in the facial structure for both sexes: Estrogen – Female hormone Testosterone – Male hormone The sex-typical facial features of men and women are the result of the testosterone to estrogen ratio or estrogen to testosterone, respectively, acting on the individual during development. How cultural traditions shape body image? Culture has a significant impact on how a person feels about him/herself, as well as his or her body image. Body image – is defined as how one thinks or feels towards one’s body. When culture is experienced as a personally meaningful activity, it is difficult for a person to resist the conscious and unconscious ways that culture influences a person’s life. Ex. Ideal standards of body sizes: American white women – Thinness(PH is influenced) Digitally retouched photos are the norm. The Relationship between Body Image and Self-esteem Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale 3 2 1 0 The Relationship between Body Image and Self-esteem Let’s check! Items 2, 5, 6, 8, 9 are reverse scored. Add the total score of 10 items. Score ranges from 0-30. Scores between 15 and 25 are within normal range; scores below 15 suggest low self-esteem. The Relationship between Body Image and Self-esteem William James – coined the term Self-esteem in 1800s Self-esteem – defined in terms of an attitude concerning one’s worth as a person – It is about how you value yourself and how you feel others value you. – It affects your mental health and behavior. – If you have a positive body Image, you probably like to accept yourself the way you are, even if you do not fit the popular notion of “beautiful” or “handsome” How important is physical beauty? “Don’t judge the book by its cover” Your subconscious mind makes you still judge people despite of the known saying above already ingrained in your head. Physical beauty is extremely important. Dictionary’s definition of beauty is “the degree to which a person’s physical traits are considered pleasing or beautiful” But the dictionary definition did not indicate “who” determines what type of physical traits is attractive or unattractive. Good news is that physical beauty standards differ from one person to another How important is physical beauty? Self-image problem happens when your looks do not match your beauty standards. The problem usually points directly to your own beauty standards. One way to have a positive body image and a high self esteem is correcting your false beliefs about physical attractiveness. Material Self UNPACKING THE SELF - ONE  Material Self (Objectives) At the end of the topic, you will be able to: a. explain the meaning of materialist concepts; b. determined the causes of materialism; c. identify the impact of materialism and consumerism on the “self”. Materialism -Claims that everything is matter in the world, with no real spiritual or intellectual nature. -Materialism, too, may refer to a philosophy that the highest ideals of life are material achievement and development. -At its simplest point, materialism means focusing on material "things," as opposed to what is of a spiritual or intellectual nature. Materialism The questions that this mentality would lead us to ask are: ▪Is material stuff really more important than anything else? ▪Is material achievement the highest goal? ▪When all stuff are gone, what is life all about? ▪Why am I here at all? Impact of Materialism and Consumerism on the “Self”(A Psychologist Explains Why Materialism is Making You Unhappy) Materialism is linked to social media use, too: One American and Arab youth research finds that materialism is higher as the use of social media increases... That makes sense, as most social media posts do contain ads, which is how the social media companies make a profit. Impact of Materialism and Consumerism on the “Self”(A Psychologist Explains Why Materialism is Making You Unhappy) Many psychologists think that materialists are unhappy because these people neglect their real psychological needs: Materialistic values are associated with living one's life in ways which do a relatively poor job of fulfilling psychological needs in order to feel safe, competent and related to others. When people are not well satisfied with their needs, they report lower levels of well-being and happiness, and more distress.