Lecture 3: Psychological Perspectives PDF

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF: Part I: The Self from Various Perspectives Lecture 3: Psychological Perspectives Psychology b. Pre-operational stage (2-7 years old) - ability to form and use...

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF: Part I: The Self from Various Perspectives Lecture 3: Psychological Perspectives Psychology b. Pre-operational stage (2-7 years old) - ability to form and use symbols (words, gestures, - is the scientific study of the mind and signs, images); the developing ability to think behavior. about objects is limited to one direction. Behavior c. Concrete operational stage (7-11 years old) - - observable actions and responses can think logically about concrete problems; - an intended action conservation, classification, and reversibility - automatic responses of thought. d. Formal operational stage (11 years and The Self in the Cognitive Construction above) – logical thinking process; ability to understand theories and abstract ideas. Cognitive Development 2. William James: Me-Self and I-Self - construction of thought processes such as problem solving, memory, attention, and Me-Self - refers to how a person describes decision-making from infancy through one’s experiences. adulthood. Components: - process by which humans acquire, organize, and learn to use knowledge. a. Material self – things or objects that belong to a person or anything that the person values. - development of knowledge and skills which allow children to think and understand the b. Social self – who the person is in a particular world around them. social situation; influenced by social environment such as social roles and relationships Psychological Perspectives c. Spiritual self – an intimate part of the self; 1. Jean Piaget – Stages of Development values, morals, and conscience; thoughts, feelings and experiences that define who a Piaget believed that children play an active role person is as a unique individual. in the learning process. They build on existing knowledge and accommodate new I-Self – an aspect of the self that recognizes information. who the person is; reflects the soul of a person. a. Sensorimotor stage (birth – 2 years old) – children learn through reflexes, senses, and movements; lacks logical thought process. 3. Carl Rogers: Self-Concept 5. Sigmund Freud: Levels of the Mind Self-concept: Levels of the mind: - refers to how a person thinks about, evaluates, and perceives themselves. a. Conscious – reality principle; contains all of - perception of one’s behavior, abilities, and one’s thoughts, memories, feelings, and wishes characteristics. of which we are aware at any given moment. - it begins to develop in early childhood and b. Subconscious / Preconscious - contains continues throughout the lifespan thoughts and feelings that a person is not Components: currently aware of but can easily be brought to consciousness. a. Self-image - is how a person sees him- or herself. It includes traits and physical c. Unconscious –the primary source of human characteristics. behavior; feelings, motives and decisions are influenced by our past experiences and stored b. Self-esteem - is the extent to how much in the unconscious. value you place on yourself. It involves a 6. Other Models of Self: degree of evaluation, and the person may have a positive or negative view of themselves. a. True vs False self – true self is represented by real feelings and desires while false self is described as an aspect of the self, wherein c. Ideal self - what the person aims to be for feelings and desires are pushed aside to adapt him- or herself; includes goals and ambitions. to society. 4. Albert Bandura: Self as Proactive and Agentic healthy false self – exhibiting good manners or behaviors even though the person does not feel The person is proactive and agentic which like doing so. means that he or she has the capacity to exercise control over one’s life. unhealthy false self – a product of forced compliance rather than the genuine desire to Components: adapt to society. a. Intentionality – actions done which involve awareness of one’s behavior; involves plans b. Real vs Ideal Self – the real self is an aspect and anticipates possible outcomes; ability to of self such as thoughts, feelings and behaviors make something intentionally. that represent who we truly are. The ideal self is what the person aims to be for him- or b. Forethought - anticipation of the herself; includes goals and ambitions. consequences of one’s actions. c. Unified vs Multiple selves – The multiple c. Self-reactiveness – making choices; self suggests that there are different aspects of choosing and regulating one’s actions. the self while a unified self makes sense of the different aspects of self. d. Self-reflectiveness – reflecting or evaluating one’s motivation and goals and adjusting if necessary.