The Self as a Cognitive Construct PDF

**THE SELF AS COGNITIVE CONSTRUCT** Self-awareness also presents us with at least three other self-schema: Actual self - who you are at the moment Ideal self - who you like to be Ought self - who you think you should be Social Comparison Theory - we learn about ourselves, the appropriateness of...

**THE SELF AS COGNITIVE CONSTRUCT** Self-awareness also presents us with at least three other self-schema: Actual self - who you are at the moment Ideal self - who you like to be Ought self - who you think you should be Social Comparison Theory - we learn about ourselves, the appropriateness of our behaviors, as well as our social status by comparing aspect of ourselves with other people. Downward social comparison - as the name implies, we create a positive self-concept by comparing ourselves with those who are worse than us. Upward social comparison - comparing ourselves with those who are better off than us. Self-evaluation maintenance theory - states that we can feel threatened when someone out-performs us, especially when that person is close to us. Narcissism - A trait characterized by overly high self-esteem, self-admiration, and self-centeredness **PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE** In cognitive psychology the self is understood as contextual, or ecological, intertwining cognitive capacities. Cognitive-Construction, also known as Constructivism, was pioneered by Jean Piaget. Constructivists purport that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through their experiences and their reflections upon these experiences. In psychology, the notion of the self refers to a person\'s experience as a single, unitary, autonomous being that is separate from others, experienced with continuity through time and place. **PROPONENTS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL INQUIRY** **William James** - Subjective 'I' & objective 'me' **Sigmund Freud** - Ego, Id, Super-ego (psycho-sexual dev.) **Carl Jung** - self and shadow **Melanie Klein** - Fragmented self **Erikson** - Self & identity in the life-cycle (psycho-social dev) **SELF, IDENTITY, AND THE ADOLESCENT** **ERIKSON'S "IDENTITY CRISIS"** Expanded by Marcia (1987) Four identity statuses (patterns) 1\. **Identity Diffusion**: The adolescent has not yet experienced an identity crisis or explored alternatives and is not committed to an identity. 2\. **Identity Foreclosure**: The adolescent has not experienced a crisis but had adopted an identity (occupation, ideology, etc.) that has been imposed by others (often the same-sex parent) 3\. **Identity Moratorium**: The adolescent experiences an identity crisis and actively explores alternative identities. During this period, an adolescent exhibits a high degree of confusion, discontent and rebelliousness. 4\. **Identity achievement**: Adolescents who have resolved the identity crisis by evaluating alternatives and committing to an identity are "identity achieved" *Resolution*: partially resolved by the shift from dependence to increasing independence. -- Strategies used in early childhood to achieve separation may return during this process -- e.g., negativism, or resisting any form of control, may reflect an adolescent\'s renewed efforts to assert their independence. -- There may also be rebelliousness and acting out **Parent factors associated with successful adolescent identity formation include:** -- A willingness to negotiate with their teenager. -- Providing the teenager with support and reassurance. -- Allowing the teenager to develop his own point of view. -- A family atmosphere that promotes individuation **DEVELOPMENT OF GENDER IDENTITY** Beware of confusing 'role' with 'identity', they may well be interrelated and interdependent but they aren't the same thing; Beware of using sex and sexuality as synonymous with gender; Beware of assuming that Trans sexuality is the same as transgendered identity. *FREUDIAN PERSPECTIVE* -Child becomes aware of own genitals, this awareness leads to erotic fantasies; -This in turn leads to identification with a suitable adult and the development of appropriate gender role *SOCIAL LEARNING* Main assumption -- adult awareness of the child's genitals leads to differential reinforcement -This leads adults to offer gender appropriate models which the child then internalizes. ***SOCIAL LEARNING THEORIES*** **DRIVE THEORY** (Clark Hull) Personality is form based on our interaction with other people. **OPERANT-LEARNING THEORY** (B.F. Skinner) Man's behavior is motivated by external forces. **COGNITIVE-SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY** (Albert Bandura) Behavioral patterns are learned through traditional learning (reinforcement) and observational learning (modeling) **SITUATION-INTERACTION THEORY** (Walker Mischel) The determinants of behavior are in the interaction of the person and the environment *COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT* Basic assumption: same as social learning in terms of adult perception of child's genitals as critical. Person other than the child labels child's gender and gives them a gender identity. This is followed by child acquiring appropriate gender role. **JEAN PIAGET FOUR STAGES OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT** **THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF SELF** Self divided into two parts: I: knows things, including oneself = Pure ego Me: what I know about myself = Empirical self THE EMPIRICAL SELF is divided into three parts The Material Self = All those things you would call yours The Social Self = Tied to those occasions when other people recognize us The Spiritual Self = A person's inner or subjective being (≠ Soul) **THE SELF IN WESTERN AND EASTERN THOUGHT** EASTERN THOUGHTS o Sees the other person as part of yourself as well as the things you may create, a drama in which everyone is interconnected with their specific roles o Asian culture is called a collectivistic culture as the group and social relations that is given more importance than individual needs and wants. WESTERN THOUGHTS o Looks at the world in dualities wherein you are distinct from the other person, the creator is separate from the object he created, in which the self is distinguished and acknowledged o The Western culture is what we would call an individualistic culture since their focus is on the person. CONFUCIANISM o A code of ethical conduct, of how one should properly act according to his/her relationship with other people o The identity and self-concept of the individual are interwoven with the identity and status of his/her community or culture, sharing its pride as well as its failures. o Self-cultivation is seen as the ultimate purpose of life. o The cultivated self in Confucianism is what some scholars call a "subdued self" wherein personal needs are repressed (subdued) for the good of many, making Confucian society also hierarchal for the purpose of maintaining order and balance in society. TAOISM o Living the way in the way of the Tao or the universe. o Rejects the eirarcy and strictness brought by Confucianism and would prefer a simple lifestyle and its teachings thus aim to describe how to attain that life. o The self is not just an extension of the family or the community; it is part of the universe, one of the forms and manifestations of the Tao. o The ideal self is selflessness but this is not forgetting about the self, it is living a balanced life with society and nature, being open and accepting to change, forgetting about prejudices and egocentric ideas. BUDDHISM o The self is seen as an illusion, born out of ignorance, of trying to hold and control things, or human-centered needs o The self is also the source of all these sufferings Western perspective does not discount the role of environment and society in the formation of the self but the focus is always looking toward the self. The western thought looks at the world in dualities wherein you are distinct from the other person, the creator is separate from the object he created. Several studies show that the evaluation of the self also differs as Americans would highlight their personal achievements while Asians would rather keep a low profile as promoting the self can be seen as boastfulness that disrupts social relationships.