Components of the Self

UTS L1

Self

subject of experience, one who thinks, feels, perceive, and acts.

Philosophers ask

• Who am I really?

• Is the self permanent or changing?

• is the self physical, spiritual, or something else?

• can we know the self at all?

Self (2)

• how a person thinks about, perceives, and evaluate themselves.

• it’s the mental and emotional representation of who you are: your identity, traits, values, roles, and experiences.

Self in Sociology

self is shaped by social interactions and relationships.

it isn’t isolated—we form our identity through feedback from others.

Self in Biological

• it’s a function of the brain—especially the prefrontal cortex.

• includes self-recognition, self-awareness, and identity stored in neural networks.

• Brain damage or disorders (e.g., Alzheimer’s, dissociative identity disorder) can disrupt the sense of self.

Self in Society

• the self is shaped by culture and society.

• culture determines how people express identity, value themselves, and relate to others.

Postmodern View of the Self

• The self us fluid, multiple, and constantly changing.

• There is no “core” or stable identity.

• influenced by media, technology, social networks, and consumer culture.

• ” We perform different selves in different situations.” (E.g., your online self vs. your school self)

Developmental View of the Self

• The self evolves over time, especially through childhood and adolescence.

Self-Concept

• overall idea or perception about themselves.

• includes: beliefs, feelings, and thoughts about who they are, both as individuals and in relation to others. (Who am I?)

Academic Self-Concept

• A student who says, "I am good at Mathematics and can solve difficult problems," has a positive academic self-concept in Math.

• A student who says, "I'm not smart enough to do well in Science," has a negative academic self-concept in science.

Self-Esteem

Overall sense of self-worth or personal value—how much you like, accept, and respect yourself. (How do I feel about myself?)

Components of Self-Esteem

1. Self-confidence

2. Self-respect

3. Sense of worthiness

Self-confidence

• Believing in your abilities.

Self-respect

• Valuing yourself regardless of what others think.

Sense of worthiness

• Feeling you deserve love, success, and happiness.

Self-Efficacy

• person’s belief in their ability to successfully perform a specific task or handle a situation. (Can I do this?)

Ex:

“Even if this is hard, I can figure it out if I try.'‘(high)

“I’m just not good at this, so I’ll probably fail.” (low)

Main Sources of Self-Efficacy

1. Mastery experiences

2. Vicarious experiences

3. Verbal persuasion

4. Emotional state

Mastery experience

• succeeding at tasks build confidence.

Vicarious experiences

• Seeing others succeed shows you it’s possible

Verbal persuasion

• Encouragement from others.

Emotional state

• Feeling calm and focused helps, while anxiety can lower self-efficacy.

Self-identity

Formation of the self

1. Genetics and temperament (natural or inborn way of thinking, feeling, and behaving)

2. Socialization

3. Cultural Influences

4. Personal experiences