The Self

Development of Self-Awareness (“I”)

• cognitive/behavioral (18-24 mo)

mirror self-recognition

limitation & role-taking

Development of Self-Awareness (“I”)

• linguistic (12-24 mo)

use of “I,” “me,” and “mine”

Development of Self-Awareness (“I”)

• emotional (2-3 yrs)

self-conscious emotions: pride, shame, guilt, embarrassment

require ability to evaluate the self (“I evaluates the me”)

three types of self-knowledge

declarative, procedural, and narrative

declarative

what we can state about ourselves

• self concept (the “me”): beliefs/ideas about who you are

  • built from self-observation + others’ feedback

  • context-dependent; coherence = psychological benefit

• possible selves: ideal (want to be) & ought (should be)

  • self-discrepancy theory: gaps →

    • positive: motivation, self-regulation

    • negative: depression, anxiety

• self-esteem: feelings of self-worth

  • high SE → happiness, relationships, career success

  • distinct from narcissism

procedural

automatic, behavioral expressions of self

• “the way you do things”

• not conscious; hard to verbalize

narrative

the story you tell about your life

• construction of past +imagined future

• provides meaning & identity

animals and self-awareness

have self-recognition: chimps, elephants, dolphins

generally do not: cats, dogs