The Psychological Self

• I Self

• Me Self

Two aspects of the self as theorized by William James

I Self

An aspect of the self that reflects what people see or perceive themselves doing in the physical world (e.g. recognizing that one is walking, eating, writing)

• I Self

• Me Self

Two aspects of the self as theorized by William James

I Self

An aspect of the self that reflects what people see or perceive themselves doing in the physical world (e.g. recognizing that one is walking, eating, writing)

Me Self

An aspect of the self that is more subjective and psychological phenomenon, referring to individuals’ reflections about themselves (e.g. characterizing oneself as athletic, smart, and cooperative)

Conscious

3 Levels of Awareness - this consists of what someone is aware of at any particular point in time; it includes what you are thinking about right now, whether it is in the front of your mind or the back

Preconscious

3 Levels of Awareness - this contains information that is just below the surface of awareness; it can be retrieved with relative ease and usually can be thought of as memory or recollection

Unconscious

3 Levels of Awareness - this contains thoughts, memories, and desires that are buried deep in ourselves, well below our conscious awareness; even though we are not aware of their existence, they exert great influence on our behavior

True Self

This has a sense of integrity, of connected wholeness that harks to the early stage

False Self

When the person has to comply with external rules, such as being polite or otherwise following social codes; it constantly seeks to anticipate demands of others in order to maintain the relationship

Healthy False Self

When the false self is functional both for the person and for society then it is considered healthy; it feels that it is still being true to the true self; it can be compliant but without feeling that it has betrayed its true self

Unhealthy False Self

A self that fits in but through a feeling of forced compliance rather than loving adaptation

Ideal Self Concept

This is the person who we would like to be; it consists of our goals and inhibitions in life, and is dynamic—i.e. forever changing

Real Self Concept

The knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions people have about themselves as they actually are; it is how we think, how we feel, look, and act; it can be seen by others, but because we have no way of truly knowing how others view us, the real self is our self-image

Unified self

It is the integration of the sub-selves into one, however integration is a task for the later part of life

Multiple self

It contains different modes of the self, “appear, one after another and side-by-side in the consciousness.”

Agentic Self

This self is defined as the aspect of human personality that is determined by future assessments of one’s goals, objectives, and actions; its functions are adversely affected by degenerating planning, selecting, and implementing the capabilities of an individual

Proactive Self

This self makes things happen, instead of waiting for them to happen to you; it is belief in the rich potential of changes that can be made to improve oneself and one’s environment; this includes various facets such as resourcefulness, responsibility, values, and vision