Psychology of Self – Comprehensive Study Notes

Psychological lenses illuminate how internal (cognition, emotion) & external (social, cultural) variables shape self-concept.
Enable holistic insight into motivation, identity formation, coping, ethics, and personal growth.

Two–part theory of self-experience.
- I-Self ("pure ego")
- The knower/thinker; the subject.
- Reflects mind or soul; continuous stream of consciousness.
- Knows “who I am” & “what I have done.”
- Me-Self (empirical self)
- The known object; contents of experience.
- Sub-categories: material, social, spiritual selves.
- Houses perceptions of body, possessions, roles, traits, talents, opinions.
Components of the Me-Self
- Material Self – body & owned objects (e.g., computer, cellphone, clothes, $ATM$ card).
- Social Self – identities in relationships (e.g., friend, sibling, employee, “kaaway”).
- Spiritual Self – inner states grasped by introspection (values, beliefs, morals, motives, abilities).
Significance
- Distinguishes active agent (“I”) from aggregate attributes (“Me”).
- Foreshadows later splits such as real vs. ideal self.

Self-Concept = flexible, evolving image of “who I am” (appearance + traits); can be positive or negative.
Real Self
- Awareness of actual capacities & present identity.
Ideal Self
- Image of what one “should” or aspires to be.
Congruence
- Closeness between real & ideal selves → fulfillment, happiness.
Incongruence
- Large gap → anxiety, dissatisfaction.
Emphasizes unconditional positive regard & empathic understanding for growth.

Pediatrician/psychoanalyst within object-relations tradition.
True Self
- Authentic feelings, spontaneous desires.
False Self
- Defensive façade adopted to protect the True Self & meet external demands.
- Common in adolescence to impress (e.g., dating persona).
Healthy development = environment that mirrors & tolerates True Self expressions.

Views humans as proactive agents rather than reactive organisms.
Agency comprises systems allowing personal influence instead of a discrete entity.
Four core features:
1. Intentionality – deliberate planning of actions.
2. Forethought – anticipation of consequences; future-oriented regulation.
3. Self-Reactiveness – choice, motivation, and self-regulation of behavior.
4. Self-Reflectiveness – metacognitive appraisal of thoughts & acts.
Self-Examination
- People monitor & judge their functioning (“believing you can”).
Self-Efficacy
- Belief in one’s capability to perform tasks; drives optimistic vs. pessimistic styles.
Self-Regulation
- Ability to control behavior without outside help.
Practical Impact: guides interventions in education, therapy, health behavior.

Archetypes = universal, inherited templates emerging from the collective unconscious.
Four primary archetypes relevant to self-construction:
- Persona – social “mask” for public presentation; adaptive yet potentially alienating from authentic self.
- Shadow – repressed, socially unacceptable aspects; the “dark side.”
- Anima / Animus – contra-sex traits within psyche (feminine side of men, masculine side of women).
- Masculine traits: autonomy, aggression, separateness.
- Feminine traits: nurturance, relatedness, empathy.
- Self – central archetype integrating conscious & unconscious; symbol of wholeness.
Individuation = lifelong process of integrating archetypes, especially confronting the Shadow.

Human nature = deterministic; behavior driven by unconscious forces (hedonistic/Epicurean).
Topographical Model of Mind
- Conscious – current awareness.
- Preconscious – retrievable memories.
- Unconscious – repressed wishes, drives influencing behavior.
Structural Model of Personality
- ID – innate drives; pleasure principle.
- EGO – mediator; reality principle.
- SUPER-EGO – internalized morals; ideal standards.
Psychosexual Stages
1. Oral Stage ( $0$ to $1$ yr) – mouth pleasure; fixation → overeating, smoking, sarcasm.
2. Anal Stage ( $1$ – $3$ yrs) – anus & control; fixation → anal-retentive (orderly) or anal-expulsive (messy).
3. Phallic Stage ( $3$ – $6$ yrs) – genitals; Oedipus/Electra conflicts; fixation → later sexual deviance.
4. Latency Stage ( $6$ yrs–puberty) – libido sublimated into skills, same-sex friendships.
5. Genital Stage (puberty–adult) – mature heterosexual intimacy; unsuccessful navigation → sexual difficulties.
Emphasizes early childhood as blueprint for adult personality.

Extended Freud by emphasizing social & lifespan factors; coined Ego Identity (sense of continuity & uniqueness).
Eight stages with virtues & risks:
1. Trust vs. Mistrust (Hope) – $0$ – $1.5$ yrs; reliable care → trust.
2. Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt (Will) – $1$ – $3$ yrs; encouraged exploration → autonomy.
3. Initiative vs. Guilt (Purpose) – $3$ – $6$ yrs; supported independence → initiative.
4. Industry vs. Inferiority (Competence) – $6$ – $12$ yrs; positive peer/school feedback → industry.
5. Identity vs. Role Confusion (Fidelity) – adolescence; coherent self-image vs. confusion.
6. Intimacy vs. Isolation (Love) – early adulthood; committed relationships vs. loneliness.
7. Generativity vs. Stagnation (Care) – middle adulthood; contribution to society vs. self-absorption.
8. Ego Integrity vs. Despair (Wisdom) – late adulthood; life acceptance vs. regret.
Each stage builds on resolution of previous crises; failure may be revisited later.

James’s “I” parallels Bandura’s agentic functions (intentionality, self-reflectiveness).
Rogers’s congruence resembles Winnicott’s True Self expression & Jungian individuation.
Freud’s structural conflicts echo Rogers’s real-ideal gaps and Bandura’s self-regulation challenge.
Erikson provides lifespan-wide checkpoints where congruence/integration may falter or succeed.
Applied fields: therapy (client-centered techniques, shadow work), education (self-efficacy building), organizational behavior (authentic leadership vs. false self), cultural studies (persona & role expectations), ethics (super-ego vs. moral agency).