LESSON 1

Three important aspects of self-understanding

SELF–CONCEPT: picture or concept of ourselves

According to the book Essential Social Psychology by Richard Crisp and

Rhiannon Turner:

• Individual self consists of attributes and personality traits that differentiate us from other individuals.

• Relational self is defined by our relationships with significant others.

• Collective self reflects our membership in social groups.

1.      SELF–ESTEEM: feeling we have about ourselves.

·        High self-esteem: we have a positive view of ourselves.

·        Low self-esteem: we have a negative view of ourselves.

Michael Argyle (2008) says there are four major factors that influence self-esteem:

• Reaction of Others

• Comparison with Others

• Social roles

• Identification

2.      SELF–IDEAL: the way we would like to be.

Incongruence: A person's ideal self may not be consistent with what happens in life and experiences of the person.

Congruence: Where a person's ideal self and actual experience are consistent or very similar.

Descriptions of Personality Traits

Openness The tendency to appreciate new art, ideas, values, feelings, and behaviors.

Conscientiousness The tendency to be careful, on-time for appointments, to follow rules, and to be hard working.

Extraversion The tendency to be talkative, sociable, and to enjoy others; the tendency to have a dominant style.

Agreeableness The tendency to agree and go along with others rather than to assert one owns opinions and choices.

Neurotism The tendency to be frequently experience negative emotions such as anger, worry, and sadness, as well as being itnerpersonally sensitive.