self concept

Self-Concept: views and beliefs about ourselves

• Who am I?

Factors from Self-Concept

1. Self schemas: beliefs about the current understanding of who you are (e.g., “I’m a hardworking student”)

2. Possible selves: the selves we want to become (or avoid) in the future (Self-Discrepancy Theory) (e.g., “I could be a neurosurgeon”)

Self-Discrepancy Theory: when our “actual” selves are discrepant from our “ideal” selves

• negative emotions reminds us to change something in our lives

• E.g., Negative emotions like frustration can arise if your actual self (where you are now) doesn’t match your ideal self (where you want to be). For example, if you dream of being a neurosurgeon (ideal self) but feel overwhelmed by pre-med studies (actual self), this mismatch may create stress, motivating you to study more or adjust your goals.

3 types of self:

• actual self (where you are now)

• ideal self (who you want to be)

• ought self (who you think you should be)

How do we form our self-concept?

Self-concept is formed by:

• Introspection (self-reflection) (e.g., realizing you could’ve studied harder after failing a test, which becomes part of your self-schema)

• Feedback from others, positive or negative (e.g., praising your creativity or criticizing your lack of cleanliness)

• Social comparison (someone that’s successful, on your level, or “beneath” you)