Self and Identity: Psychological Perspectives

Freud's Structural Model of the Mind

  • Id (Unconscious mind) – "Makahayop"; the first part of the self to develop; seat of all our desires and wants; the pleasure principle; instant gratification is the name of the game; the little devil on everyone’s shoulder.
  • Ego (Conscious mind) – "Makatao"; part of us that functions; the reality principle; regulates how many of the id’s urges will be expressed; discerns what is right or wrong based on context.
  • Superego (Conscience) – "Maka-Diyos"; voice of God; strives for perfection; acts as a judge/referee/decision-maker when ID and EGO are in conflict; stops the ID from doing something wrong; main concern is to decide and act in accordance with morally and socially acceptable standards. (Ariola, 2009)

The Division of the Mind

  • Conscious – reality principle; everything we are aware of.
  • Unconscious – pleasure principle; contains basic instinctual drives including sexuality, aggressiveness, self-destruction, traumatic memories, unfulfilled wishes, and childhood fantasies.
  • Preconscious – is what we could be aware of, capable of entering consciousness.

Self as a Cognitive Construction (William James)

  • I – the self-knower, pure ego, consciousness.
  • Me – the self as known, one of the many things that I may be conscious of.

Components of the “ME”

  • Material self – things that belong to us or that we belong: family, clothes, our body, money.
  • Social self – who we are in each social institution; people change how they act depending on the social situation; people can have as many social selves as possible.
  • Spiritual self – who we are at our core; more concrete and permanent; our subjective and most intimate self; includes personality, core values, and conscience that do not typically change.
  • Global Self-esteem – personality variable representing the way people generally feel about themselves; a decision people make about their worth as a person.

Self-Esteem Variants

  • State self-esteem – temporary feelings or momentary emotional reactions to positive/negative events; how we feel about ourselves in certain situations.
  • Domain-specific self-esteem – evaluation of our abilities and attributes in specific domains; differentiating how good or bad we are in particular attributes, abilities, and personal characteristics.

Multiple and Unified Selves

  • Multiple Selves (K. Gergen) – capacities carried within us from multiple relationships; not discovered but created in relationships with others.
  • Unified Selves – well-being occurs when personality dynamics are congruent, cohesive, and consistent; a person is connected with selfhood and identity.

Winnicott: True Self and False Self

  • True Self – sense of integrity and connected wholeness.
  • False Self – used when a person must comply with external rules (e.g., politeness, social codes); anticipates demands of others to maintain the relationship; can lead to narcissistic personality when one identifies with external factors at the cost of autonomous creativity. (Heinz Kohut, 1971)
  • Healthy False Self – functional; can be compliant but without betraying the true self.
  • Unhealthy False Self – feeling of forced compliance rather than loving adaptation.

Karen Horney

  • Idealized self-image – an imaginary picture of the self as the possessor of unlimited powers and superlative qualities.
  • Actual self – the person as they are in everyday life.
  • Real self – revealed when a person sheds various techniques developed to deal with basic anxiety and to resolve conflicts; a force that impels growth and self-realization.

Carl Rogers

  • Real Self – includes all aspects of one’s being and experiences perceived in awareness by the individual; part of ourselves where we feel, think, look, and act—our self-image; the way that I am.
  • Ideal Self – revolves around goals and ambitions in life; dynamic; the idealized image developed over time; influenced by parents, admiration for others, societal promotion of what is in our best interest; the way that I want to be.

Self as Proactive and Agentic

  • Agent Self – the executive function that allows for actions; resides over decision making, self-control, taking charge in situations, and actively responding.

Self-Efficacy

  • Definition – the measure of one’s ability to complete goals.
  • High self-efficacy – individuals are eager to accept challenges because they believe they can overcome them.
  • Low self-efficacy – individuals may avoid challenges or view experiences as more challenging than they are.

The Self in Western and Eastern Thought

  • Confucianism – seen as a code of ethical conduct; how one should act according to relationships with others; focused on harmonious social life; identity and self-concept intertwined with community/culture and its status.
    • Self-cultivation is the ultimate purpose of life; the cultivated self is a “subdued self” where personal needs are repressed for the good of many; societies are hierarchical to maintain order and balance.
  • Taoism – living in the Way (Tao) of the universe; self is part of the universe, not merely an extension of family or community; ideal self is selflessness, but not forgetting the self; live a balanced life with society and nature; be open to change; forget prejudices and egocentric ideas; practice equality and complementarity; act spontaneously in harmony with everything.
  • Buddhism – Anatta – no self; no permanent concept of the self; self is illusion born from ignorance, attachment to self, and human-centered needs; the quest is to forget the self, break attachments, renounce the self, and attain Nirvana (spiritual enlightenment).
  • The Eightfold Path to Nirvana (freedom from attachment):
    1) Right view – cognitive aspect of Wisdom
    2) Right intention – volitional aspect of Wisdom
    3) Right speech
    4) Right action
    5) Right livelihood
    6) Right effort
    7) Right mindfulness – ability to see things as they are, with clear consciousness
    8) Right concentration – through meditation
    (Eight paths total = 88)

Western vs Eastern Perspectives Summary

  • Western Perspectives – environment and society matter in the formation of the self, but the focus is on the self; comparison to others for self-esteem; pride in individual advancement; distinct from the other; creator is separate from the created.
  • Eastern/Oriental Perspectives – view the other as part of yourself; interconnectedness and roles; collectivist orientation; low profile to avoid boasting; harmony, interdependence, and social roles emphasized; group welfare and cooperation valued; compromise and indirect communication; hierarchy to maintain order; respect for seniors; higher willingness to maintain harmony than to challenge authority.

Features of Individualism vs Collectivism

  • Features of Individualism
      • There is an "I" identity; promotes individual goals, initiative, and achievement.
    • Individual rights are central; emphasis on self-importance and personal autonomy.
    • Independence is valued; less emphasis on helping others; reliance on self; success pursued individually.
  • Features of Collectivism
    • Each person is encouraged to be an active participant in society; prioritize what is best for the group.
    • Rights of families, communities, and the collective supersede individual rights.
    • Emphasis on unity, brotherhood, and selflessness; cooperation is the norm; welfare of the group over the individual.

Assessment Task (Assessment 39)

  • Window exercise: Four quadrants to categorize self-knowledge:
    • Known to you and known to others
    • Known to you but not known to others
    • Not known to you but known to others
    • Not known to you and not known to others
  • Worth 10 points

References and Notes

  • Some concepts have attributions in the transcript, e.g., (Ariola, 2009) for Superego functions and (Kohut, 1971) in relation to narcissistic tendencies arising from false self dynamics.
  • The content mirrors foundational psychoanalytic and humanistic theories, and it integrates Western and Eastern worldview perspectives on self and identity.
  • Numerical references: the Eightfold Path comprises 88 elements.

Connections to Practical/Application Points

  • Understanding internal conflicts (Id, Ego, Superego) helps explain everyday moral decisions and behavior regulation.
  • Self-concept components (material, social, spiritual) inform approaches to counseling, education, and personal development.
  • Self-efficacy and agentic self relate to motivation, goal setting, and resilience training.
  • Cultural perspectives (Western vs Eastern) aid in cross-cultural communication, leadership, and teamwork, highlighting how values shape identity and behavior.
  • Assessment task mirrors reflective practice: identifying known/unknown facets of self enhances self-awareness and interpersonal understanding.