Physical Self

Understanding the Physical Self

  • The physical self represents the body, comprising:

    • Basic parts: head, neck, chest, arms, legs

    • Organs: brain, heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, bones, muscles

  • These organs collaborate to fulfill essential functions: breathing, walking, dancing.

  • The body’s functional efficiency changes across the lifespan:

    • Least efficient during infancy and old age.

    • Peaks in early adulthood (ages 20-30) and gradually declines into middle age.

Stages of Life Span (Hurlock)

  1. Prenatal: fertilization to birth

  2. Infancy: birth to 2 weeks

  3. Babyhood: 2 weeks to 2 years

  4. Early Childhood: 2 to 6 years

  5. Late Childhood: 6 to 10 or 12 years

  6. Puberty: 10 or 12 to 14 years

  7. Adolescence: 14 to 18 years

  8. Early Adulthood: 18 to 40 years

  9. Middle Adulthood: 40 to 60 years

  10. Late Adulthood: 60 years to death

Factors Affecting Physical Growth and Development

  • Derived from two primary influences: heredity and environment.

    • Heredity: Biological transmission of traits from parents to children.

    • Environment: Influences from external factors encountered from conception to death, including learning and personal experiences.

Role of Environmental Factors

  • Key environmental influences on physical development:

    • Diet and nutrition

    • Diseases

  • The sex and traits of the child are determined by chromosomes and genes during fertilization:

    • Chromosomes: Threadlike structures that carry genes, usually in pairs—23 pairs total.

    • 22 pairs are autosomes (trait chromosomes), 1 pair is gonosome (sex chromosomes).

  • The sex of offspring is determined by the combination of sex chromosomes from parents.

  • Genes: Basic carriers of genetic information, classified into:

    • Dominant (strong)

    • Recessive (weak)

Body Image

  • Definition: Body image reflects how individuals perceive, think, and feel about their physical appearance.

  • Factors influencing body image:

    • Observable traits: height, weight, skin color, clothing, hairstyle.

    • Body image aligns with self-esteem, a personal appraisal of worth.

    • Body image concerns are prevalent among adolescents and differ by gender:

    • Younger women and girls often report poor body image.

Causes of Poor Body Image

  • Various elements contribute to poor body image:

    • Parental emphasis on thin ideals drives body dissatisfaction in girls.

    • Bullying and peer pressure correlate with increased dissatisfaction.

    • Media portrayals (TV, ads, music, films) promote unattainable beauty standards, amplifying concerns about physical attractiveness.

    • Pursuit of physical attractiveness may lead to significant financial expenditure to attain unrealistic standards.