I.

Course Title: The Psychological Perspective of the Self

A. Learning Objectives

At the end of the chapter, the students are expected to:

1. Identify the psychological theories that influence the way people understand the self.
2. Gain insights on how to apply the psychological concepts of self in one’s life to
develop self-awareness and self-understanding.

B. Lecture Outline

The development of self-understanding particularly in adolescence involves a number of

theories about the Self, Identity, and Personality. Theories about the self give way for the
identification of which characteristics are related to each other.

I. William James

 Analysis of consciousness vs. importance/function of consciousness to everyday life

 How mind allows people to function in the real world
 Focus on adaptation, living, working, playing – functioning in the real world

William James proposed a countering point of view called functionalism that stressed the way
the mind allows us to adapt.

II. Carl Rogers

Real/ True Self vs. Ideal Self

 Real/ True self: One of the components of self-concept which consists of all the ideas,
including the awareness of what is and what one can do.
 Ideal self: Another component of self-concept which pertains to the person's conception of
what one should be or what one aspires to be which includes one's goals and ambitions in
life.

Humanistic view of the self

 Humanistic view: Focuses on traits that make people uniquely human Reaction against
negativity of psychoanalysis and behavioral determinism. Carl Rogers proposed that self-
actualization depends on proper development of the self-concept.

Self-Concept
 The self-concept is based on what people are told by others and how the sense of self is
reflected in the words and actions of important people in one’s life, such as parents, siblings,
coworkers, friends, and teachers.
 According to Rogers, the self-concept includes the real self and the ideal self. The real self is
a person’s actual perception of traits and abilities, whereas the ideal self is the perception of
what a person would like to be or thinks he or she should be. When the ideal self and the real
self are very similar (matching), the person experiences harmony and contentment. When
there is a mismatch between the two selves, the person experiences anxiety and may engage
in neurotic behavior.
 In Roger’s view, the closer the ideal self to the real/true self, the more fulfilled and happy
the individual becomes. When the ideal self is far from the real/true self, the person becomes
unhappy and dissatisfied
 Positive regard is warmth, affection, love, and respect that come from significant others in
one’s life.
 Unconditional positive regard from important others in a person’s life helps the formation of
the self-concept and the congruity of the real and ideal selves, leading to a fully functioning
person.

III. Carl Jung

 Central to Carl Jung’s theory of the self is the concept of archetype. These are the universal
models after which roles are patterned.
 Represents the hidden potentialities of the psyche or total personality.
 Reside in the personal unconscious (forgotten experiences) that is common to all human
beings, known as the collective unconscious.

The Archetypes
 The Self is the central archetype that unites all parts of the psyche.
 The Ego is the individual's conscious perception of the Self.
IV. Sigmund Freud

 According to Sigmund Freud, the Mind is composed of Three Components through which
Self and Personality is formed: The id, ego, and superego, which are often in conflict with
each other.

 Freud uses the term “ego strength” to refer to the ego’s ability to resolve the conflict
between the three components. If this constant state of conflict is unresolved, personality
problems may arise.

 The three divisions of the mind are the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious. The
unconscious can be revealed in dreams and Freudian slips of the tongue. The three parts of
the personality are the id, ego, and superego. The id works on the pleasure principle and the
ego works on the reality principle. The superego is the moral center of personality,
containing the conscience, and is the source of moral anxiety.

 The iceberg represents the three levels of the mind. The part of the iceberg visible above the
surface is the conscious mind. Just below the surface is the preconscious mind, everything
that is not yet part of the conscious mind. Hidden deep below the surface is the unconscious
mind, feelings, memories, thoughts, and urges that cannot be easily brought into
consciousness. While two of the three parts of the personality (ego and superego) exist at all
three levels of awareness, the id is completely in the unconscious mind.

 The Psychosexual Stages of Development

F
rued
emp
hasis
on
the
role
sexu
ality
has
brought the idea of erogenous zone, which refers to the sensitive part of the body able to
experience strong pleasurable sensation quality such as the mouth, anus, and the reproductive
organ. The pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain is central in the theory of psychoanalysis. In
the pursuit of pleasure, one may experience fixation at a certain point, which could be interpreted
as the unresolved conflict in the particular psychosexual stage either it be overgratification or
undergratification.

 Psychological defense mechanisms are unconscious distortions of a person’s perception of

reality that reduce stress and anxiety. The conflicts between the demands of the id and the
 rules and restrictions of the superego lead to anxiety for the ego, which uses defense
mechanisms to deal with that anxiety.

V. Erik Erikson

 Psychosocial Theory of Development

It is good to begin by asking the question what is identity? And how it is going to develop
during adolescence. Erikson used the term “ego identity” to describe the condition of
experiencing loss of (Alampay, 2018) sameness and continuity in their lives. Therefore, the loss
of ego identity is central to the study of psychosocial theory. For an individual Identity is partly
conscious and unconscious. It give one’s life a feeling of sameness and continuity, and also a
quality of unselfconscious living (Kroger, 1996). For Erikson(1970) identity depends upon the
past, and determines the future; rooted in childhood. Erikson uses the term epigenesis to describe
the property of identity development. It means etymological, “epi” which means upon or
emergence, and genesis means the beginning(Evans, 1967). In other words, adolescence
development occurs as a continuation on the event that happen during childhood.

 Psychosocial Stages of Development

1. Trust vs. Mistrust

This is the onset that set the stage for all that is to come in the development of ego
identity. It is the stage of infancy in which the developmental crisis of trust is met. A
rudimentary sense of ego identity spurts through interaction between the care-giver and the
infant. The infant in this relation gain a sense of inner continuity, sameness, and trust in the
developmental partner. The quality of the care-taker messages give the infant the sense that it is
all right to be, to be oneself, and to become what other people trust one will become (Erikson,
1963:249). It is somewhere in the middle of these extremes of trust and mistrust, the infant has
gained a certain degree of adaptive balance, neither complete mistrust, nor complete trust, which
has become beneficial. In this adaptive balance the infant is swayed on the side of a trusting
relationship leading to the formation of virtuous hope. It is through this dynamic balance that a
sense of “I” as one who can hope, emerges to serve as the very rudimentary foundation for
identity in adolescence(Krogger, 1996)

2. Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt/Will

In this stage, autonomy is characterized by child increasing awareness of self through the
control of bodily functions and expression of other motor and linguistic skills. Holding off and
letting go of bodily urges and impulses have given a child an opportunity to exercise this
autonomy. In such occasion of toilet training, a toddler could have experience the virtuous of
WILL. In situation in which a child has developed a trusting relationship, he can invest on this
trust to risk doing difficult task in the exercise of his will. Thus, the recognition of a child’s
success may built confidence of the child’s developing sense of “I”.

3. Initiative vs. Guilt/Purpose

This stage is known as the play stage of mastering the ability to imagine certain sex roles.
The seed of initiative happens by translating thoughts to actions. Once autonomy has been
achieved, it would lead to the exercise of autonomy. Issues such as what one should become, and
what sex role to play becomes critical questions. When initiative grows the sense of purpose
becomes clearer. It is initiative that sets direction to the attainment of one’s goal and ambition,
which will later pave the way to adult life. On the opposite end, it can be that guilt instead of
purpose may exist through negative social interaction, criticism, and sanctions.

4. Industry vs. Inferiority/Competence

This stage is known as the primary school years. Industry can be described as
apprenticeship to life(Krogger, 1996). As a result of industry competence and achievement may
be the end result. Social reinforcement and recognition can foster industry than inferiority. It is
crucial in this stage of industry the positive identification to those who things and how to do
things(Erikson, 1968). Thus, teachers, parents, and other important identificationfigures play a
very important role in fostering identity or inferiority.

5. Identity vs. Role Confusion

 Identity formation is central to this stage. Likewise, fidelity is virtuous necessary for the
essence of identity. To become faithful and committed to some ideological world view, to find
meaning to a cause, clarifying values. It is ultimately to affirm and be reaffirmed by a social
order that identity aspires. He must be able to prove his own worth, and achieve a satisfying
achievement through social response and recognition by those person who he has identified
himself.

6. Intimacy vs. Isolation

For Erikson, intimacy is the ability to fuse your identity with somebody else without fear
that you are going to lose yourself(Erikson as cited by Evans, 1967). Intimacy involves the
desire to commit oneself to a relationship, even if such commitment may call for personal
sacrifice, and compromise. Intimacy involves communion, and can occur in a variety of forms-
in same and opposite sex friendships, in love and in sexual onion, and even in relationship with
oneself, or with one’s life commitment (Evans, 1967). Isolation is the opposite event, one may
isolate himself in any forms of interpersonal relationship.

7. Generativity vs. Stagantion

This stage takes place during during middle adulthood (ages 40 to 65 yrs).
Psychologically, generativity refers to "making your mark" on the world through creating or
nurturing things that will outlast an individual. During middle age individuals experience a need
to create or nurture things that will outlast them, often having mentees or creating positive
changes that will benefit other people.

8. Integrity vs. Despair

This stage begins at approximately age 65 and ends at death. It is during this time that we
contemplate our accomplishments and can develop integrity if we see ourselves as leading a
successful life. Individuals who reflect on their life and regret not achieving their goals will
experience feelings of bitterness and despair. Erikson described ego integrity as “the acceptance
of one’s one and only life cycle as something that had to be” (1950, p. 268) and later as “a sense
of coherence and wholeness” (1982, p. 65). As we grow older (65+ yrs) our productivity slows
down and we tend to explore life as a retired person. Erik Erikson believed if we see our lives as
unproductive, feel guilt about our past, or feel that we did not accomplish our life goals, we
become dissatisfied with life and develop despair, often leading to depression and hopelessness.
On the other hand, success in this stage will lead to the virtue of wisdom. Wisdom enables a
person to look back on their life with a sense of closure and completeness, and also accept death
without fear.
VI. Alfred Adler

 Individual Psychology

First, Freud reduced all motivation to sex and aggression, whereas Adler saw people as
being motivated mostly by social influences and by their striving for superiority or success;
second, Freud assumed that people have little or no choice in shaping their personality, whereas
Adler believed that people are largely responsible for who they are; third, Freud’s assumption
that present behavior is caused by past experiences was directly opposed to Adler’s notion that
present behavior is shaped by people’s view of the future; and fourth, in contrast to Freud, who
placed very heavy

The following is adapted from a list that represents the final statement of individual
psychology (Adler, 1964).

1. The one dynamic force behind people’s behavior is the striving for success or superiority.
2. People’s subjective perceptions shape their behavior and personality.
3. Personality is unified and self-consistent.
4. The value of all human activity must be seen from the viewpoint of social interest.
5. The self-consistent personality structure develops into a person’s style of life.
6. Style of life is molded by people’s creative power(Feist & Feist, n.d.).
C. Learning Activities