Scribd
Upload
57 views4 pages

Prelim Homework: Understanding The Self

The document is a homework submission on understanding the self. It discusses several concepts related to how individuals develop their sense of self, including the differences between self-concept and self-knowledge, factors that influence one's environment and vice versa, Freud's iceberg model of the conscious and unconscious mind, and Mead and James' concepts of the "I" and "Me". The homework answers questions on identity development, barriers to psychological health, and egocentrism.

Uploaded by

Karen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
57 views4 pages

Prelim Homework: Understanding The Self

The document is a homework submission on understanding the self. It discusses several concepts related to how individuals develop their sense of self, including the differences between self-concept and self-knowledge, factors that influence one's environment and vice versa, Freud's iceberg model of the conscious and unconscious mind, and Mead and James' concepts of the "I" and "Me". The homework answers questions on identity development, barriers to psychological health, and egocentrism.

Uploaded by

Karen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

PRELIM HOMEWORK

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

Submitted by:
Karen Mae E. Reyes

Submitted to:
Mr. Domingo Barcarse

2021
1. Discuss the difference between self-concept and self-knowledge. Support you answer
with explanations.
Self-concept is established by views about oneself based on self-information. On the
other hand, self-knowledge is backed up by a range of diverse sources of evidence. Self-
knowledge is something that is accumulated by what we learn through genuine information or
facts. It's your knowledge about your own mental state and temperament.

2. Explain this statement: "The presence and implied presence of other people affects us
and in the same way, we also influence our environment.
It explains the Social Psychology where an individual may act depending on the people
they are with or the environment they are in. This is because on how others influence our actions
through feelings, emotions, and thoughts. The judgments an individual makes and the behaviors
they display may be influenced not just by the number of people around, but also by the type of
situation you are in. Therefore, this mentality also affects the environment an organization is in.
For example, a neighborhood with a majority of sophisticated families may have a clean,
beautiful, and orderly atmosphere, whereas a neighborhood with a majority of listless or "devil
may care" families may have a neglected environment.

3. What did Socrates mean when he said that a life which is not examined is not worth
living? Please relate your explanation to real life situations.
It's about discovering the meaning and purpose of your own existence; a life that isn't
examined isn't worth living since what are you as a person if you don't even try to "examine" or
find your purpose in this world? I might identify to this remark in the sense that I sometimes feel
burdened or prejudiced in my own life when I am unsure of what I should do or who I will be in
the future.

4. Explain the concept of the iceberg in Freud's theory about the self.
The analogy of an iceberg is to represent the two primary components of human
personality. The conscious mind is represented by the tip of the iceberg that emerges just above
sea. While, on the other hand the majority of the iceberg, which represents the unconscious, is
beneath the ocean. To be more precise, all of the things you are now aware of and thinking about
are included in your conscious mind. While, outside of our waking consciousness, the
unconscious mind is a store of sensations, ideas, desires, and memories. Undesirable or negative
material, such as anguish, worry, or conflict, can also be found in the unconscious.
5. Which among Freud's theory about the self-do you most and least agree with and why?
I most agree about Freud's psychoanalytic theory, which talks about the Id, Super ego,
and ego. The id is the primal and instinctive component of the mind that includes aggressive and
sexual instincts as well as buried memories, while the super-ego serves as a moral core, and the
ego is the realistic part and the balance of the mind that regulates in between the id's desire and
the morality of super-ego. I agree with this theory because I believe that everyone has all three
(id, super-ego, and ego) and it is up to them to decide which of them they will monopolize the
most.

6. Explain the concepts of identity, identity confusion, fidelity, and role repudiation in your
own words. Support your explanation with examples
Identity for me is the is formed by a person's formative identifiers as well as their cultural
and contemporary settings, all of which foster adherence to specific norms. For example, I
recognize that I am an introvert who interacts in very little engagement with strangers but readily
opens up to those whom I already trust. Furthermore, Identity Confusion is characterized by a
person's disconnection from a group or organization because they are confused of their place in
society. Going back to me as an introverted, I used to distance myself from my friends since I
didn't think I fit in with their joyful and outgoing nature. Following that is fidelity, which is
defined as a person's realization of being independent of others' beliefs and having complete trust
in their views. Just like me who frequently block off contact as an introvert, however I have
extreme belief that this is still legitimate, because I think everyone deserves their own free time
or alone time. Finally, Role Repudiation refers to an individual's inability to present their own
self-image and ideals, which is typically caused by a lack of self-confidence. As an Introvert, I
often have second thoughts about things, causing me to lose my original footing or advantage.
This is likely because I frequently reassess my talents and also lack communication, which may
lead to excessive misunderstandings.

7. Discuss the factors that serve as a barrier to the "psychological health" of the self. How
are they related to one another?
The following are the factors that serves as a barrier to the "psychological health" of the
self: 1) Conditions of Worth, which is present in some family culture where a child must meet
or exceed the expectations of their parents for them to be worthwhile. Opposite of that is the
Unconditional Positive Regards, which happens when a parent loves and care for their family
with no conditions. 2) Incongruence occurs when there is a large difference between the ideal
image and the true self.  The larger the disconnect among the self-perception and the biological
reality, the more sensitive individuals are. 4) Defensiveness occurs when an individual reject or
distort events that contradict one's self-concept in order to shield it from worry and harm. Lastly,
5) Once an individual's defenses fail, Disorganization occurs. People's conduct becomes
disordered when the discrepancy between their seen self and their organismic experience is
either too clear or arises too quickly to be rejected or altered.
Now, all of these factors are obviously black and white, and the only connection I believe
they have is that they are all triggered by an individual's own developed environment, filled with
their own organization's or family's belief and culture. 

8. What are the difference with Mead's and James' concept of the "I" and "Me"
Mead considers the individual to be an evolving process rather than merely a mirror of
society. Additionally, “I" according to Mead refers to the unsocialized, impulsive, and instinctive
aspect of the self. It represents individual characteristics, inclinations, and motivations.
Moreover, "Me" is the result of a person's interactions with the society, It is made up of learned
habits, attitudes, and perhaps even expectations, and it exerts social control over the individual.
On the other hand, James’ philosophy on the I and Me is that “I” is the initiators of the
self and is the one who is self-aware while “Me” is somewhat that you may describe as
your personalities, roles in society, relationships, and sentiments. The difference between the two
is that Mead has a more subjective approach while James is more objective.

9.Explain the concept of egocentrism.


Egocentrism in simpler words for me is being close-minded. Individuals who don’t have
the inability to accept other opinions that differs from their own. They are often the one who
lacks empathy so others and could be up front as narcissistic. They have this cognitive bias and
simply assumes that their opinion is the only one existing of superior among others.

You might also like