USELF | PROFESSOR EMMANUEL SANTOS |1ST SEM | 2024-2025

Understanding The Self

MIDTERMS EXAM REVIEWER

KENNETH FOX (1997) about PHYSICAL SELF

TOPIC OUTLINE:
● He developed a measurement tool for assessing the
I. Lesson 5: The Physical Self Physical Self which he called the
II. Lesson 6: The Sexual Self (Part A) ○ Physical Self-Perception Profile (PSPP)
III. Lesson 7: The Sexual Self (Part B) ● He includes the following subscales
IV. Lesson 8: The Material Self ○ Sports Competence (Sport)
○ Physical Condition (condition)
○ Body Attractiveness (body)
○ Physical strength (strength)
LESSON 5: THE PHYSICAL SELF ○ Physical Self-worth (PSW)
● MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO ● A person’s physical self is not only limited to what
○ “A sound mind in a sound body” can be seen by the naked eye because there are
biological and chemical processes that trigger one’s
● The Physical Self - The tangible aspect of a person transformation and development as embodied in the
that can be observed and examined. concept of heredity.

● The Physical Self refers to one’s physical body. HEREDITY

● Refers to the transmission of traits like eye color, hair
● Just as the ‘self’ has been described in a variety of color or skin color from parents to offspring.
ways, many psychologists define the ‘body’ or the ● Inside every cell in the body is a secret code that
physical self in different approaches as well determines everything about you.
○ Others also consider the person’s physical
DNA (DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID)
competencies such as his or her self-worth
and perception of beauty as critical aspects ● Material that determines all your traits, and it is
of the physical self since a healthy one leads found inside the nucleus of all of your cells.
to a dynamic functioning of the ‘self’ ● The blueprint of an individual’s physical features.
towards self-realization. ● The DNA triggers the physical growth and maturation
that our bodies go through from birth to adulthood.
FERNANDES (2009) about the PHYSICAL SELF ● Maturation is the unfolding of a person’s inherent
● Studies on physical self-concept and psychological traits. It is the completion of growth of genetic
well-being during adolescence, show a correlation characters within an organism.
between satisfaction with physical appearance and ● The traits that are made up of specific information
self-esteem. are embedded within one’s basic unit of heredity
● The result of the study shows that the more an known as GENE.
individual feels happy with his or her physique, the
higher his or her self-esteem becomes.
GENE
● She also found out that the more psychological ● Short pieces of DNA that determine a specific trait,
well-being one has, the less likely that he or she will like eye color or hair color. You have about 20-25
experience anxiety and depression, and eating thousand genes total, each one responsible for a
disorders. different characteristic
● The genes in your cells are different from your
THE PHYSICAL SELF ESTEEM parents’ genes because you inherit one copy of each
● Self-esteem = how you feel about who you are as a gene from your father and one from your mother.
person. It is often referred to as confidence in ● The particular combination of genes in your cells is
yourself. different from everyone else in the world.
● Physical self-esteem or physical self-worth - “a ● This recombination of genetic material not only
person’s evaluation of their physical self which determines visible traits like your eye and hair color,
includes evaluations of both the physical appearance but also can cause you to be more (or less)
and physical competencies”. susceptible to certain diseases.

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 OTHER FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ● In the past, families in Mauritania sent their children
THE PHYSICAL SELF to “fat farms” camps that force-feed girls 16,000
calories a day to help them reach their ideal weight
● As we grow and begin to explore the world around us,
to achieve a fuller figure. They even prefer fattening
we get to interact with different environmental
camel’s and cow’s milk.
factors that shape our physical self: our social
● Nose job seems like a staple in the image-conscious
interaction with our family, in school, in the church,
US but Iran is actually the rhinoplasty capital of the
or in a bigger social group, our community and the
world. Both men and women are proud to show off
entire society.
their procedures, which is considered a sign of their
● We are exposed to various practices and cultural
social status and their path on the route to beauty. In
norms which make us more conscious of our physical
fact, they often wear their bandages much longer
self.
than needed. Some even buy surgical tape to wear
NATURE VS. NURTURE even if they have not gone under surgery.
● Nature ● Women in India turn to nose rings, bindis, and henna
○ The genetic information that we inherit from to make themselves more attractive for festivals and
our mother and father. celebrations. Brides often wear a dot of red powder
○ Genes and Hereditary Factors on the face known as kumkum to look more
○ Physical Appearance beautiful.
○ Personality Characteristics ● In Japan, stick straight hair is the norm, and
● Nurture therefore the most beautiful hair texture. Japanese
○ The influence of our environment. women have turned into pros at the thermal
○ Environmental variables conditioning and flat-ironing to straighten hair.
○ Childhood experiences ● Indeed, physical beauty has been regarded as an
○ How we were raised essential part of one’s self across all cultures.
○ Social relationships ● Although defined in a different way, it has become a
○ Surrounding culture primary part of an individual’s physical self.
● No matter how various cultures define it, the most
CULTURAL CONCEPTION OF BEAUTY important thing to remember is that we feel beautiful
because we have a healthy perception our physical
● What seems beautiful for you, may not be beautiful
worth– that is why we feel good about ourselves.
for others. As the saying goes, “Beauty is the eye of
the beholder.”
● This is because different cultures define beauty much LESSON 6: THE SEXUAL SELF PART A
differently.
● In the US, beautiful girls mean having long, flowy hair,
MALES AND FEMALES
bronzed skin and a wrinkle-free face. ● Primary Characteristics
● In Ethiopia, body scars are adored. While we want our ○ Body structure that allows us to tell male
scars erased, the Kata tribe in Ethiopia creates scars from females, such as the penis in men and
onto the women’s stomachs during childhood, which vagina in women
are meant to attract men who are husband-material. ● Secondary sex characteristics
● The Masal Tribe of Kenya define beautiful as having ○ Features that appear at puberty
long, stretched ear lobes and shaved heads. Women
use everything from elephant tusks to twigs to pierce MEN WOMEN
and stretch their lobes to become more attractive.
● Long, giraffe-like necks are the ultimate sign of More pronounced body hair Less pronounced body hair
beauty and female elegance to the Kayan tribe in characteristics (beard, characteristics (mostly in
Burma. At 5 years old, Kayan women start priming chest, etc.) and usually pubic region, hair all over is
their necks with heavy brass rings which can weigh more coarse usually finer)
up to 22 pounds, since more coils are added each
year, pushing down their shoulders and creating the Heavier musculature Lighter musculature
effect of a longer neck.
● In various parts of Asia, pale white skin is a sign of Angular feature (square jaw, Rounded features (softer
triangular mid-region) facial features, hour-glass
affluence and attractiveness. In Japan, women avoid
mid-region)
the sun at all costs while whitening agents are
normal in China and Thailand.
Narrow hips Wider hips
● To the Maori people of New Zealand, tattoos are
sacred rituals wherein a chisel is used to carve Less fat tissue overall More fat tissue overall
grooves into the skin, creating swirling tattoos called
Ta-moko. Women with tattooed lips and chins and Deeper voice Higher voice
full blue lips are considered the most beautiful.
● While many cultures are dieting and striving to be Muscular pectorals (chest)
thin, Western African cultures find women who are
overweight to be the most beautiful. For them, the
more stretch marks, the better.

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 ADOLESCENT SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT MALE REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURE EXTERNAL
● ADOLESCENT SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT 1. Penis
○ occurs during puberty and includes many a. It is the male organ used in sexual
changes such as physical, emotional and intercourse.
social changes b. Three parts
● Puberty i. The root- attaches to the wall of
○ Refers to the transformations that occur as the abdomen
a child undergoes physical development ii. The body or shaft
changes, resulting in the sexually mature iii. The glans or the head of the penis-
body of an adult. it is covered with a loose layer of
skin called foreskin, which is
HOW EXACTLY DOES THIS PHYSICAL JOURNEY sometimes removed in a procedure
TOWARDS ADULTHOOD TAKE PLACE? called circumcision.
● Science articulates that the biological processes of c. The opening of the urethra, the tube that
puberty begin when the brain’s hypothalamus and the transports semen and urine, is at the tip of
pituitary gland get together to release gonadotropins. the penis. The glans of the penis also
● Gonadotropins are special hormones that activate the contain several sensitive nerve endings.
sexual glands. 2. Scrotum
● These sexual glands are the testes in boys and the a. A loose pouch-like sac of skin that hangs
ovaries in girls. behind and below the penis.
● Once these sexual glands are activated, they begin to b. It contains the testicles (also called as
release their own hormones that result in physical testes), as well as many nerves and blood
changes throughout the body. vessels.
● The hormones released by the male testes are called c. It acts as a “climate control system” for the
androgens, and the hormones released by the female testes.
ovaries are called estrogens. d. For normal sperm development, the testes
● Developmentally normal girls may experience puberty must be at a temperature slightly cooler
at any time between the ages of 8 to 15. For than body temperature. Special muscles in
developmentally normal boys, puberty may occur at the wall of the scrotum allow it to contract
any time between the ages of 9 to 17. Variations in and relax, moving the testicles closer to the
puberty-related changes are normal- each child is body for warmth or farther away from the
unique and they will experience these changes at body to cool the temperature.
different ages and at different rates. 3. Testicles (testes)
PHYSICAL CHANGES a. oval organs about the size of large olives
● Two types of physical changes that occur during that lie in the scrotum, secured at either end
puberty: by a structure called the spermatic cord.
○ Changes to primary sex characteristics b. Most men have two testes.
c. Most men have two testes. The testes are
■ refer to sexual organs.
responsible for making testosterone, the
○ Changes to secondary sex characteristics
primary male sex hormone, and for
■ refer to other visible changes that
generating sperm.
mark adult maturation.
d. Within the testes are coiled masses of tubes
PRIMARY SEX CHARACTERISTIC called seminiferous tubules. These tubes are
CHANGES IN BOYS responsible for producing sperm cells.
● Involve an increase in the size of the prostate gland,
MALE REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURE INTERNAL
testes, seminal vesicles, and penis.
1. Epididymis
● The most noticeable change that occurs for young
a. a long, coiled tube that rests on the
men is their first ejaculation, during sleep.
backside of each testicle.
● They may also experience spontaneous erections.
b. It transports and stores sperm cells that are
PRIMARY SEX CHARACTERISTIC produced in the testes.
CHANGES IN GIRLS c. It also is the job of the epididymis to bring
● Involve the uterus and vagina the sperm to maturity, since the sperm that
● The uterus begins to build a lining, and the vagina emerge from the testes are immature and
starts to produce discharge. incapable of fertilization. During sexual
● The most noticeable change that occurs for young arousal, contractions force the sperm into
women is their first menstrual period. This occurs the vas deferens
when the uterus sheds its first lining of tissue and 2. Vas deferens
blood. a. a long, muscular tube that travels from the
● In adult women, this lining is shed about every 28 epididymis into the pelvic cavity, to just
days. behind the bladder.
b. The vas deferens transports mature sperm
to the urethra, the tube that carries urine or

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 sperm to outside of the body, in preparation 3. Bartholin’s glands
for ejaculation. a. Located beside the vaginal opening and
3. Ejaculatory ducts produces a fluid (mucus) secretion.
a. Formed by the fusion of the vas deferens 4. Clitoris
and the seminal vesicles. a. The two labia minora meet at the clitoris, a
b. The ejaculatory ducts empty into the small, sensitive protrusion that is
urethra. comparable to the penis in males.
4. Urethra b. Covered by a fold of skin, called the
a. The tube that carries urine from the bladder prepuce, which is similar to the foreskin at
to the outside of the body. In males, it has the end of the penis. Like the penis, the
the additional function of ejaculating semen clitoris is very sensitive to stimulation and
when the man reaches orgasm. When the can become erect.
penis is erect during sex, the flow of urine is
blocked from the urethra, allowing only FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURE INTERNAL
semen to be ejaculated at orgasm. 1. Vagina
5. Seminal Vesicles a. A canal that joins the cervix (the lower part
a. sac-like pouches that attach to the vas of the uterus) to the outside of the body.
deferens near the base of the bladder. b. Also known as the birth canal
b. produce a sugar-rich fluid (fructose) that 2. Uterus (womb)
provides sperm with a source of energy to a. A hollow, pear-shaped organ that is the
help them move. home to a developing fetus.
c. The fluid of the seminal vesicles makes up b. Divided into two parts
most of the volume of a man’s ejaculatory i. Cervix- the lower part that opens
fluid, or ejaculate. into the vagina
6. Prostate Gland ii. Corpus- the main body of the
a. A walnut-sized structure that is located uterus, it can be easily expanded to
below the urinary bladder in front of the hold a developing baby.
rectum. c. A channel through the cervix allows sperm
b. It contributes additional fluid to ejaculate. to enter and menstrual blood to exit.
c. Prostate fluids also help to nourish the 3. Ovaries
sperm. a. Small, oval-shaped glands that are located
d. The urethra, which carries the ejaculate to on either side of the uterus.
be expelled during orgasm, runs through the b. Produce eggs and hormones
center of the prostate gland. 4. Fallopian tubes
7. Bulbourethral glands a. Narrow tubes that are attached to the upper
a. Also called Cowper's glands part of the uterus and serve as tunnels for
b. pea-sized structures located on the sides of the ova (egg cells) to travel from the ovaries
the urethra just below the prostate gland. to the uterus.
c. produce a clear, slippery fluid that empties b. Conception, the fertilization of an egg by a
directly into the urethra. This fluid serves to sperm, normally occurs in the fallopian
lubricate the urethra and to neutralize any tubes. The fertilized egg then moves to the
acidity that may be present due to residual uterus, where it implants into the lining of
drops of urine in the urethra. the uterine wall.

FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURE EXTERNAL WHAT HAPPENS DURING

1. Labia majora THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE?
a. Enclose and protect the other external ● Females of reproductive age experience cycles of
reproductive organs. hormonal activity that repeat at about one-month
b. Translated as “large lips” intervals. With every cycle, a woman's body prepares
c. Relatively large and fleshy, and are for a potential pregnancy, whether or not that is the
comparable to the scrotum in males. woman’s intention.
d. Contain sweat and oil-secreting glands. ● Menstruation refers to the periodic shedding of the
e. Covered with hair after puberty uterine lining. (menstru means “monthly)
2. Labia minora ● The average menstrual cycle takes about 28 days and
a. Translated as “small lips” occurs in phases:
b. Can be very small or up to 2 inches wide ○ The follicular phase
c. They lie just inside the labia majora and ○ The ovulatory phase (ovulation)
surround the openings to the vagina (the ○ The luteal phase
canal that joins the lower part of the uterus ● Four major hormones (chemicals that stimulate or
to the outside of the body) and the urethra regulate the activity of cells or organs) are involved in
(the tube that carries urine from the bladder the menstrual cycle
to the outside of the body). ○ Follicle-stimulating hormone
○ Luteinizing hormone
○ Estrogen

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 ○ Progesterone

COMMON DISEASES LINKED TO

MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
1. Infection
a. Can be caused by either bacteria or a virus
and may develop in the scrotum area where
the testes reside.
b. For ex.
i. Prostatitis- is a bacterial infection
that can start in the prostate gland
surrounding the urethra. It can
result in potential inflammation
and pain in the testes or other
structures.
ii. Orchitis (or orchiditis)- infection in
one of the testes. Mumps can
cause a system infection that may
result in sterility. Bacterial causes
also include sexually transmitted
diseases such as chlamydia or
gonorrhea.

2. Cancer symptoms
a. Cancer can develop in any of the organs that
make up the male reproductive system.
b. The most common is prostate cancer,
usually related to aging.
c. Symptoms include e difficulty urinating and
low back pain or pain with ejaculation.
d. Cancer may also develop in one of the
testes, where it develops most often in men
aged 20 to 39 and can cause pain, swelling
or lumps in the scrotum or in the penis.
e. Penile cancer, though rare, can be caused by
human papillomavirus or HPV, the virus that
also causes most cervical cancers in women.
3. Infertility
a. Male infertility can develop because of
genetic factors causing low or absent sperm
production, a blockage in the duct system, a
hormonal imbalance that interferes with
sperm production, or certain medications.
b. A condition called varicocele in which veins
in the scrotum that carry blood back to the
heart enlarge, can also cause fertility
problems. These veins help cool warm blood
flowing into the scrotum, where sperm
production depends on a reduced
temperature. When the blood flow in the
veins is slow, the scrotum heats up and
interferes with sperm production. Varicocele
can often be treated successfully with
surgery or other procedures.
4. Penile problems

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