Module 4

PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES OF THE SELF

Introduction
The phenomena of the self in terms of self-knowledge, self-awareness,
self-esteem, ​self-enhancement, self-regulation, self-deception, self-presentation—to
name just a few, ​are indispensable research areas. Whereas prior conceptions of the self
as knower tended ​to posit a “transcendental” capacity for the ego, psychologists made
this concept more ​congenial by simply referring to it as the function that allows for
continuity among ​thoughts and experiences. James’s distinction perseveres in the
interest that self-theorists ​accord to how people acquire self-knowledge and how this
knowledge is manifested in b​ehavior. The major topics related to self-functioning that
social and personality ​psychologists address concern the ways in which people
understand and define their ​characteristics (self-knowledge), how people use task and
social feedback to monitor their ​goal progress (self-regulation), the influence of personal
standards, expectations, and v​alues on perception of others (self in social judgment),
and how people maintain desired ​self-images. The self has been studied as an individual
difference variable (primarily by ​personality theorists), as a determinant of social
perception, attribution, and judgment, ​ ​and as an essential element in social relations.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, the students are expected to:

1. determine whether the “I” self and “Me” self are congruent or not based on
people’s view and your own perception;
2. distinguish how the structures of the mind operate in your personality; and
3. illustrate the real self and ideal self.

Learning Content

I. The self as a cognitive construction:

● ​W​illiam James ​(1842–1910) was one of the first to postulate a theory of the self
in ​The Principles of Psychology​.
- ​James described two aspects of the self that he termed the “I Self”and “Me
Self.”
- ​The I Self reflects what people see or perceive themselves doing in the physical
world (e.g., recognizing that one is walking, eating, writing).
- ​The Me Self is a more subjective and psychological phenomenon, referring to
individuals’ reflections about themselves (e.g. Characterizing oneself as
athletic, smart, and cooperative).
- ​Other terms such as ​self-view​, ​self-image​, ​self-schema​, and ​self-concept ​are
also used to describe the self-referent thoughts characteristic of the Me Self.
James further distinguished three components of the Me Self.

(1) The material self (e.g., tangible objects or possessions we collect for
ourselves)
(2) The social self (e.g., how we interact and portray ourselves within
different groups, situations, or persons)
(3) The spiritual self (e.g., internal dispositions).

● ​A​ccording to ​Sigmund Freud​,

human personality is complex
and
has more than a single
component.
In his famous psychoanalytic
theory of personality,
personality
is composed of three elements.
These three elements of
personality—known as the id, the
ego, and the superego—work
together to create complex human
b​ehaviors.

- ​The id is driven by the ​pleasure principle​, which strives for immediate

gratification of all desires, wants, and needs.
- ​The ego operates based on the ​reality principle​, which strives to satisfy the id's
desires in realistic and socially appropriate ways.
- ​The superego is the aspect of personality that holds all of our internalized moral
standards and ideals that we acquire from both parents and society—our sense
of right and wrong.

● ​The 3 Levels of Awareness

​ he conscious: ​The conscious consists of what someone is aware of at any

- T
particular point in time. It includes what you are thinking about right now,
w​hether it is in the front of you mind or the back. If you are aware of it then it
is in the conscious mind.

Example: Right now as you are reading about Freud you could be thinking
about what is being said in the text and that your eyes are tired from staring at
this screen. In the back of your mind, however, you might be thinking "wow
this website is really cool, if I was a psychology teacher I would give whoever
made it an A". Both of these thoughts
occur in the
conscious mind.

- ​The Preconscious: ​The preconscious contains

information that is just below the surface of
awareness. It can be retrieved with relative ease
and usually can be thought of as memory or
recollection.

Example: Right now think of your middle name.

That is an example of preconscious memory.
Similar example could be what is your mom's
b​irthday, when did it last rain, and how long does
it take to drive to the mall.

- T​ he Unconscious: ​The unconscious contains thoughts, memories, and

desires that are buried deep in ourselves, well below our conscious awareness.
Even though we are not aware of their existence, they exert great influence on
our behavior.

Example: Things in your unconscious would be forgotten negative experiences

in your past, extreme dislike for a parent, or a terrible event that you pushed
out of your preconscious.

II. True self

There is true self that has a sense of integrity, of connected wholeness that
harks to the ​early stage​.

​False self

When the person has to comply with external rules, such as being polite or
otherwise following social codes, then a false self is used. The false self constantly
seeks to anticipate demands of others in order to maintain the relationship.
In ​early development​, the false self is ​split ​off as an adaptation to a mother or
career who reflects her own defenses onto the infant rather than reflecting the
infant's actual moods.
Two Kinds of False Self
Healthy false self Unhealthy false self
When the false self is functional both for feels that that it is still being true to the
the person and for society then it is true self. It can be compliant but without
considered healthy. The healthy false self feeling that it has betrayed its true self.
When the situation becomes difficult, the adaptation is unhealthy.
true self can still override the true self and When the false self-wins debates against the
so acts as an effective conscience or ​super true self, the person finds that they are
ego​. unable to be guided by their true self and so
A self that fits in but through a feeling of has to adapt to the social situation rather
forced compliance rather than loving than assert its self.

Discussion
An unhealthy and pathological false self never gains independence from the mother, and so
never gets to transition to independence.
These principles help explain how people seem at ease or are constantly in tension and so act
in dysfunctional ways. It also indicates how treatment is not about exposing the fragile true
self, which most of us naturally fear, but helping the individual move on, both letting go of
the ​unhealthy portions of the false self and building a healthy replacement.

III. Ideal Self -concept

This is the person who we would like to be. It consists of our goals and ambitions in life,
and is dynamic – i.e., forever changing.
The ideal self in childhood is not the ideal self in our teens or late twenties etc.

Real Self Concept

The knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions people have about themselves as they actually
are. It is how we think, how we feel, look, and act. The real self can be seen by others, but
because we have no way of truly knowing how others view us, the real self is our self
image. The real self can be seen by others, but because we have no way of truly knowing
how others view us, the real self is our ​self-image​.
Discussion
According the Humanistic Psychologist ​Carl Rogers​, the personality is composed of the
Real Self and the Ideal Self. Your Real Self is who you actually are, while your Ideal Self
is the person you want to be. It is an idealized version of yourself created out of what you
have learned from your life experiences, the demands of society, and what you admire in
your role models.

For example, your parents are medical doctors who are respected and admired in the
community, and experience tells you that in order to be happy, you need to be smart and
have a high-paying job. Your Ideal Self might be someone who excels in science subjects,
spends a lot of time studying, and does not get queasy at the sight of blood. If your Real
Self is far from this idealized image, then you might feel dissatisfied with your life and
consider yourself a failure.

IV. Unified self

● ​It is the integration of the sub selves into one, however, integration is a task for the
later part of life.
● ​“each version of self includes cognitive elements as well as feelings, drives, values,
and behaviors organized around a certain point of view.”

Multiple self

● ​It contains different modes of the self, “appear, one after another and side-by-side
in the consciousness.”

V. Agentic Self and Proactive Self

The agentic self is defined as the aspect of human personality that is determined by
future ​ ​assessments of one's goals, objectives, and actions. Its functions are adversely
affected by ​ ​degenerating planning, selecting, and implementing the capabilities of an
individual.​ ​The proactive self make things happen, instead of waiting for them to happen
to you. ​ ​Active means "doing something." The prefix pro- means "before." So if you ​ ​are
proactive​, you are ready before something happens. ​Proactive Attitude ​(PA) is a
personality characteristic which has implications for motivation and action. It is a belief
in the rich potential of changes that can be made to improve oneself and one's
environment. This includes various facets such as resourcefulness, responsibility, values,
and vision.

THE SELF IN WESTERN AND ORIENTAL/EASTERN

THOUGHTS Key Concepts

EASTERN WESTERN
MAIN PRINCIPLES
1. Cosmological unity the Divine
2. Life is a journey towards eternal 2. Life is a service (to the God,
realities that are beyond the money, business, etc.)
realities that surround us 3. Linear view of the universe and
3. Circular view of the universe, life, based on the Christian
based on the perception of eternal philosophy where everything has
recurrence its beginning and the end.
4. Inner-world dependent 4. Outer-world dependent
5. Self-liberation from the false "Me" highest state is believed to be a
and finding the true "Me". The state of 'no-self', where neither
1. Feeling oneself as an element of self-worth nor self-importance
have any real meaning. v​ision​, ​success​,​happiness​,
6. Behavioral ethics etc.)
5. Self-dedication to the goal (​life

THE “ME” CONCEPT

Eternal reality of the universal truth: self every human being is a part of the Divine
liberation through getting rid of the false that need to become apparent. True “Me”
"Me" and ​discovering the true "Me" is given and ​doesn’t have to be
“Me” is here and now. The true “Me” in cognizable.
SEARCH FOR ABSOLUTE TRUTH
● ​HOLISTIC ​approach – all life of one who sees the Truth
events in the universe are Sublime." ~ B​ ​uddha
interconnected ● M
​ ore focused on ​
I NDIVIDUAL
EVENTS ​and the role of the
● ​Searching ​INSIDE
person
YOURSELF ​– by becoming a
part of the universe ● ​Searching ​outside yourself ​-
through ​meditation​ ​and right through research and​analysis
living
"The truth that survives is simply the
"Though he should live a hundred lie that is pleasantest to believe." ~
years, not seeing the Truth Sublime; H.L.Mencken
yet better, indeed, is the single day's

INDIVIDUALISM/COLLECTIVISM
A human being is an integral part of the A human being has an individualistic
universe and the society. People are nature and is an independent part of the
fundamentally connected. Duty towards universe and the society.
all others is a very important matter. INDIVIDUALISM is stronger.
COLLECTIVISM is stronger.

ACHIEVEMENT & WINNING

Winning is ​INSIDE ​yourself. himself is the noblest victor." ~ Buddha
W​inning ​is ​OUTSIDE ​yourself.
"Though he should conquer a thousand
men in the battlefield a thousand times, "You're not a star until they can spell
yet he, indeed, who would conquer your name in Karachi."
~ Roger Moore conquest of self."
– ​M​ohammad
"​Li​ fe​ ​affords no higher pleasure than gratified."
that of surmounting difficulties, passing ~ Samuel Johnson
from one stop of success to another,
forming new wishes and seeing them "It is not because things are difficult
"He who conquers others is strong; he that we do not dare; it is because we do
who conquers himself is mighty." ~ Lao not dare that they are difficult."
Tzu

"The most excellent Jihad is that for the

LEADERSHIP
SPIRITUAL​; walking behind people; speech is golden.
silence is golden.
"​Le
​ adership i​ s done from in front.
"In order to guide people, Never ask others to do what you, if
the ​leader m​ ust put himself behind challenged, would not be willing to do
them. Thus when he is ahead they feel yourself."
no hurt." ~ Lao Tzu ~ ​Xenophon
HANDS-ON​; walking ahead of people;

● ​THE CONCEPT OF SELF IN THE CONFUCIAN THOUGHT

Self or No-Self
- ​The notion of self in Confucian thought is very similar to what Ames expresses in
above quote, and to the understanding of self in our examples of the Maori.
Although it is by westerners often understood that there is no self in Confucian
thought, (because in Confucianism one does talk of the concept of "no-self") this
concept may be misunderstood when taken into western paradigms of thinking.
- ​But what is really meant by the idea of "no self", is this: "If one had no selfish
motives, but only the supreme virtues, there would be no self. … If he serves
selflessly, he does not know what service is [does not recognize it as service]. If he
knows what service is, he has a self… [to think] only of parents but not of
yourself… is what I call no self." (Zoku Kyuo dowa [Kyuo’s Moral discourses
continued], 1835).