Module 6 - The Self from the Psychological Perspective PDF

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Module 6The SelfFrom T hePsychologicalPerspectiveModule AuthorMANUEL VERCUDIA DELA CRUZ, JR.Psychology DepartmentCollege of Liberal Arts and CommunicationDe La Salle University – DasmariñasDiscussionPsychology From the Greek work “ psyche ” means soul or spirit and “ logos ” means knowledge or study...

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Module 6 The Self From The Psychological Perspective Module Author MANUEL VERCUDIA DELA CRUZ, JR.

Psychology Department College of Liberal Arts and Communication De La Salle University – Dasmariñas 1

Discussion Psychology • From the Greek work “psyche” means soul or spirit and “logos” means knowledge or study • The scientific study of behavior and mental processes. • The science of mental life, the science of feelings, desires, cognition, reasoning, decisions, and the like. (William James) • Study of human capacities and the physical nature of the responding organisms. (Norman L. Munn, 1974) • Experience and behavior as the major elements of psychological investigation (Melvin H. Marx, 1976). • A Scholarly discipline, a science and a profession (Kurt Schlesinger) • Body of systematized knowledge gathered through careful observation and measurement of predicted behavior upon which general principles or laws or behavior are established (Clifford T. Morgan, 1977) • Science that studies behavior and mental processes (Ernest R. Hilgard, 1979). • Study of human beings- how they behave, how they feel, how they think, how they adjust or fail to adjust, how they get along with one another, and how they become individuals that they are (Robert E. Silverman)

Theory of the Self Philosopher and psychologist William 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); and The Me Self is a more subjective and psychological phenomenon, referring to individuals’ reflections about themselves (e.g., characterizing oneself as athletic, smart, 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); and 3. the spiritual self (e.g., internal dispositions). I Self 1. individual self – individual traits, abilities, and possessions; 2. relational self – other people with whom we have a personal relationship; and 3. collective self – social roles, social categories, and social group membership 2

As humans, we constantly grow throughout our lifespans, from conception to death. Understanding the concept of the self in the perspective of Psychology strives to understand and explain how and why people change throughout life. While many of these changes are normal and expected, they can still pose challenges that people sometimes need extra assistance to manage.

Theory of Psychosexual Stages of Human Development Freud proposed that psychological development in childhood takes place during the five psychosexual stages : oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. These are called psychosexual stages because each stage represents the libido (roughly translated as sexual drives or instincts) on a different area of the body. Sigmund Freud, father of Psychoanalysis, believed that all human beings pass through a series of psychosexual stages.

Fixation is the tendency to stay at a particular stage. The individual is troubled by the conflict that characterizes the stage and seeks to reduce it by means of the behavior characteristics of that stage. 1) Oral stage – the first year of life; marks the infant’s need for gratification from mother 2) Anal stage – reflects the toddler’s need for gratification along the rectal area Children must endure the demands of toilet training. 3) Phallic stage – It concentrates on the preschooler’s gratifications involving the genitals. Children at this stage gratify their sex instinct by fondling their genitals and developing incestuous desire to the opposite sex parent. 4) Latency stage – sexual desires are repressed and all the child’s available libido is channeled into socially accepted outlets. 5) Genital stage – is characterized by the maturation of the reproductive system, production of sex hormones, and a reactivation of the genital zone as an area of sensual pleasure. Sigmund Freud believed that behavior and personality were derived from the constant and unique interaction of conflicting psychological forces that operate at three different levels of awareness: the preconscious, conscious, and unconscious. He believed that each of these parts of the mind plays an important role in influencing the behavior. In order to understand Freud's theory, it is essential to first understand what he believed each part of personality did, how it operated, and how these three elements interact to contribute to the human experience. Each level of awareness has a role to play in shaping human behavior and thought. The preconscious consists of anything that could potentially be brought into the conscious mind. The conscious mind contains all of the thoughts, memories, feelings, and wishes of which we are aware at any given moment. This is the aspect of our mental processing that we can think and talk about rationally. This also includes our memory, which is not always part of consciousness but can be retrieved easily and brought into awareness. The unconscious mind is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that are outside of our conscious awareness. The unconscious 3

contains contents that are unacceptable or unpleasant, such as feelings of pain, anxiety, or conflict.

Freud likened the three levels of mind to an iceberg. The top of the iceberg that you can see above the water represents the conscious mind. The part of the iceberg that is submerged below the water, but is still visible, is the preconscious. The bulk of the iceberg that lies unseen beneath the waterline represents the unconscious.

Analytical Personality Theory Carl Gustav Jung was an early supporter of Freud because of their shared interest in the unconscious. ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢

Childhood Youth Middle Life Old Age

Carl Jung divided childhood into three substages: a) the anarchic, b) the monarchic, and c) the dualistic. The anarchic phase is characterized by chaotic and sporadic consciousness. "Islands of consciousness" may exist, but there is little or no connection among these islands. Experiences of the anarchic phase sometimes enter consciousness as primitive images, incapable of being accurately 4

verbalized. The monarchic phase of childhood is characterized by the development of the ego and by the beginning of logical and verbal thinking. The I of childhood is characterized by the development of the ego and by the beginning of logical and verbal thinking. During this time, children see themselves objectively and often refer to themselves in the third person. The islands of consciousness become larger, more numerous, and inhabited by a primitive ego. Although the ego is perceived as an object, it is not yet aware of itself as a perceiver. The ego as perceiver arises during the dualistic phase of childhood when the ego is divided into the objective and subjective. Children now refer to themselves in the first person and are aware of their existence as separate individuals. During the dualistic period, the islands of consciousness become continuous land, inhabited by an ego-complex that recognizes itself as both object and subject (Jung, 193171960a). The period from puberty until middle life is called youth. Young people strive to gain psychic and physical independence from their parents, find a mate, raise a family, and make a place in the world. According to Jung (193 l/1960a), youth is, or should be, a period of increased activity, maturing sexuality, growing consciousness, and recognition that the problem-free era of childhood is gone forever. The major difficulty facing youth is to overcome the natural tendency (found also in middle and later years) to cling to the narrow consciousness of childhood, thus avoiding problems pertinent to the present time of life. This desire to live in the past is called the conservative principle. A middle-aged or elderly person who attempts to hold on to youthful values faces a crippled second half of life, handicapped in the capacity to achieve self-realization and impaired in the ability to establish new goals and seek new meaning to life (Jung, 193171960a).

Theory of Psychosocial Development Erik Erickson said that individuals develop a “healthy personality” by mastering “life’s outer and inner dangers”. Erikson maintained that personality develops in a predetermined order through eight stages of psychosocial development, from infancy to adulthood. During each stage, the person experiences a psychosocial crisis which could have a positive or negative outcome for personality development. For Erikson (1958, 1963), these crises are of a psychosocial nature because they involve psychological needs of the individual (i.e., psycho) conflicting with the needs of society (i.e., social).

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1) Trust vs. Mistrust (birth to 1 year) – The kind of care and attention that is given by the caregiver to the infant determines the development of trust or mistrust in the infant. 2) Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (2 to 3 years) - As children begin to crawl, walk, climb, and explore, a new conflict confronts them - whether to assert their will or not. 3) Initiative vs. Guilt (4 to 5 years) - The repertoire of motor and mental abilities that are open to children greatly expands. Parents who give their children freedom in running, sliding, bike riding are allowing them to develop initiative. Parents who curtail this freedom are giving children a sense of themselves as nuisances and inept intruders in an adult world. 4) Industry vs. Inferiority (6 to 11 years) during elementary school years, a child becomes concerned with how things work and how they are made. As children move into the world of school, they gain a sense of industry by winning recognition for their achievements. But they may also acquire a sense of inadequacy and inferiority. 5) Identity vs. Role Confusion (12 to 18 years) the psychological question one must answer in this age is “Who am I?”. In the process, teenagers must develop an integrated and coherent sense of self. When the adolescent fails to develop a “centered” identity, he or she becomes trapped in either role confusion or a “negative identity”. 6) Intimacy vs. Isolation (Young Adulthood) As Erikson view intimacy is the capacity toreach out and make contact with other people. It means to fuse one’s own identity with those others. Intimacy finds expression in deep friendship, close involvement, however may result in rejection. Consequently, some individuals opt for relationship of a shallow sort. 7) Generativity vs. Stagnation (Middle Adulthood) Generativity defined as a reaching out beyond one’s own immediate concerns to embrace the welfare of society and of future generations, it entails selflessness. Stagnation is a condition in which individuals are preoccupied with their material possessions or physical well-being. 8) Integrity vs. Despair (Old age) As individuals approach the end of life, they tend to take stock of the years that have gone before. Some feel a sense of satisfaction with their accomplishments. Others experience despair- “the feeling that the time is now short, too short for the attempt to start another life and to try out alternative roads to integrity According to the theory, successful completion of each stage results in a healthy personality and the acquisition of basic virtues. Basic virtues are characteristic strengths which the ego can use to resolve subsequent crises. Failure to successfully complete a stage can result in a reduced ability to complete further stages that results to an unhealthier personality and sense of self. These stages, however, can be resolved successfully at a later time.

Psychoanalytic Social Theory Karen Horney (pronounced Horn-eye) is built on the assumption that social and cultural conditions, especially childhood experiences, are largely responsible for shaping personality. People who do not have their needs for love and affection satisfied during childhood develop basic hostility toward their parents and, as a consequence, suffer from basic anxiety. 6

Horney theorized that people combat basic anxiety by adopting one of three fundamental styles of relating to others: 1. moving toward people, 2. moving against people, or 3. moving away from people. Normal individuals may use any of these modes of relating to other people, but neurotics are compelled to rigidly rely on only one. Their compulsive behavior generates a basic intrapsychic conflict that may take the form of either an idealized self-image or self-hatred. The idealized self-image is expressed as (1) neurotic search for glory, (2) neurotic claims, or (3) neurotic pride. Self-hatred is expressed as either self-contempt or alienation from self. Hierarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, was one of the founders of the humanistic psychology in the 1950s. His theories on the hierarchy of needs, self-actualization, and peak experiences were his significant contributions in the field of humanistic psychology. He created the hierarchy of needs to explain human motivation. He suggested that people have a number of basic needs that must be met before they move up the hierarchy to pursue the higher forms of needs.

Source: simplypsychology.org 7

Maslow's hierarchy is most often depicted as a pyramid. The lowest levels in the pyramid are the most basic needs and the more complex needs are in the higher level of the pyramid. Deficiency Needs vs. Growth Needs The needs at the bottom of the pyramid are the basic physical requirements that include the need for food, water, sleep, and shelter. Once these lower-level needs are met, people can move on to the next level of needs which are for safety and security. The next levels are psychological and social needs namely, belongingness and love needs and esteem needs. Maslow considers the physiological, security, social, and esteem needs as deficiency needs that result from deprivation. To avoid unpleasant feelings or consequences, these lower-level needs must be satisfied. Maslow referred to self-actualization which is on the top of the pyramid as growth needs. These needs don't arise from a lack of something but rather from a desire to grow as a person. He emphasized the importance of self-actualization which is reaching the fullest potential of a developed individual. Maslow noted that the order in which these needs are fulfilled does not always follow the order in the hierarchy. For example, some individuals’ need for self-esteem may be more important than their need for love while some people prioritize their need for creativity over their basic needs. Person-Centered Theory Carl Rogers (1902-1987) was a humanistic psychologist who agreed with the main assumptions of Abraham Maslow. However, Rogers (1959) added that for a person to "grow", they need an environment that provides them with genuineness (openness and self-disclosure), acceptance (being seen with unconditional positive regard), and empathy (being listened to and understood). Central to Rogers' personality theory is the notion of self or self-concept. This is defined as "the organized, consistent set of perceptions and beliefs about oneself. Without these, relationships and healthy personalities will not develop as they should, much like a tree will not grow without sunlight and water. Rogers believed that every person could achieve their goals, wishes, and desires in life. When, or rather if they did so, self-actualization took place. The development of congruence is dependent on unconditional positive regard. Carl Rogers believed that for a person to achieve self-actualization they must be in a state of congruence. Real vs. Ideal Self The real self and the ideal self are terms used to describe personality domains. The real self is who we 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 ideal self, on the other hand, is how we want to be. It is an idealized image that we have developed over time, based on what we have learned and experienced. The ideal self could include 8

components of what our parents have taught us, what we admire in others, what our society promotes, and what we think is in our best interest. The Importance of Alignment If the way that I am (the real self) is aligned with the way that I want to be (the ideal self), then I will feel a sense of mental well-being or peace of mind. If the way that I am is not aligned with how I want to be, the incongruence, or lack of alignment, will result in mental distress or anxiety. The greater the level of incongruence between the ideal self and real self, the greater the level of resulting distress. According to Rogers, we want to feel, experience and behave in ways which are consistent with our self-image and which reflect what we would like to be like, our ideal-self. The closer our self-image and ideal-self are to each other, the more consistent or congruent we are and the higher our sense of self-worth. A person is said to be in a state of incongruence if some of the totality of their experience is unacceptable to them and is denied or distorted in the self-image. Incongruence is "a discrepancy between the actual experience of the organism and the self-picture of the individual insofar as it represents that experience. As we prefer to see ourselves in ways that are consistent with our self-image, we may use defense mechanisms like denial or repression in order to feel less threatened by some of what we consider to be our undesirable feelings. A person whose self-concept is incongruent with her or his real feelings and experiences will defend because the truth hurts. The development of congruence is dependent on unconditional positive regard. Carl Rogers believed that for a person to achieve self-actualization they must be in a state of congruence. According to Rogers, we want to feel, experience and behave in ways which are consistent with our self-image and which reflect what we would like to be like, our ideal-self. The closer our selfimage and ideal-self are to each other, the more consistent or congruent we are and the higher our sense of self-worth. A person is said to be in a state of incongruence if some of the totality of their experience is unacceptable to them and is denied or distorted in the self-image.

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References: Acero, Javier et al. 2004. Human Growth and Development. Rex Bookstore Alata, Eden Joy, et.al. (2018). Understanding the Self. Rex Bookstore (1st Ed). Rex Bookstore Ariola, Mariano (2018). Understanding the Self. Phils. Unlimited Books Library Services & Publishing Inc Kalat, James, (2011). Introduction to Psychology (9th Ed). Cengage Learning Magalona, E., Sadsad, E., & Cruz, E. 2018. Understanding the Self. Mindshapers Co Inc. https://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html https://sites.google.com/site/ubmichellebadillo/theories-of-personality/karen-horneypsychoanalytic- social-theory https://www.verywellmind.com/biography-of-abraham-maslow-1908-1970-2795524 https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-413676

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