Understanding the Self - LESSON 4

5 CHARACTERISTIC OF THOUGHTS BY WILLIAM JAMES

1. All human thoughts are owned by some personal self 2. All thoughts are constantly changing or are never static 3. There is a continuity of thoughts as its focus shifts from one object to another 4. Thoughts deal with objects that are different from and independent of consciousness itself 5. Consciousness can focus on particular objects and not others

4 Features of Human Agency:

1. Intentionality 2. Forethought 3. Self-Reactiveness 4. Self-Reflectiveness

2 types of self-concept

1. Real self-concept 2. Ideal self-concept

3 components of the ME self

1. The Material Self 2. The Social Self 3. The Spiritual Self

2 forces affecting a person

1. Togetherness 2. Individuality

creates friction and conflict and prevents the development of the sense of self

Too much togetherness

A balance should be maintained between these two.

Too much togetherness and Too much individuality

Where Albert Bandura explained how human beings are affected by the interaction among environmental events, behavior and personal factors

Triadic Reciprocal Causation Paradigm

• One in which the self is seen as creative, spontaneously experiencing each day of their lives, appreciating being alive, real, integrated and connected to the whole of existence • Characterized by a high level of awareness of a person of who he is and what he is capable of and is not afraid to let others know his weaknesses and imperfections

True Self

• Essentially connected to consciousness, awareness and agency • A person who is able to deal with and accept the complexities and the perceived unfairness that exist in life • Able to adjust, adapt, evolve and survive well

Unified being

He wrote many articles on both Philosophy and Psychology

William James

Was an American philosopher and psychologist known for being one of the greatest pragmatists

William James

The basic principle involved in human learning is learning through ____________.

observation

Can be considered as a separate object or individual that the person refers to when discussing or describing their personal experiences

Me self/empirical me

• Suggests that there are different aspects of the self existing in each individual • Makes sense that the self is a whole made up of parts

Multiple Selves Theory

Was an American Psychiatrist and Professor of Psychiatry

Murray Bowen

the role of genetics in forming our behavior, personality or any other part of ourselves

Nature

• One of the most controversial debates/issues in psychology • the basic tenet of this debate is centered on whether the child is born with the capacities and abilities that develop naturally over time regardless of up-bringing, or whether the child needs social interaction and society in order to shape them

Nature vs Nurture

the role of family, society, education and other social factors in forming our behavior, our personality or any other part of ourselves

Nurture

Proponent of the personality theory known as The Social Cognitive Theory

Albert Bandura

An American Psychologist who proposed the personality theory known as the Person-Centered Theory

Carl Rogers

can separate feelings and thoughts though still affected by the presence of others; enables the person to develop and sustain unique identity, make own choices and accept responsibility but still able to stay emotionally connected with significant people

Differentiated Self

• Was and English pediatrician and psychoanalyst who studied child development • Looked into the significance of play in child development • He observed children/people as having true and false selves through play • True and false selves are present in all individuals

Donald Woods Winnicott

He developed The Self-Discrepancy Theory

E. Tory Higgins

• May be manifested as a form of defense; lacks spontaneity and is dead and empty • Mask that hides the true person for fear of the pain of rejection and failure • Usually surface when the person is forced to comply with existing social norms and standards • At times, this enables the person to form superficial but productive social relationship

False Self

Murray Bowen developed these two therapy

Family Therapy and Systematic Therapy

4 Features of Human Agency: refers to the person's anticipation of likely outcomes of his behavior; allows him to select from a repertoire of behaviors and determine which one will lead to a positive outcome

Forethought

represents the overall value that a person places upon himself; this affects how he/she views and feels about himself

Global Self

It is the essence of being human

Human agency

• Self that knows and recognizes who they are and what they have done • Similar to the person's soul/mind • Comprises the totality of the person's identity; takes into account the past, present and future selves of the individual

I self/pure ego/thinking self

Model version the person has of himself, what the person aims to be

Ideal self-concept

4 Features of Human Agency: refers to the actions performed by the person intentionally or with full awareness of his behavior

Intentionality

• A process where the spiritual self is always engaging • A method that includes reflecting or looking inward to study and understand the how and why of the self

Introspection (self-observation)

Stated that there should be congruence (sameness, equality) between self concepts for a person to be happy and satisfied with his/her life; if the real self is very different from the ideal self then the person will experience dissatisfaction and may feel like failure or a loser

Person-Centered Theory

They have provided their own explanation of the self to have a clearer and better understanding of the individual and human behavior

Psychologist

Believes that the world of material things including people exists independently of the perceiving human mind

Psychology

Field of the social sciences that deals with the description, explanation, prediction and control of behavior

Psychology

It is connected to the study of human behavior is the concept of the self

Psychology

All information and perception of the person has about himself; who he/she is

Real self-concept

important aspect of self-reflectiveness which is the person's belief that he is capable of behavior that will produce desired positive results

Self Efficacy

Allows the person to set goals that are better and higher that the former, challenging his capabilities and making him a wiser and self-actualized individual

Self Regulation

4 Features of Human Agency: refers to the process in which the person is motivated and regulates his behavior as he observes his progress in achieving his goals.

Self-Reactiveness

4 Features of Human Agency: refers to the person looking inward and evaluating his motivations, values, life goals and other people's effect on him

Self-Reflectiveness

Used to refer to how a person thinks about or perceives himself

Self-concept

• May cause emotional discomfort to the individual and can be manifested as guilt or worst as indifference

Self-discrepancy

• Provide directions for how a person should present himself • internalized standards to which people compare themselves

Self-guides

Things/objects that belong to the person or entities that a person belongs to

The Material Self

William James' Theory of self was written in his published book entitled __________.

The Principles of Psychology

Stated that people use self-guides but when the self is found to be deviating/diverting from these, the result is self-discrepancy

The Self-Discrepancy Theory

In this theory, the person is seen as proactive and agentic which means that he has the capacity to exercise control over his life

The Social Cognitive Theory

This theory suggested that human beings are proactive, self-regulating, self-reflective and self-organizing

The Social Cognitive Theory

Who the person is in a particular social situation depending on who is he/she with

The Social Self

• Self that is more concrete/permanent when compared to the other 2 • Most subjective and intimate part of the self

The Spiritual Self

William James' theory which he is known for?

Theory of the Self

results in distant and estrange feelings towards other people

Too much individuality