MATERIAL SELF (UTS)

Curtis (2017)

cited that cash can have serious bearing on one's belief regarding the way a person views him or her self.

A. Social and Business Value (Heyman and Ariely (2004)

found that there are two motivations for completing a task. The first is social wherein the person sees the task as helping out as it has social value. When money is offered for the same task, the social value changes to a business value and the person thinks less of the social value but more of the business aspect.

Special Cases of Extended Self

1. Collections (I shop therefore I am) 2. Materialism 3. Pets as Extended Self 4. Body Parts as Extended Self

Material Self

"A man's material self is the sum total of all that he can call his" This includes his body, family, and reputation. It also includes his clothes, and house, lands, yachts and bank accounts. If one's possessions increases, the possessor feels triumphant and successful.

Effects of Material Possessions

A. Social and Business Value B. Self-sufficiency and Service C. Self-view D. Ethics E. Addiction

4. Body Parts as Extended Self

Body parts are among the most central parts of the extended self. In psychoanalytic terms such extension is called cathexis. Cathexis involves the charging of an object, activity, or idea with emotional energy by the individual. The concept has most commonly been applied to body parts and it is known for instance that women tend to cathect to body parts to a greater degree than men and that such cathexis reflect self-acceptance. When a body part is highly cathected there is greater use of grooming products and care for that body part.

1. Collections (I shop therefore I am)

Belk (1982) notes, animals and humans once primarily assembled collections of necessities for distinction and self-definition. Collections of this sort may be initiated by gifts or other unintended acquisitions, but the cultivation of a collection is a purposeful self-defining action. Collecting has become a significant activity in our consumer society as it has become more accessible and affordable and with the access of the general population to money which is no longer exclusive to the wealthy elite.

2. Materialism

Luxury and materialism are by-products of the material self. Materialism refers to the theory or belief that nothing exists except matter and its movement and its modifications. There can be the tendency to value more the material possessions and comfort rather than spiritual values. Materialism, can also refer to a trait that can afflict both rich and poor, and which the researchers define as "a value system that is preoccupied with possessions and the social image they project", is both socially destructive and self-destructive. It smashes the happiness and peace of mind of those who succumb to it. It's associated with anxiety, depression and broken relationships.

E. Addiction

Many forms of addiction begin because a person gets a positive response from a certain type of behavior. When a person gambles and are able to win large sums of money, the experience is rewarding and is likely to be repeated. When a shopaholic first goes on a shopping spree, and then wears those expensive and designer clothes, she is most likely met with envy and amazement by friends and coworkers which reinforces the behavior. There are also those who become hoarders who keeps on collecting material things and not throwing them or donating any of them since it becomes their emotional blanket and source of comfort.

D. Ethics

Money is often said to be the root of all evil, and for some money becomes the greatest motivator, and amassing more and more wealth becomes their life goals. Money per se is not inherently bad or the pursuit of it wrong. But when people see money as the only thing that will make them successful, happy and contented, then they are doomed for failure. Yes money can buy us all the things that we need and want, but it can also come between relationships, friendships and family members. Most of the things that makes us happy cannot actually be bought and money is just an instrument that we use, it is not the be all of our lives. Some people may be driven to commit unethical or immoral behavior just to have money.

3. Pets as Extended Self

Pets are regarded as representative of self and studies show that we attempt to infer the characteristics of people from their pets. Some people observe that like people, pets are regarded as family members. On the other hand it is clear that we treat our pets better than other people because we feel a certain bond or affinity to them. We name them based on what is special to us, we feed, care for them, take photographs with them and even mourn their death as if we lost a significant part of ourselves. Levinson (1972) and Robin and Bensel (1985) found that pets are so instrumental to self-identity that they are useful as transition objects for children as surrogate parents and to adults as surrogate children. This suggests that pets can be therapeutic in expanding the self of children, hospital patients and the elderly.

C. Self-view

The amount one earns could have an effect on how he or she views both himself or herself and others. When you earn more than others you are said to have upward social mobility but when you earn less than others you are said to have downward social mobility. The reality is, there is no end to the cycle since there will always be someone richer and poorer than you. These behavior can lead to depression and poor self-esteem.

B. Self-sufficiency and Service

Those who are conscious of money typically strive to be more sufficient than those for whom money is not a priority. Having to work for your own money and to earn your keep, is to be self-sufficient. While those who are born with a silver spoon see money as enabling them to gain access to different services and does not have to think about where and when money will be available.

Possessions and the Extended Self (Goffman (1961)

provides a thorough review of the evidence of the deliberate lessening of self manifested in such institutions like mental hospitals, home for the aged, prisons, concentration camps, military training camps, boarding schools and monasteries. One of the first steps in receiving new members to this institutions is to systematically deprive them of all personal possessions including clothing, money and even names. Handbag snatching can produce not only financial but also an emotional long-term effect on victims. For women one's handbag is like an extension of their personality, it contains all that make them who they are, from IDs, cards, bank accounts, make-up, perfume, trinkets and even pictures of loved ones, as well as essential medicines, money, to-do-lists or organizers and smart phones. Similarly, losing photographs of loved ones that are often carried in a purse can may cause the security of the person to be impaired, she may distrust and feel suspicious of others and develop a fear of walking in public or become so traumatized by the experience that it will impact their lives negatively. Research has also found that victims describe their possessions as having high sentimental value and views them as more than functional.