CHAPTER 2
The Self as
Cognitive Construct
Lesson Objectives:
1. Identify the different ideas in psychology
about the “self”.
2. Create your own definition of the “self”
based on the definitions from psychology, and
3. Analyze the effects of various factors
identified in psychology in the formation of
the “self”.
SELF?
 “The sense of personal identity and who we are
as individuals” (Jhangiani and Tarry 2014)
 One’s own person DISTINCT from all others.
COGNITIVE CONSTRUCT
What does it mean?
 People construct their own understanding and
knowledge of the world through their experiences
and their reflections about experiences in life.
Class:
Give your own cognitive construct.
What is COGNITIVE in Pyschology
 These pychology focuses on how internal thoughts
and feelings influence one’s behavior .
 The cognitive approach emphasizes the importance
of memory, perception and attention, language,
decision-making and problem solving.
 IT IS A MENTAL PROCESS INVOLVED KNOWING
LEARNING & UNDERSTANDING.
example:
As a children grow older, their cognitive level processes
become sharper.
SELF AS COGNITIVE CONSTRUCT
There are various definitions of the self and other
similar or interchangeable concepts in psychology.
Simply put, the self in psychology is the sense of
personal identity and of who we are as individuals. -
 William James(1890) as one of the earliest
psychologists to study the self, he conceptualized the
self as having two aspects: the “I” and “Me”.
 “I” - thinking, acting and feeling self.
 “Me” -physical characteristics as well as
psychological capabilities that make who you are.
 Carl Rogers(1959) used the same terms,
 “I” - who acts and decides.
 “Me” - is what you think or feel about yourself.
Other concepts similar to SELF are identity and
self-concept:
 Identity - one’s personal characteristics, social roles
and responsibilities that defined who you are.
 Self-concept - what basically comes to your mind
when you are asked about who you are.
3 Components of self concept/self
schema(Carl Rogers)
SELF – SCHEMA (Carl Rogers)
Our organized system collection of knowledge about
who we are.
SELF – SCHEMA (Carl Rogers)
- It may also include your interest, work, course,
age, name, and physical characteristics among
others.
- As you grow and adopt changes around you,
they also change.
- They actively shaped and affect how you see,
think and feel about things.
(Pick in the class to give example)
Sigmund Freud
-He proposed that the mind is divided into three
components: id, ego, and superego, and that
the interactions and conflicts among the
components create personality.
- we use defense mechanisms to cope with
anxiety and maintain a positive self-image.
• The ego is between the id and the
superego. The id is trying to get you to
do things like eat cakes and not go
jogging, and the superego is trying to get
you to make good decisions and be an
upstanding person.
3 reasons why self & identity are
social products:
1. We do not create ourselves out of nothing.
2. Whether we like to admit it or not, we actually
need others.
3. What we think is important to us may also
have been influenced by what is important in
our social and historical context.
SELF AWARENESS
- Can keep you from doing something dangerous.
- Can be POSITIVE or NEGATIVE.
- Our self - consciousness.
- Sometimes self awareness can be to much.
that we are concerned about being observed and
criticized by others.
vitals factors creating our self concept:
Social interaction and Group affiliation
2 types of self – awareness.
1. Private self
is a moment of realization that only involves
yourself. Example: This could look like realizing you
have feelings for someone when you return home from
a date.
1. Public self
a state which occurs when people focus on the
impressions they make on others.
“Self awareness is our ability to
take honest look at your life
without any attachment to it being
right or wrong, Good or Bad”.
SOCIAL COMPARISON
- We learn about ourselves, behaviors, social status by
comparing aspect of ourselves with other people.
- downward of social comparison is the more
common type of comparing ourselves with others.
- sometimes we create a positive self-concept by
comparing ourselves with those who are worse than us.
( it can be form of motivation to some, a lot actually
love to this as a hobby who felt lower self-esteem as
they highlight their insecurities.)
Have you ever experienced a friend or
someone make you feel this way?
- In these case we actually react in 3 ways.
First, we distance ourselves from that person, we
may also consider silent treatment and re-think the
friendship you have.
Second, we may also consider our skill, time,
emotionally, peace or mind our own business.
Lastly, we may also strengthen our resolve to
improve certain aspect in ourselves and keep going
in life without being like those who hurt us.
NARCISISSM
- trait which is “overly high self-esteem, self admiration,
self centeredness”.
- They are often charismatic because of how they take
care of their image.
- Wants attention 24/7, want people to praise them.
- It is a Mental disorder.
- Arrogant, manipulative and sees everyone as
competition instead of being happy to others. (will
often bring you down to their level)
- bad partner/friends since they want the relationships
only serves them.
SELF- ESTEEM
-
Honest to themselves and others.
Accept their wrong and willing to take change.
They are adventurous but also an ambivert.
Good partner or friend, they have empathy to other
people.
- Knows how to deal with their own and when to get
help with others.
- But OTHERS may also be bullies and experiment on
abusive behaviors in drugs, alcohol and sex. Due to
peer pressure.