Understanding Yourself REVIEWER
Understanding Yourself REVIEWER
The ways of how the self is developed are bound to cultural differences
The principles of how the mind works cannot be conceived of as universal, but that is as
varied as the culture and traditions that people practice all over the world (Cultural
Anthropologists). The self is culturally shaped and infinitely variable.
Catherine Raeff (2010) believed that culture can influence how you view: relationship, personality traits,
achievement, and expressing emotions.
Comes from the words “psyche” which means soul/mind and “logos” which means “study”
EARLY CHILDHOOD
- The child describes the “self” in terms of concrete, observable characteristics, such as physical
attributes, material possessions, behaviors, and preferences
- The child is described in terms of trait-like constructs (e.g. smart, honest, friendly, shy)
ADOLESCENCE
- The emergence of more abstract self-definitions, such as inner thoughts, emotions, attitudes,
and motives
EMERGING ADULTHOOD
SIGMUND FREUD
A physician considered as the Father of the Psychoanalytic Theory (theory which asserts
that unconscious thoughts and childhood experiences are important in the development of
personality).
Levels of Personality
Conscious
Plays a relatively minor role and includes those mental elements in awareness at any given point in
time
Preconscious/Subconscious
Contains all elements that are not conscious but can become conscious either quite readily or with
some difficulty
Unconscious
Contains all drives, urges, or instincts that are beyond our awareness but that nevertheless motivate
most of our words, feelings, and actions.
Personality Structures
Self-concept includes all those aspects of one’s being and one’s experiences that are perceived in
awareness by the individual.
Experiences that are inconsistent with their self-concept usually are either denied or distorted.
REAL SELF - How we see ourselves It’s the self that feels most true to what and who we really are. It may
not be perfect, but it’s the part of us that feels most real
IDEAL SELF - One’s view of self as one wishes to be Contains attributes, usually positive, that people
aspire to possess
A wide gap between the ideal self and the self-concept indicates incongruence and an unhealthy
personality.
Psychologically healthy individuals perceive little discrepancy between their self – concept and what
they ideally would like to be.