William James Self-Concept
- Two sides to self: awareness of one’s existence
- “I”: ability to think about ourselves
- “Me”: sum total of what a person knows or believes about himself/herself
When does I- self develop
Emerges around 3 months
- realizes my actions have consequences
When does me-self develop
Emerges around 15 months
At what age can a baby recognize their own image in a mirror
2 years
- Cultural difference: pass faster in cultures that value independence
Self concept at 2 years
Understand that I exists continuously in time
Self Concept in pre-school
Self concept anchored in tangible activities, preferences, competencies and physical characteristic
Cultural differences: asian children more likely to describe relationships
self concept in elementary school
Introduction of emotions, competencies relative to others
Self concept in adolescence
More complex, abstract, differentiated, integrated, and possible self
Cognitive development effect on self concept
- Increased ability to think logically and abstractly
- Can understand multiple points of view
- Keep different aspects of a situation simultaneously in the mind
Social development effect on self concept
- Self concept is powerfully influenced by others
- “looking glass self”: we learn to know ourselves by interacting with others and observing how they respond to us, which builds our self-concept
- “generalized other”: a summary of the ways in which others have responded to us, and we carry this concept with us
Adolescent Egocentrism
- Failure to make distinction between one’s own point of view and someone else’s point of view
- Adolescents think about their own thinking
-consider that others may be thinking similarly
-self-absorption and self-consciousness - egocentric thinking
Imaginary audience
- Adolescents are so absorbed with others’ thinking, they assume that others are also just as interested in them
- Audience watching every move
- Explains conformity, susceptibility to peer pressure, heightened need for privacy, noisiness
Personal Fable
- Belief that one’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences are unique
- New capacity to think about own mental processes - misinterpreted as unique thought
Illusion of invulnerability
Belief in uniqueness -misfortune only happens to others
- Explains risk-taking in adolescence
- Mechanism: limbic system matures faster than prefrontal cortex
-necessary biological mechanism to leave nest and start new family
Identity Crisis
Erikson
- Need to explore what is unique about oneself
- Need to be respected and validated by family, friends and community
-Unconscious identification with parents’ personalities, beliefs, values, views of self
Identity Commitment
Choosing a belief or course of action and making a personal investment in it
What determines identity status
- Occupation
-Beliefs and values - Interpersonal relations
Identity Foreclosure
Identity largely determined by adults than personal discovery
Identity achievement
Explored alternatives and deliberately chose identity
Identity Diffusion
Overwhelmed by task of achieving self-identity
Identity Moratorium
Still examining alternatives
Contributing factors to self-esteem in childhood
Scholastic, athletic, social (mostly parents), appearance
Contributing factors to self-esteem in adolescence
Scholastic, athletic, appearance and social
- social divided into dating, parents, peers, co-workers, friends
What is the biggest contributing factor to self-esteem?
Appearance
