2. Self-concept
• The self concept is an internalized set of perceptions each of us have
about ourselves that is relatively stable over time, consistent across
situations, resistant to change and of central importance to us.
Caproni, 2000
3. Development of self-concept
• Self concept evolves throughout life and depends to an extent on an
individuals developmental level.
• Self concept is composed of our beliefs, interest, skills, strengths,
weaknesses, and what makes us similar to others.
• It influences our fundamental beliefs about who we are, who we should
be and who we become.
• It is socially constructed throughout our life and influences who we
become.
4. Stages in development of self
• Self awareness(infancy)
• Self recognition(18 months)
• Self definition (3 years)
• Self concept(6-7 years)
5. Formation of self concept
• Infant learns that physical self is different from environment.
• The basic needs are met ,child develops a positive feeling of
self.
• Child internalizes other peoples attitude towards self.
• Child or the adult internalizes the standards of the society.
6. SELF-CONCEPT
Characteristics of Self-concept
(1) is unique to the individual;
(2) can be positive or negative;
(3) has emotional, intellectual, and functional dimensions;
(4) changes with the environmental context;
(5) changes over time; and (6) has a powerful influence on one’s life.
7. Factors affecting self concept
• Altered health status
• Experience
• Developmental considerations
• Culture
• Internal and external resources
• History of success and failure
• Crisis or life stressors
• Aging, illness, or trauma
9. Personal identity
• Personal identity is the sense of what sets a person apart from others.
• It may include the person’s name, gender, ethnicity, family status,
occupation, and roles.
• Personal identity develops during childhood from self-reflection and
feedback from others.
• Erikson’s psychosocial theory stresses the importance of the family,
peer group, and community in forming the personal identity.
10. Body image
• Body image, the attitude about one’s physical attributes and
characteristics, appearance, and performance changes as the body
changes over time.
• The way one perceives the body is affected by personal identity and
self-esteem
11. Self - esteem
• Self-esteem is the judgment of personal performance compared with
the self-ideal. The self-ideal is based on personal standards and self-
expectations.
• Self-esteem is most threatened during adolescence.
• Self-esteem is associated with locus of control.
• People with an internal locus of control perceive that they affect their
own destiny, as opposed to people with an external locus of control,
who perceive that others affect their destiny.
12. Role performance
• Role is a set of expected behaviors that are determined by familial,
cultural, and social norms.
• People express their self-identity through their roles. Some people take
on a “sick role,” a set of social expectations met by an ill person, such as
being exempt from role responsibilities, being obligated to get well,
and seeking help.
13. Factors influencing self concept
1) Attention: the self-concept acts like a filter by allowing and disallowing information to enter our
mind; we tend to notice things that are important to our self-concept.
2) Interpretation and Decision Making: our self-concept provides us with a frame of reference for
making sense of what we notice.
3) Social Relations: our self-concept influences who we see as different or as similar to us, who we
trust and the networks of people we create; assumptions we have of others
4) Moral Decision Making: our self-concept influences our ideas about right and wrong, ethical
and unethical.
5) Ability to Cope with Stress: our self-concept helps us deal with the challenges of daily stress; a
healthy self-concept provides us with psychological resources to work through the stress in life,
give us confidence during times of change.
