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Self Concept

This document defines self-concept and related terms like self-awareness. It discusses self-concept as one's perception of themselves, including traits, roles, and qualities. Several theorists are mentioned who proposed models of self-concept, including it having ideal, actual, and esteem components. Self-concept is influenced by how one views their abilities and characteristics, as well as how others respond to them. The document also outlines different types of self-awareness and discusses the importance of self-concept and self-awareness for understanding oneself and relating to others.

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Endalew Dejene
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174 views

Self Concept

This document defines self-concept and related terms like self-awareness. It discusses self-concept as one's perception of themselves, including traits, roles, and qualities. Several theorists are mentioned who proposed models of self-concept, including it having ideal, actual, and esteem components. Self-concept is influenced by how one views their abilities and characteristics, as well as how others respond to them. The document also outlines different types of self-awareness and discusses the importance of self-concept and self-awareness for understanding oneself and relating to others.

Uploaded by

Endalew Dejene
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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one’s description and evaluation of oneself, including psychological and physical characteristics,

qualities, skills, roles and so forth. Self-concepts contribute to the individual’s sense of identity over
time. The conscious representation of self-concept is dependent in part on non conscious
schematization of the self . Although self-concepts are usually available to some degree to the
consciousness, they may be inhibited from representation yet still influence judgment, mood, and
behavioral patterns. Also called self-appraisal; self-assessment; self-evaluation; self-rating.
(APA DICTIONARY)

another definition of self concept it is how you perceive your behavior, abilities and unique
characteristics. At its most basic, self concept is a collection of beliefs one holds about one self and the
responses of others. It embodies the answer to the question “who am I”. for example beliefs such as

 “I am kind”
 I am ugly
 I am good at business
 “I am shy”
 I am attractive are parts of an overall self -concept.

Humanist psychologist Carl Rogers believed that your self-concept was made up of three
different parts:

 Ideal self: The person you want to be


 Self-image: How you see yourself, including attributes like your physical characteristics,
personality traits, and social roles
 Self-esteem: How much you like, accept, or value yourself, which can be impacted by a
number of factors including how others see you, how you think you compare to others,
and your role in society.
 As mentioned earlier, your self-concept is not always perfectly aligned with reality.
When it is aligned, your self-concept is said to be "congruent."
 But when there is a mismatch between how you see yourself (your self-image) and who
you wish you were (your ideal self), your self-concept is "incongruent." This
incongruence can negatively impact your self-esteem.

As with many topics within psychology, a number of other theorists have proposed different
ways of thinking about self-concept; One of them is henri tajfel.

According to social psychologist Henri Tajfel's social identity theory, self-concept is composed
of two key parts:4

 Personal identity: The traits and other characteristics that make you unique
 Social identity: Who you are based on your membership in social groups, such as sports
teams, religions, political parties, or social class

On the other hand, psychologist Bruce A. Bracken believed self-concept was multidimensional
and could be broken down into six independent traits:
 Academic: Your success or failure in school
 Affect: Your awareness of emotional states
 Competence: Your ability to meet basic needs
 Family: How well you work in your family unit
 Physical: How you feel about your looks, health, physical condition, and overall
appearance
 Social: Your ability to interact with others

In 1992, Bracken developed the Multidimensional Self-Concept Scale, a comprehensive


assessment that evaluates each of these six elements of self-concept in children and adolescents.

Ways to improve self concept


In order to possess a positive or healthy self-concept you must:

 Know yourself
 Love yourself
 Be True to yourself

The other related concept is self-awareness. Self –awareness according to APA definition is
self –focused attention or knowledge. Essentially, it is a psychological state in which oneself
becomes the focus of attention.

Self-awareness is one of the first components of the self-concept to emerge. While self-awareness is


something that is central to who you are, it is not something that you are acutely focused on at
every moment of every day. Instead, self-awareness becomes woven into the fabric of who you are
and emerges at different points depending on the situation and your personality.

Types of Self-Awareness

Psychologists often break self-awareness down into two different types, either public or private.

Public Self-Awareness

This type emerges when people are aware of how they appear to others. Public self-awareness
often emerges in situations when people are at the center of attention, such as when giving a
presentation or talking to a group of friends. When we are aware that we are being watched and
evaluated, we often try to behave in ways that are socially acceptable and desirable. Public self-
awareness can sometimes lead to become distressed or anxious.

Private Self-Awareness

This type happens when people become aware of some aspects of themselves, but only in a
private way. For example, seeing your face in the mirror is a type of private self-awareness.
Self-awareness plays a critical role in how we understand ourselves and how we relate to others
and the world. Being self-aware allows you to evaluate yourself in relation to others. but we have
to be careful when we evaluate our self some people took it to hard on their self and become
anxious, or shy. After all we are humans we will always have flaws we can’t be perfect in every
way and we don’t have to be perfect.

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