PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

Lesson 1: Knowing Oneself

DEFINING THE CONCEPT OF SELF
SELF is the sum total of who a person is; a person’s central inner force, common to all human
beings and yet unique in each, which is the deep source of growth. Every individual possesses a
“self” which is the representation of one’s identity which distinguishes him or her from other
identities.
SELF – is the union of elements:
body + thoughts + emotions and sensations = Character or Personality

SELF-CONCEPT AND SELF-ESTEEM

The search for validation that affects self-concept is common in adolescence and may affect
one’s self esteem.
SELF-ESTEEM
• An individual's subjective evaluation of their own worth
• It is how we value ourselves, given the negative or positive feedback we receive.
SELF CONCEPT
A person’s subjective description of who the person thinks he or she is; filtered by your own
perceptions..e.g. You may have a great singing voice, but you may not believe in it enough to
think of yourself as a singer. Thus it refers to your awareness of yourself.
SEVERAL FACTORS THAT SHAPE SELF-CONCEPT
1. Own observation
During early childhood, we start observing our behavior and drawing conclusions about
ourselves. We are aware of what we do; we dislike; can and cannot do. Although, when we are
still children, our observations are not entirely correct or sometimes subject to change and
entirely up to us, to retain or to improve. We even compare our observed selves from others. In
social comparison theory, people need to compare themselves with others in order to gain insight
into their own behavior.
2. Feedback from others
The amount of criticism, feedback we sometimes freely give, helps shape the current self-
concept of what we choose to be or not. As we grow old, the number of significant and non-
significant people in our lives also grows. Everyone contributes in reshaping the self-concept.
Even our ability to accomplish something or destroy our selves comes from painful remarks or
constructive criticism of others. In child-rearing, especially the parents, has a unique and
essential role in reinforcing and shaping the self-concept. As children, we receive direct feedback
from them. Their constant approval and disapproval set guidelines for what should be or not,
shaping and inputting the values and characteristics of the children and, later, becoming what
they are when they grow.
The saying “Kung ano ang puno ay siyang bunga”, is a testament output family values instilled
in childhood rearing practices.
Aside from children comparing their actions from others, they also compare themselves to their
parents. That is why sometimes, even when our parents are gone, we still have their
characteristics and values; we unconsciously accept this as our self-concept, along with their
approvals and disapprovals. Most of us, especially when we are young, take this sort of feedback
to heart. Thus, it is no surprise that studies find an association between parents’ views of a child
and the child’s self-concept (Wylie, 1979). There is even more substantial evidence for a
relationship between children’s perception of their parents’ attitudes toward them and their self-
perception they grow.
3. Cultural Values/ Cultural Guidelines
Self-concept is also indirectly influenced by cultural values. In the study of Cultural Psychology,
in this age of technology and social media, we accept our differences, especially on how we
accept the culture and beliefs of others
TWO CATEGORIES OF SELF-CONCEPT
A. ACTUAL SELF
Refers to the characteristics that we believe we possess; it may include the roles we perceive we
inhabit, the words we use when we describe ourselves, and how we believe others perceive us.
B. IDEAL SELF
Refers to how we want to be; idealized image that we have developed over time, based on what
we have learned and experienced.
The ideal self could include components of what our parents have taught us, what we admire in
others, what our society promotes, and what we think is in our best interest.
FOUR WAYS ON HOW TO UNDERSTAND OURSELVES
1. Looking Glass Self
-Describes the process wherein individuals base their sense of self on how they believe others
view them. Using social interaction as a type of “mirror”, people use the judgements they receive
from others to measure their own worth, values, and behavior.
• It states that a person’s self grows out of society’s interpersonal interactions and
the perceptions of others.
• It is described as our reflection of how we think we appear to others. It is how
oneself imagines how others view him/her.
2. Introspection
• It is your ability to reflect and think about your own thoughts, feelings, and actions/self-
assessment.
• It is self-examination, analyzing yourself, looking at your own personality and actions
and considering your own motivations.
3. Social Comparison
• phenomenon where we can compare ourselves to people who are better than us- “upward
comparisons”-or worse than us-“downward comparisons”
4. Self-Perception
• It refers to the way in which people come to understand their own attitudes and beliefs
based on their behavior in given situations. People develop attitudes and opinions by
observing their own behavior and drawing conclusions from it.
IDENTIFYING YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
In identifying your strengths, you are more empowered to do developmental tasks and equipped
with skills essentials in making wise decisions in life. Determining your weaknesses gives you
the opportunity to know your limitations or boundaries.
REMEMBER:
a. Remember that it is in understanding yourself that you become more capable of actualizing
your potentials to the fullest.
b. When you understand yourself, you do not only come to appreciate and value who you are;
understanding yourself also helps you to respect others and relate with them more meaningfully.
c. When you know yourself more, you are empowered to cope well with the demands in school,
at home, and of your relationships with others.
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom”
-Aristotle

LESSON 2: Developing the Whole Person

Holistic Development
• Refers to the “process of self-actualization and learning that combines an individual’s
mental, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual/moral growth.
• It refers to human development that is meant to involve all the parts of a person.
Five Aspects of Personal Development
1. PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES and its Implications
Physiological development refers to physical changes in the body as well as the senses
and changes in skills related to movement.
Physiological changes involve the development of:
PRIMARY SEX CHARACTERISTICS
• Changes to the sexual organs (e.g. penis and testes in males, vagina and ovaries in
females)
SECONDARY SEX CHARACTERISTICS
• Physical changes that mark adult maturation (e.g. female breasts and hips, male and
female body hair, and voice quality)
Androgen and Estrogen
• A hormones or chemical substances produced by endocrine glands that actively affect
physical growth and development.
• A primary sex hormone responsible for the development and regulation of female and
male reproductive system.
• Both are present in males and females; however, each one of them functions more
strongly in one sex than the other.
Testosterone
- an androgen that is strongly associated in the physical maturation of boys. Increased level of
testosterone in males is related to changes in:
• Changes in height
• Deepening voice
• Development of genitals
• Sexual desires and activities

Estradiol
- an estrogen that strongly associated in the physical development of girls, such as:
• Widening of hips
• Breast
• Urine DevelopmentA
Note: It is important to take care of your body.
• Live healthy,
• eat healthy foods
• get enough sleep
• exercise regularly
• avoid drugs and alcohol
• Manage stress and go for regular medical check-ups.
• Practice good hygiene.

2. COGNITIVE CHANGES and its Implications

Cognitive development refers to a person’s intellectual abilities as shown in his/her
thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and values. Cognitive development means how people think,
explore, and figure things out. It is the development of knowledge, skills, problem-solving, and
dispositions, which helps a person to think about and understand the world around them.
Cognitive Development is observed in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala.
Prefrontal Cortex
• Involved in decision making, reasoning and controlling one’s emotions.
Amygdala
• the seat of your emotions.
Stage Theory of Intellectual Development
(Jean Piaget)
His theory of cognitive development suggests that children move through four different stages of
mental development.
His theory focuses not only on understanding how children acquire knowledge, but also on
understanding the nature of intelligence.

• Birth - 2 years old

Sensorimotor • Understands world through senses and actions

• 2 years old - 7 years old

Preoperational • Understands world through language and mental images

• 7 years old - 12 years old

Concrete Operational • Understands world through logical thinking and categories

• 12 years old - onwards

Formal Operational • Understands world through hypothetical thinking and scientific
reasoning.

3. EMOTIONAL CHANGES and its Implications

Emotional development has something to do with the feelings that you experience.
• Emotional health is an important part of overall health. Emotionally healthy people are
in control of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They can cope with life’s challenges.
• Period wherein you realize that lessons can be learned from each difficult experience, and
that you gain important life skills from each obstacle you can conquer.
EMOTIONAL MATURITY
Emotional maturity is about your ability to understand and manage your emotions. An
emotionally mature person has reached (and continues to work at reaching) a level of self-
understanding with regards to their thoughts and behaviors and then decides how to best
approach and cope with situations that might otherwise be trying or challenging. Being
emotionally mature can help you reach successful resolutions to problems, as well as keep
problems from overwhelming you.
10 Signs of Emotional Maturity:
1. Being Flexible
2. Taking ownership and responsibility
3. Knowing that they don’t know everything
4. They Look for Learning and Growth From Every Opportunity
5. They Actively Seek Out Multiple Points of View To Help Inform Their Own
6. They Stay Resilient
7. They Have a Calm Disposition
8. They Believe in Themselves
9. Approachability
10. A Good Sense of Humor
There are many ways to improve or maintain good emotional health.
• Be aware of your emotions and reactions. Notice what in your life makes you sad, frustrated, or
angry. Try to address or change those things.
• Think before you act. Emotions can be powerful. Give yourself time to think and be calm
before you say or do something you might regret.
• Manage stress. Try to change situations, causing you stress. Learn relaxation methods to cope
with stress.
• Strive for balance. Find a healthy balance between work and play and between activity and rest.
Make time for things you enjoy. Focus on positive things in your life.
• Take care of your physical health. Your physical health can affect your emotional health.
Exercise regularly, eat healthy meals and get enough sleep. Do not abuse drugs or
alcohol.
• Connect with others. We are social creatures. We need positive connections with other people.

4. SOCIAL CHANGES and its Implications

Social development It is about our innate capacity to relate with others, to connect, and
to feel the sense of belongingness. Social Development refers to how people develop social and
emotional skills across the lifespan, with particular attention to childhood and adolescence.
Healthy social development allows us to form positive relationships with family, friends,
teachers, and other people in our lives.
Social Pressure and demands
Peer Pressure
• It is the expectation that you comply with the norms of your peer group.
• Means the influence that peers can have on each other
• Although peer pressure does not necessarily have to be negative, the term "pressure"
implies that the process influences people to do things that may be resistant to or might
not otherwise choose to do.
To successfully make social adjustments, you need to:
• Enhance your social skills
• Learn to clarify boundaries
• Choose your friends wisely
Healthy social development can help you:
• Develop Communication Skills
• Build self-esteem
• Strengthen learning skills
• Resolve conflicts
• Establish a positive attitude
5. MORAL CHANGES and its Implications
Moral development focuses on the emergence, change, and understanding of morality
from infancy through adulthood. Morality develops across a lifetime and is influenced by an
individual's experiences and their behavior when faced with moral issues through different
periods' physical and cognitive development.
• Moral development starts with obeying your elders when you were a child to more
internal, moral thinking during adolescence.
• Adolescence should have attained the post-conventional reasoning or have developed
moral reasoning based on the universal human rights (Kohlberg, 1958).

Moral Development Theory

(Lawrence Kohlberg)