Self-Concept / Perception

Pattern

Ashok Kumar
Prime Instituted of Health Sciences
Islamabad
 Objectives

At the end of this Pattern, students will be able to:

Elaborate the Pattern Description.
Define terms Self-Concept, Self- Esteem, Self-Image.
Explain Self-Concept in detail.
Discuss composition of Self-Concept.
Describe the dimensions of Self-Concept.
Explore how Self-Concept is built and destroyed.
Determine the factors that influence Self-Concept.
 Objectives Cont…
 Validate Self-Concept through developmental
considerations.
 Discuss about body image.
 Discuss self-esteem concept.
 Differentiate the effects of high and low self-esteem.
 Relate the Johari Window with the self-awareness.
 Discuss the Body-Image Disturbance.
 Discuss hopelessness.
 Describe self-esteem disturbance.
Pattern Description

The nurse interacts with the client, the most

important knowledge the client contributes is
self knowledge. This knowledge base is most
often labeled “self concept”.
One’s self concept is composed of behavior and
attitudes about self, body image, self-esteem,
self information about abilities.
Definitions
 SELF-CONCEPT
- The sum total of the ways in which we
think about ourselves
 SELF ESTEEM
- How highly we think about our
abilities and ourselves.
 SELF IMAGE
- How we view ourselves is based on
others reactions to us
Self Concept
 Self concept involves all of the self
perceptions, appearance, values and beliefs
that influence behavior and are referred to
when using the words “I” and “me”.
 How one views or feels about the self. This
concept is learned as you experience the
world through your senses and perception.
Self-Concept Comprises of:
 Values – refers to your relatively permanent
ideas of what is good or bad, worthwhile or
not.
 Beliefs – what you think is true based on logic.
 Attitudes – refer to more specific application
of your values. How you act.
 Feeling – emotional responses to things such
as events, people, places or situations
Dimensions of Self Concept
There are four dimensions of self concept:
 Self Knowledge: the knowledge that one has
about oneself including insights into one’s
abilities, nature and limitations.
 Self expectation: what one expects of oneself;
may be realistic or unrealistic expectation.
 Social Self: how a person is perceived by
others and society.
 Social Evaluation: the appraisal of oneself in
relationship to others, events or situations.
How is self-concept built & destroyed?
Building Destructing
 Find a good role model  Comparing yourself to
 Praise & compliments others
 Focus on the positive  Putting yourself down
 Drug abuse?
 Keep criticism to a minimum
 Set & achieve goals
 Influences to Self-Concept
Life Experiences
Age
Sexual
Appearance
Orientation

Self-Concept
Gender
Relationships

Education Culture
Emotional
Maturity
Developmental Considerations
Self-concept changes as we get older.
YOUNG CHILDREN:
younger children are limited to descriptions of
themselves, like boy/girl, size etc.
OLDER CHILDREN
Older children can provide much more detailed
descriptions; hair and eye colour, address, shoe
size etc.
Developmental Considerations Cont..

ADOLESCENTS: Self concept can be

explained in terms of beliefs, likes and dislikes,
relationships.
ADULTS: Adults can explain themselves in
terms of quality of life and their personality.
ELDERLY: Older adults may have developed
even more self knowledge and developed
‘wisdom’
Body image
 The image of physical self or body image, is
how a person perceives the size, appearance
and functioning of the body and its parts. Body
image has both cognitive and affective aspects.
 Cognitive is the knowledge of the material
body.
 Affective includes sensation of the body such
as pain, pleasure, fatigue and physical
movement.
Body image Cont….
 Body image is the sum of these attitudes,
conscious and unconscious that a person has
toward his or her body.
 Body image includes clothing, make-up, hair
style, jewelry and other things intimately
connected to a person. It includes body
prosthesis such as artificial limbs, dentures and
hair pieces as well as devices required for
functioning such as wheel chairs, canes and
eye glasses.
Self-Esteem…What is it?

 Self-esteem refers to the

way we see and think
about ourselves.
Self-Esteem…What’s it made of?

 Your self-esteem is made

up of all the experiences
and interpersonal
relationships you’ve had
in your life. Everyone
you’ve ever met has
added to or taken away
from how you see
yourself!
 How it is different from self concept?
SELF CONCEPT SELF ESTEEM
• A person’s overall
 A person’s view of what
sense of self worth.
he/she is good at
 Where his/her interests • Positive or negative.
lie
• “Most of the time I
 talents and skills
feel really good
 abilities
about myself”
 personality
 The Effects of High Self-Esteem
People with high self-esteem possess the following
characteristics:
 They like to meet new people.
 They don’t worry about how others will judge
them.
 They have the courage to express themselves.
 Their lives are enriched with each new encounter.
 Their ideas are met with interest because others
want to hear what they have to say.
 They are magnets to positive opportunities!
The Effects of Low Self-Esteem

People with low self-esteem possess the

following characteristics:
 They don’t believe in themselves.
 They see themselves failing before they begin.
 They have a hard time forgiving their mistakes
and make themselves pay the price forever.
 They believe they can never be as good as they
should be or as others.
The Effects of Low Self-Esteem Cont..

They are afraid to show their creativity because

they will be ridiculed.
They are dissatisfied with their lives.
They spend most of their time alone.
They complain and criticize.
They worry about everything and do nothing.
People with low self-esteem have an “I can’t do
it”.
 JOHARI Window: An Interpersonal
Communications Model

KNOWN TO ME UNKNOWN TO ME

KNOWN Open Blind (spot)

TO
OTHERS Public Bad Breath
Area Salad Teeth

UNKNOWN Hidden
TO Unknown
OTHERS Avoided
Unconscious
Private
 JOHARI WINDOW Cont..
OPEN SELF
all know name, gender, preferences-what you
choose
BLIND SELF
 others see but we can't see -our habit/trait
UNKNOWN SELF
 neither you nor others know
JOHARI WINDOW Cont..

HIDDEN SELF
 You know but don't share
 Personal boundaries
Body Image Disturbance

The individual who has body image

disturbance may hide or not look at or touch a
body part that is significantly changed in
structure by illness or trauma. Some
individuals may also express feelings of
helplessness, hopelessness, powerlessness and
vulnerability and may exhibit self destructive
behavior such as over or under eating or
suicide attempts.
Hopelessness

A subjective state in which an individual sees

limited or no alternatives or personal choices
available and is unable to mobilize energy on
own behalf. This state can be characterized by
passivity or decreased verbalization, and
verbal cues such as “ I can’t and sighing”.
Self-Esteem Disturbance
 Negative self evaluation or feeling about self
or self capabilities, which may be directly or
indirectly expressed.
 Chronic low self-esteem:
Long standing negative feelings about self
or capabilities.
 Situational low self-esteem:
Episodic feelings about self or capabilities
that develop in response to a loss or change.
Self-Esteem Disturbance Cont….
Major Characteristics:
 Makes Self Negating Verbalization
 Express shame or guilt
 Hesitate to try new things or situations
 Rationalize personal failures
 Denies problems obvious to others
 Projects blame or responsibility for problems
 Rationalizes away or rejects positive feedback
and exaggerates negative feedback about self.