THE PHYSICAL SELF:

THE SELF AS Prepared by:

IMPACTED BY THE Rassil J. Goboleo, RPm

BODY
SELF-UNDERSTANDING
It is the individual’s cognitive representation of the self
which consist of the substance and the content of self-
conception (Santrock, 2014).
The development of self-understanding in adolescence
can be described from simple to perplex and involves a
number of aspects of the self
 the person’s understanding to self changes as the person
grows older
GROWING UP
TEENAGERS
As children advance in age, their
interests change and with these come
changes in their bodies or the physical
selves.
Parents should respect their teenagers
privacy and allow them enough space to
grow.
Parents are always there ready to listen
and to provide support.
PHYSICAL SELF
Refers to the concrete dimensions of
the body
The tangible aspect of the person which
can be directly observed and examined
Physical characteristics are the
defining traits or features of the person’s
body. The first thing a person sees when
he looks at another could be their facial
features, hairstyle, clothes, or figure.
PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS
Denifing traits or features
of the person’s body
Physical looks
Facial features
Hairstyle
Clothes
Figure
ERIK ERIKSON

Believed in the importance

of the body from early
development of physical and
intellectual skills
Basis to whether a person
has achieved a sense of
competence to manage and
face the demand of life
complexities
WILLIAM
JAMES
Considered the body
as the initial source of
sensation
Necessary for the
origin and
maintenance of
personality
PUBERTY

10-12 years of
age – beginning of
puberty
Transition period
in human life span
lasts from 18 to 22
years of age
(Santrock, 2016)
PERIOD OF ADOLESCENCE
World Health Organization – 10 to 19 years
National Youth Commission – 15 to 30 years
Children.org – adolescence is divided into three
periods:
1. Early adolescence – 11 to 14 years old
2. Middle adolescence – 15 to 17 years old
3. Late adolescence – 18 to 21 years old
PUBERTY: A PERIOD OF
RAPID PHYSICAL
CHANGES
PUBERTY
It is a brain-
neuroendocrine process
occurring primarily in
early adolescence that
triggers the rapid
physical changes that
occur in the adolescent
stage of human
development
PUBERTY
Puberty is not the same as
adolescence because puberty
ends prior to the end of the
adolescent period (Santrock,
2016)
Menarche – first menstrual
flow
Spermarche or semenarche –
first ejaculation or nocturnal
emission (wet dreams)
PITUITARY GLAND
It is the master endocrine gland that
controls the growth and regulates the
functions of all other endocrine glands
Sex Gonads Hormones

Girls ovary Estrogen,

progesterone
Boys testes Androgen,
testosterone
SEXUAL
CHANGES
Primary Sexual
Changes
Changes in the
reproductive organs that
prepare both boys and
girls for recreation
Secondary Sexual
Changes
These are physical
changes that distinguish
boys from girls
PRIMARY SEXUAL CHANGES
Changes in the reproductive organs that prepare both boys and
girls for recreation
PUBERTY
Human development is a progressive process and variations
occur because of individual differences in factors such as health,
nurture and heredity
BODY IMAGE
Psychological aspect of physical change in puberty
Refers to the way one sees himself/herself or the way he/she
imagines how he/she looks
How they see themselves can either be positive or negative
BODY IMAGE
Research reveals that, adolescents with the most positive body
image are engage in health enhancing behavior such as eating a
balanced diet and exercising regularly
Adolescents with poor body image have negative thoughts and
feelings about their appearance which can either be true or not
Healthy body image is made up of positive thoughts, feelings
and acceptance of one’s body and overall physical appearance
BODY IMAGE
Imaginary audience
Young adolescence experience this as an egocentric state where
the individual imagines and believe that many people are actively
listening or watching him/her.
In social psychology, it is called spotlight effect which refers to
the belief that others are paying attention to the person’s
appearance and behavior than they really are
FACTORS THAT AFFECT
PERCEPTION OF THE
PHYSICAL SELF
PERSONAL FACTORS
Introspection and Self-reflection
Looking inward is one of the simplest way to achieve
self-knowledge
Introspection is the process by which one observes and
examines one’s internal state (mental and emotional) after
behaving in a certain way (Hewstone, 2015)
PERSONAL FACTORS
Self-perception Theory
This theory explains that since one’s internal state is
difficult to interpret, people can infer their inner states by
observing their own behavior as if they are an outside
observer
Physical perception includes all aspects of a person’s
perception of his physical self
PERSONAL FACTORS
Self-concept
It is a cognitive representation of self-knowledge which
includes the sum total of all beliefs that people have about
themselves
It is a collection of all individual experiences involving one’s
characteristics, social roles, values, goals and fears
Physical self-concept is the individual’s perception or
description of his physical self including his physical appearance
PERSONAL FACTORS
Personal Identity
This is the concept a person has about himself that
develops over the years
Family, nationality, gender, physical traits, choices he
makes, what he does for a living, friends, belief
SOCIAL FACTORS
Attachment Process and Social Appraisal
People learn about their value and lovability when they experience
how their mothers or caregivers care for them and respond to their
needs
Positive self-concept – caregiver appropriately responds to the
infant’s needs
Negative self-concept – caregiving that is neglectful and
unresponsive
This is developed prior to achieving self-awareness
SOCIAL FACTORS
Maintaining, Regulating and Expanding the Self in
Interpersonal Relationships
The sense of self is continuously shaped through
ongoing interaction with others or with significant
relationship partners
They act as “private audiences” with whom people carry
an internal dialogue
SOCIAL FACTORS
The Looking-glass Self Theory
Charles Horton Cooley stated that a person’s self grows
out of society’s interpersonal interactions and the
perception of others
The self-image is shaped and reflected from the social
world
Reflected appraisals
SOCIAL FACTORS
Social Comparison
It is a process of comparing oneself with others in
order to evaluate one’s own abilities and opinions
Upward social comparison
Downward social comparison
SOCIAL FACTORS
Social Identity Theory (Collective Identity
Theory)
People achieve understanding about themselves
by being a member of their group
Social groups include gender, ethnicity, religion,
profession, political membership, and business
organizations
SOCIAL FACTORS
Social Identity Theory (Collective Identity Theory)
SELF IDENTITY
The person that someone truly is or It is who a person believes he or she
the entire person of the individual is, representing a synthesis and
integration of self-understanding
The total characteristics of a person The traits and characteristics, social
both known and unknown to others relations, roles and social group
but known to oneself memberships that define who one is
A way of making sense of some aspect
or part of self-concept
SOCIAL FACTORS
Social Identity Theory (Collective Identity Theory)
The self belongs to an individual level analysis
which includes self-esteem, self-states, self-efficacy
and the like
Identity is based on societal or cultural level analysis
such as cultural concept of oneself and cultural make
up which makes a person who he is
 THE IMPACT OF CULTURE ON
BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM:
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEAUTY
CULTURE
It is defined as a social system
that is characterized by the shared
meanings that are attributed to
people and events by its members
This is another factor that
strongly impact a person’s view
of his physical self
BEAUTY
The quality of being
physically attractive or the
qualities in a person or a thing
that give pleasure to the senses
or the mind.
“beauty is in the eye of the
beholder”
 THE FILIPINO
CONCEPT OF BEAUTY
BEAUTY
Eurocentrism – defined as “a tendency to interpret the world in
terms of European or Anglo-American values and experiences”
Colorism – it is defined as “the prejudicial or preferential
treatment of same-race people based solely on the color of their
skin”
These two have significant effects on the body image and
identities of the common Filipino
SELF-ESTEEM AND THE
IDEAL BODY IMAGE
SELF-ESTEEM
The overall evaluation that a person has of himself
which can be positive or negative, high or low
It is a measure of the person’s self-worth based on some
personal or social standard
People with positive or high self-esteem are happier,
have a sense of accomplishment and purpose and relate
well with others
SELF-ESTEEM
There are several factors that may affect a person’s self-esteem
and physical appearance is one of them
Adolescent’s body image includes the following:
1. Perception of their physical self when they look in the mirror
2. Feelings of like or dislike about the physical self that they see
3. Their thoughts and how they relate to their physical self
4. Perception of how other people view them physically
SELF-ESTEEM
The following are some aspects in culture that may have
led to misconceptions:
1. Society’s ideals of the perfect physical form
2. Images of perfection adolescents see in all types of
media
3. Since a standard has been set by society and reinforced
by media, any characteristic that does not conform to
the standard is labelled as ugly.
SELF-ESTEEM
Adolescence is the period where self-identity is
formed, it is important for adults in the environment
to listen and provide proper guidance and support
Being beautiful still depends on how a person
defines beauty and the standards he sets to meet this
definition
THANK YOU! Prepared by:
Rassil J. Goboleo, RPm
ACTIVITY NO.6: THE
PHYSICAL SELF
1. Choose five physical characteristics of yourself that you
consider beautiful. Took a picture of it and paste it in a
word document and explain why do you consider it as
your best asset.
2. Choose another five photo of a person that you consider
beautiful and describe what for you is beautiful about
each one of them and why.