Understanding the Self

Complete Course Reviewer

Covers all modules: The Physical Self, Standards of Beauty, Sexual Self, Spiritual Self, Material/Economic Self, Online Identity, Brain & Behavior, Metacognition, Goal Setting, and Stress Management.

Physical Self Spiritual Self Material & Digital Brain & Learning Stress & Goals
Unit 1 — The Physical & Sexual Self

The Physical Self

  • Physical Self: The body, concrete dimension, and tangible aspect of every person. Used to connect with fellow beings and environment.
  • William James: Considered the body as the initial source of sensation and necessary for personality.
  • Erik Erickson: Bodily organs are important in early developmental stages. Developing physical/intellectual skills helps achieve a sense of competence.
  • Indian Tradition: Looks at growth and enlightenment as a whole-body event.

Standards of Beauty & Archetypes

Cultural Beauty Standards

  • Lip Plate: Mursi & Suri tribes (Ethiopia). Expression of female maturity/readiness.
  • Neck Ring: Myanmar. Considered beautiful and elegant.
  • Foot Binding: Tang Dynasty China. "Golden Lotus". Distinguished upper class.
  • Scarification: Cicatrisation (permanent blisters). Marker of cultural identity.

Global Beauty Archetypes

  • Powerful Peacocks: Career, success, power (present in China).
  • Seductive Foxes: Largest group globally. Enhance femininity, romantic prowess.
  • Social Butterflies: Beauty of conversation, buy from direct sellers.
  • Graceful Swans: Subtle enhancement, contentment & confidence.
  • Comfortable Cats: Natural beauty.

The Sexual Self

Sexuality goes beyond physical development and involves: Sex (biological), Gender (psychological/social norms), and Sexual Orientation (preference for relationship).

Reproductive Functions Sexual Behaviors & Phases
1. Produce hormones
2. Produce egg/sperm cells
3. Nurture developing offspring
4. Transport and sustain cells 		Behaviors: Solitary (self-stimulation) & Sociosexual (with others).

Masters & Johnson Phases:
1. Excitement
2. Plateau
3. Orgasm
4. Resolution
Unit 2 — The Spiritual Self

Religion vs. Spirituality

⛪

Religiousness

From "religare" (to bind fast). It is institutional, objective, and involves communal worship. It has a substantive function (doctrines/practices).

✨

Spirituality

Embodies the complexity of human experiences. It is personal, subjective, and involves individual worship. Components include prayer, ethical living, and communal support.

Zinbauer & Pargament's Perspectives

  • Incompatibility: Viewing them as entirely separate (institutional vs subjective).
  • Compatibility: (1) Religiousness as a form of spirituality, or (2) Spirituality as part of religiousness.

Views on the Existence of God

Theism: Asserts reality of God Agnosticism: Asserts uncertainty Non-Theism: Not certain of position Monotheism: One God Polytheism: Many Gods Henotheism: Worship one, believe in many Kathenotheism: Worship single god at a time
Unit 3 — The Material & Digital Self

The Material & Economic Self

Possessions are reflections of identity. William James called it the sum total of all one can call "his", and Belk stated possessions become our "Extended Self".

Sartre's 3 Ways to Integrate an Object as Part of Yourself:

  1. Controlling: Exercising power/control over objects.
  2. Creating: Having a sense of ownership as the creator.
  3. Knowing: Knowing the object passionately.

My Online Identity

  • Digital Self: Collection of views we interpret others have of us online. It is inwardly oriented, narrative in nature, retractable, and multiplied.
  • Selective Self-Presentation: Pleasing the audience vs. Self-construction (ideal self).
  • Impression Management (Goffman): A dramaturgical metaphor of actors on a stage. Five strategies: Ingratiation, self-promotion, exemplification, intimidation, supplication.
  • Private vs. Public Self: Mental unobservable events vs. open observable behaviors.
Unit 4 — Brain & Metacognition

The Human Brain & Neurons

Brain Areas

  • Cortex: Thinking, voluntary movements
  • Brain stem: Breathing, sleep
  • Basal ganglia: Coordinates messages
  • Cerebellum: Coordination, balance
  • Cerebrum: Learning (memory, reasoning)
  • - Occipital (sight), Temporal (hearing/memory), Parietal (touch), Frontal (motor/reasoning)

Neurons & Learning

  • Soma: Cell body.
  • Axon: Sender of message (electrical action potential).
  • Dendrites: Receiver of message (chemical neurotransmitters).
  • Types: Sensory (afferent), Motor (efferent), Interneurons.
  • Learning: Moves from Short-Term Memory (STM) to Long-Term Memory (LTM). Frequent interaction between neurons strengthens bonds.

Metacognition (John Flavell)

"Thinking about thinking." An inventory on thinking what we already know, what works, and evaluating mastery.

Knowledge Types Study Strategies
Declarative: Factual information.
Procedural: How to do something.
Conditional: When/why to use a skill. 		Rehearsal: Repetition (Maintenance = low level, Elaborative = connecting to experience).
Clustering: Grouping information.
Elaboration: Adding extra info from schema (Verbal or Image).
Unit 5 — Goals & Stress Management

Setting Goals For Success

  • Self-Efficacy (Albert Bandura): Perceived ability to cope with specific situations. View problems as tasks to be mastered.
  • Mindsets (Carol Dweck & Claudia Mueller):
    Fixed Mindset: "My potential is predetermined."
    Growth Mindset: "Failure is an opportunity to grow."
  • Grit (Angela Duckworth): Sustained persistence toward long-term achievement. Talent + Effort = Skill -> Success.
  • Goal Setting Principles (Locke & Latham): Clarity, Challenge, Commitment, Feedback, Task Complexity.

Managing Stress (Dr. Hans Selye)

Conflicts & Syndromes

  • Eustress (Positive) vs Distress (Negative)
  • 4 Conflicts: Approach-approach (least stressful), Approach-avoidance, Avoidance-avoidance, Multiple approach-avoidance (most stressful).
  • General Stress Syndrome: Alarm stage -> Resistance stage -> Exhaustion stage.

Psychological Moderators

  • Social Support: Help from others.
  • Self-efficacy: Belief in ability to influence events.
  • Psychological Hardiness: Commitment, challenge, control. Promotes resistance.
  • Optimism: Positive outlook.

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