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Defining Self Concept

In: Philosophy and Psychology

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Defining the Concept of Self
PSY400/ Social Psychology
February 15, 2014

Defining the Concept of Self
“A self-concept is a collection of beliefs about one's own nature, unique qualities, and typical behavior. Your self-concept is your mental picture of yourself. It is a collection of self-perceptions. For example, a self-concept might include such beliefs as 'I am easygoing' or 'I am pretty' or 'I am hardworking” (Weiten, Dunn, & Hammer, 2012). Essentially, Weiten, Dunn, and Hammer have simplified the concept of self, that of which we all seek to understand. It is a concept of which social psychologists, and those alike have been seeking to thoroughly define throughout the history of humanity. In fact, the search for the answers of the self-concept go so far back that it is ultimately immeasurable. Inside every society and era there are, and have been diverse philosophies regarding the significance of individuals as they relate to society in its entirety (Myers, 2010).
The Influence of Self
Comprehending the concept of self arises from the philosophies by which one “defines who they are”. Such distinguishing opinions are called self-schemas (an illustration through which one assesses themselves and others) and are the portions of which creates one’s identity (Myers, 2010). According to Saul McLeod, a psychology lecturer, even a child realizes that their existence is distinct, and that they are individual entities, of whom exist separately from others. Said consciousness of the existential self can initiate as early as two months old. This developmental concept is due to the relation from which a child has with the world (Lewis, 1990). It begins from the simplest of experiences, such as a baby smiling and another smiling back at them. This is a “sponge-like” moment in which even the newest of creatures realizes they are an individual, and capable of

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