Personal Reflection On The Self

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Personal Reflection on the Self By: Selina Appel Psy/400 Leah Reagan University of Phoenix October 22, 2011 Personal Reflections on the Self Paper What is self concept and how does it pertain to us? The self-concept is that organization of qualities that the individual attributes to himself/herself. Notice the word qualities; this word is used in a broad sense to include both attributes that the individuals might express in terms of adjectives (ambitious, intelligent) and also the roles he/she sees their selves in (father, mother, doctor, lawyer, etc...). The general theory – In very general terms the basic notions of the theory can be stated in one sentence: The individual’s conception of himself/herself emerges from social interaction and in turn, guides, or influences the behavior of that individual. In general self concept is meant to be a reflection of an individual’s identity and separate from others, and the environment (Huitt, 2009). Self Concept and Self-Esteem So therefore “Who Am I”? According to George Herbert Mead, there is no I without a Me. Recognizing that self cannot appear in consciousness as an “I” that is an object, i.e., a, me” (The Social Self, 1913). Meaning, that a “me” is inconceivable without an “I” (Mead, 1913). When it comes to self the most widely concepts used are self-esteem and self concept. Self-esteem is the sense of self worth and dictates how we feel about ourselves where self-concept is dictated by how an individual answers the question “Who am I” (Myers, 2008). Research has shown that self-concept is the basis for all motivated behavior because self-concept that provides individuals with possible selves and those possible selves create the motivation for behavior (Huitt, 2009). Self-concept is built through the process of taking action and reflecting on the action one has taken as well as what others tell
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