The Self-Assessment Psychology - Essay Example

?Introduction The psychology of self is largely dependent on the various external and internal determinants of self-assessment. The need to understand oneself and create identities to fit within the external environment also must correspond with the periodic assessment of the self to remain happy and satisfied. Specific identity within the social fabric is essential part of developing societies. The gender and name are the primary identities of human being that is given by birth and by family respectively. But later on, they are endowed with several new identities, either by default or through external factors which may or may not be appreciated by the persons concerned. Concept of self Concept of self is mainly an effort to understand ourselves within defined parameters of social construction of identity. One is either given an identity or possesses an identity that people associate with that person. The social identity gives a distinct attribute and promotes a social status that physically represents him. It is not only vital representation of his or her self but it is also medium that contributes to a set of knowledge base which can be accessed by others to have a general idea of their orientation towards various socially relevant issues and paradigms. Concept of self is not limited to the physical attributes but encompasses hordes of issues, the person is associated with. Indeed, social construct of identities is influenced by social paradigms like individual ideologies, professional competencies, academia, group representation, cultural compulsions etc. Roger, an eminent psychologist has defined concept of self as perceptions of individuals (I or me) in its relation to others and to various other aspects of life (1959). According to him the positive regard is important to the happiness of the persons and therefore needs to be inculcated within the modules of self-assessment process. Development of self-concept The development of the concept of self emerges from the need to understand oneself and also how other people perceive ourselves. Turner et al. (1994) have promoted Self Categorization Theory that asserts that concept of self works on two levels: how one perceived oneself; and how others perceive oneself and therefore a person has mainly two types of identities, personal and social identity. They facilitate in their adjustment with the environment and demonstrate how they fit socially in the given parameters of social construction. The development of self concept is a continuous process that is influenced by the changes in the environment. Hence, child will have different concept of self as compared to his varying perception when he is grown up. He or she also tends to benefit from the social identities that he or she embraces during the various stages of life. Hence, being a student, an American or even a professional, carry with it certain benefits in society. Factors that influence the concept of self Hogg and Vaughan (2002) claim that conceptualization of self largely depends on the values and beliefs of the group that he/she belong and give unique identity to the person. Turner and Tajfel (1986) have shown that when individuals categorize themselves as group members, they reveal characteristics of in-group biases. The people’s sense of their worth or who they are is emerges from the positive paradigm of ‘we’ rather than ‘I’. Hogg and Abrams (1988) also believe that social categorization is distinct in its existence only because of its relation to other categories. Black vs. white, catholic vs. protestant etc. are important social categories that provide persons with privileges, power, status etc. in society. Thus, concept of self is influenced by myriad social compulsions and social guidelines that give meaning to the life of man and are associated with certain expectations vis-a-vis his role and performance. How relationship between self and emotion affects self-esteem Human emotions are directly linked to the interpretation of the event and impact the psyche of self (Lazarus, 1966). I would be angry if someone deliberately breaks my favorite glass or has wronged me in some way. The cognitive reality of emotions with regard to certain event or behavior of other people or place that threatens the self has become an important factor within the wider paradigm of social norm. Another key factor is the assumption that emotional inferences implicate the existing postulates of self concept. Hence emotions tend to interfere or threaten the theories of self or self esteem. The assimilative capacity of self system becomes key factor that determines the impact of emotions. Thus, a person who is a bright scientist and has gregarious attitude in academic gathering but is afraid of sports like car racing or horse riding, it can be concluded that within her self system, academic holds higher position that sports. Though his competencies give him confidence and self esteem, it cannot be claimed that he does not aspire to be an expert horse rider. The development of positive self-esteem is therefore critical aspect of evolving concept of self and one’s personality. Self-esteem is primarily the way man looks upon himself and perceives himself with relation to his surrounding, including the people and places. His actions and reactions are determined by the way he judges himself. Brandon (1994) has strongly affirmed the role of self-esteem in the conceptualization of self and says that it is important for a person to develop a positive attitude about himself/ herself. He believes that individuals’ decisions and behavior is based on their analysis of categories within which they place themselves, other people and events. Thus, people who have positive attitude, tend to have better image of them which reflects on their higher level of self-esteem and confidence. How relationship between self and behavior impacts self- presentation Self presentation is intrinsically linked to the relationship between the self and behavior. People’s identity and self concept is major catalyst for their behavior and general responses towards issues and events. People want to present an image of them that promotes their self worth and increases their social status in life. Theory of reductionism explains human behavior by analyzing different phases of one’s life. Watson (1925) has emphasizes that human behavior is linked to a cause and therefore, man reacts differently in different circumstances. One’s social conditioning and past experiences influence the behavior of a person. Thus, if a person is brought up in an environment of love and respect, he would exhibit respect for other people in his adult life and will be confident with positive attitude. The presentation of self is therefore primarily motivated by the preconception of self in some defined category that contributes to higher self esteem and self worth. The fast changing socio-economic and political compulsions have percolating affect on the conceptualization of self. It necessitates continuous assessment of self with respect to the changing environment so as to fit within the new values and social dynamics. The adjustment with social norms is pre-requisite of the self presentation that thrives on positive image of the self. Conclusion One can therefore conclude that transforming nature of self vis-a-vis his or her identity within a defined social setup can be improved and improvised through assessment of self. It is dynamic process that is flexible in its content to suit the changing environment within which individuals live and try too adapt. (words: 1203) Reference Branden, Nathaniel. (1994). Six Pillars of Self Esteem. New York. Bantam Books. Freud, S. (1905). Fragment of an Analysis of a Case of Hysteria. The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. J. Strachey. The Hogarth Press and The Institute of Psychoanalysis, London. Hogg, Michael A. and Dominic Abrams. (1988). Social Identifications: A Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations and Group Processes. London: Routledge. Hogg, M.A. & Vaughan, G.M. (2002). Social Psychology. (3rd ed.) London: Prentice Hall. Lazarus, R. S. Psychological stress and the coping process. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1966. Rogers, C. R. Client-centered therapy. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1951. Tajfel, H. and Turner, J. C. (1986). The social identity theory of inter-group behavior. In S. Worchel and L. W. Austin (eds.), Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Chigago: Nelson-Hall Turner, J. C., Oakes, P. J., Haslam, S. A., & McGarty, C. (1994). Self and collective: Cognition and social context. Personality and Social. Psychology Bulletin, 20, 454-463. Read More