self & personality

Question 1

what does self & personality refer to?

Answer 1

the characteristic ways in which we define our existence

Question 2

define personal identity with an example.

Answer 2

Personal identity refers to those attributes of a person that make them different from others. Eg. a person’s name, beliefs, etc

Question 3

define social identity with an example.

Answer 3

Social identity refers to those aspects of a person that link them to a social or cultural group or are derived from it. Eg. I am atheist, Bengali, Indian, etc.

Question 4

define self

Answer 4

Self refers to the totality of an individual’s conscious experiences, ideas, thoughts and feelings with regard to herself or himself

Question 5

list the types of self

Answer 5

1. biological
2. personal
3. social/familial/relational

Question 6

describe self as a subject

Answer 6

When the self is described as an entity that does something, the self is described as a ‘subject.’ (e.g., I am a dancer). Knower.

Question 7

describe self as an object

Answer 7

When the self is described as an entity on which something is done, the self is described as an ‘object’ which gets affected (e.g., I easily get hurt). Something to be known.

Question 8

define self concept with an example.

Answer 8

The way we perceive ourselves and the ideas we hold about our competencies and attributes is also called self-concept.
one may have a positive self-concept about one’s reading ability but a negative one about one’s mathematical skills.

Question 9

how do you measure one’s self-concept?

Answer 9

The most frequently used method to find a person’s self concept involves asking the person about herself/ himself.

Question 10

define self esteem

Answer 10

value judgment of a person about herself/himself is called self-esteem.

Question 11

when is self esteem formed?

Answer 11

Studies indicate that by the age of 6 to 7 years, children seem to have formed self- esteem at least in four areas: academic competence, social competence, physical/ athletic competence, and physical appearance, which become more refined with age.

Question 12

what is an overall sense of self-esteem?

Answer 12

Our capacity to view ourselves in terms of stable dispositions permits us to combine separate self-evaluations into a general psychological image of ourselves. This is known as an overall sense of self-esteem.

Question 13

Self-esteem shows a strong relationship with our everyday behaviour. Comment-

Answer 13

Self-esteem shows a strong relationship with our everyday behaviour. For example, children with high academic self-esteem perform better in schools than those with low academic self-esteem.

Question 14

how can you assess self-esteem?

Answer 14

In order to assess self-esteem we present a variety of statements to a person and ask her/ him to indicate the extent to which those statements are true for her or him.

Question 15

describe self-efficacy

Answer 15

A person who believes that s/he has the ability or behaviours required by a particular situation demonstrates high self-efficacy.

Question 16

where do children and adults learn behaviour

Answer 16

Albert Bandura’s initial studies showed that children and adults learned behaviour by observing and imitating others.

Question 17

what does a strong sense of efficacy demonstrate?

Answer 17

A strong sense of self-efficacy allows people to select, influence, and even construct the circumstances of their own life. People with a strong sense of self-efficacy also feel less fearful. E.g. People with high self-efficacy have been found to stop smoking the moment they decide to do so.

Question 18

can self-efficacy be developed?

Answer 18

Self-efficacy can be developed. Our society, our parents and our own positive experiences can help in the development of a strong sense of self- efficacy by presenting positive models during the formative years of children

Question 19

define self regulation

Answer 19

Self-regulation refers to our ability to organise and monitor our own behaviour

Question 20

what is willpower

Answer 20

Many situations of life require resistance to situational pressures and control over ourselves. This becomes possible through what is commonly known as ‘will power’.

Question 21

define self control

Answer 21

Learning to delay or defer the gratification of needs is called self-control.
Self-control plays a key role in the fulfilment of long-term goals.
Indian cultural tradition provides us with certain effective mechanisms e.g., fasting in vrata or roza

Question 22

what are some effective techniques of self-control?

Answer 22

1. Observation of own behaviour.
   This provides us with the necessary information that may be used to change, modify, or strengthen certain aspects of self.
2. Self-instruction.
   We often instruct ourselves to do something and behave the way we want to. Such instructions are quite effective in self-regulation.
3. Self-reinforcement
   This involves rewarding behaviours that have pleasant outcomes. For example, you may go to see a movie with friends, if you have done well in an examination.

Question 23

Analyse self, carried out in the Indian and Western cultural context

Answer 23

1. Indian view of self is characterised by the shifting nature of the boundary between self and the other. In the Western view of the boundary between the self and the other, the distinction is relatively fixed
2. Indian view does not hold clear dichotomies. The western view seems to hold clear dichotomies between self and other, man and nature, subjective and objective.
3. many Asian cultures are characterised as collectivistic. western cultures are called individualistic cultures.

Question 24

where is the word personality derived from?

Answer 24

The literal meaning of personality is derived from the Latin word persona, the mask used by actors in the Roman theatre for changing their facial make-up.

Question 25

define personality

Answer 25

Personality refers to our characteristic ways of responding to individuals and situations.

Question 26

what characterizes one’s personality?

Answer 26

Consistency in behaviour, thought and emotion of an individual across situations and across time periods characterises her/his personality. For example, an honest person is more likely to remain honest irrespective of time or situation.

Question 27

features of personality-

Answer 27

Personality is characterised by the following features:
1. It has both physical and psychological components.
2. Its expression in terms of behaviour is fairly unique in a given individual.
Its main features do not easily change with time.
3. It is dynamic in the sense that some of its features may change due to internal or external situational demands. Thus, personality is adaptive to situations.

Question 28

USES OF CHARACTERISING PERSONALITY-

Answer 28

1. We can predict how that person will probably behave in a variety of circumstances.
2. An understanding of personality allows us to deal with people in realistic and acceptable ways. For example, a child who has feelings of inferiority needs to be treated differently from a child who is self-confident.