The self Flashcards
Define Unique?
An individual or characteristic which is unlike anything else. (cant be repeated)
What is free will?
The ability to make our own, uninfluenced decisions
Name the core theory?
The humanistic theory of self (1950 maslow and Rogers)
Describe the core theory?
- We all have free will
- We should focus on the present and not the past
- We are all motivated to be the best that we can be (fulfil our potential)
What is self concept and what affects it? (humanistic theory)
Self concept - how we view ourselves. This develops from an early age and is affected by how others react to us and social roles
What is the ‘ideal self’
Ideal self - The type of individual a person wants to be. Maslow says we are all motivated to eventually be our ideal self
What is self esteem and what can determine self esteem?
Self esteem is how high/low an individual thinks of themselves. It is suggested that it is affected by the difference between our self concept and our ideal self
Big difference - low self esteem
Small difference - high self esteem
What can be used to raise self esteem?
Unconditional positive regard - showing love/kindness regardless of the individual. (without expecting conditions
What is self actualisation?
Becoming our best possible selves (achieving our ideal selves) The theory states that we need the help and support of others to achieve self actualisation
What is the hierarchy of needs?
- Self actualisation
- Self esteem
- Social needs
- health and safety
- Basic needs
What are some criticisms of the humanistic theory?
- Unreliable - The ideas can be vague and can’t be measured scientifically.
- Rogers research is unrepresentative
- Ignored the role of genetics
What is the alternative theory?
Trait theory - Eysneck
Describe the alternative theory?
Personality has genetic basis and can be explained through biology and this is controlled by the reticular activating part of the brain. The arousal level of our nervous system determine our personality
What 2 traits can assess our personality?
Extraversion - how outgoing an individual is Neuroticism - how emotionally stable an individual is
What is the core study?
Van houtte and Jarvis (1995)
What was the aim of the core study?
To investigate whether pets play a part in the psychosocial development of pre teens
What was the hypothesis of the study?
participants with a pet would report higher levels of autonomy and self esteem
Who were the participants of the study?
130 pupils from illinois sorted into pet owners and non pet owners
What method was used in the study?
Questionnaire
What was the procedure?
- After being split into non-pet owners and pet owners, they were matched based on their parents marital status and wealth, and the number of brothers and sisters they had (matched pairs design)
- Asked to rate level of agreement with statements on questionnaire
What did the questionnaire measure?
- Autonomy
- Self concept
- Self esteem
- Attachment with pet
(strongly agree - strongly disagree)
What were the results of the study?
Pet owners reported a higher self esteem and autonomy and pets had a positive effect on self concept for the children
What is the conclusion of the study?
Pets have great influences on pre-adolescents self esteem
Why can pets raise self esteem?
They offer unconditional positive regard
What are some limitations of the study?
- Accuracy of testing self report is limited (some children may not have understood questions - unreliable)
- Quantitative
- Ethnocentric and age bias (not representative and cannot be generalised
What are some applications into research of the self?
Counselling - Client centered therapy led by the client. Client knows themselves the best and has the capacity to change
What are the 4 main features of counselling?
- Counsellor avoids giving instructions and gives U.P.R
2 Counsellor believes client can reach full potential - Counsellor has empathy
- Client can express their true self
What problems can counselling be used for?
Depression, Relationships, and even career advice
