HOE BOON CHING 132050217 (MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING)

SELF-CONCEPT
Baumeister (1999) provides the following self concept definition: "the individual's
belief about himself or herself, including the person's attributes and who and what the self
is". In other word, self-concept includes elements such as academic performance, gender
roles, sexuality, racial identity, emotional states, values, like and dislike. Generally, selfconcept embodies the answer to "Who am I?"
Charles Darwin contended that self-concept development starts when babies can
recognize themselves in a mirror. Using this measure, researchers have found selfawareness to begin around six months of age (Courage & Howe, 2002; Damon & hart,
1982, 1988, 1992). Self-concept is differentiate from self-awareness, which refers to the
extent to which self-knowledge is clearly defined and currently applicable to one's
attitudes. Additionally, self-concept interacts with self-esteem,self-knowledge, and social
self to form the self. Self-esteem refers to the comparison of one's self-concept and selfschemas to form one's overall self-worth. Self-schema refers to the beliefs and ideas
people have about themselves. Schema vary according to cultural background and other
environmental factors.
Self-image is the view you have of yourself. Residual self-image is the concept that
individuals tend to think of themselves as projecting a certain physical appearance, or
certain position of social entitlement. This does not necessarily have to reflect reality.
Indeed a person who is fat may have a self image in which the person believes they are
thin. A person's self image is affected by parental influences, friends, and media. For
example, parent take good care of their children will give a good image to other people

when their children going outside. On the other hand, high achievers seem to be prone to
having negative self-images because such people constantly set the standard for success
high above a reasonable, achievable level. Thus, they are constantly disappointed in their
"failure." Besides, physical activity is probable to promote physical fitness, increased
physical performance, lessening body mass and promoting a perfect body shape and
structure. Exercise will provide more positive social feedback and this will subsequently
lead to improvement in an individual's self-image.
Self-esteem refers to the extent to which we value ourselves. Self-esteem always
involves a degree of evaluation and we may have either a positive or a negative view of
ourselves. Abraham Maslow, describes the "need for esteem," which is divided into two
aspects, the esteem for oneself self-love, self-confidence, skill, success, and respect
receives from other people recognition. The positive or negative life experiences create
attitudes toward the self which can develop positive feelings of self-worth, or develop
negative feelings of self-worth. In the early years of a child's life, parents are the most
significant influence on self-esteem and the main source of positive or negative
experiences a child will have. The emphasis of unconditional love from parents represent
the importance of a child developing a stable sense of being cared for and respected.
Later, these feelings translate into the effects of self-esteem as the child grows older.
People with high self-esteem have a positive view of themselves. This tends lead to
confidence in our own abilities, optimism, self acceptance, and not worrying about what
others think. People with low self-esteem have a negative view of themselves. This tends
also lead to lack of confidence, pessimism, cannot accept own view like want to be
someone else and always worrying what others might think. To develop self-esteem is to

increase the capacity to be happy. Since the development of positive self-esteem

increases the capacity to treat other people with respect and goodwill, thus favoring rich
interpersonal relationships and avoiding destructive ones. For Erich Fromm, love of
others and love of ourselves are not alternatives. Self-esteem allows creativity at the
workplace, and is a specially critical condition for teaching professions. Teacher with
high self-esteem will transfer important information clearly to their student. Thus, the
achievement of student can improve to a higher level.
Ideal-self is what people do like to become as a dream come true. Roles and values in
a person life affect the attitude of the person in future. Every incident happen in a person
life will give experience and change the view of the person. When the view and target
change, the role that a person maintains would also change. Thus, the ideal-self will also
change form one aspect to another aspect. Where a persons ideal self and actual
experience are very similar, a state of congruence exists. Rarely, if ever does a total state
of congruence exist; all people experience a certain amount of incongruence. The
development of congruence is dependent on unconditional positive regard. Rogers
believed that for a person to achieve self-actualization they must be in a state of
congruence. Michael Argyle (2008) says there are four major factors which affect its
development such as the ways in which others react with us, how we think we compare to
other, our social roles, and the extent to which we identify with other people.
In my opinion, self concept implies independent thinking person. The persons hear
the advice of every one provided to him and make decision from her own will. In my
view, their decisions mostly are correct and provide the way to others.

REFERENCE
Bee, H. L. (1992). The developing child. London: HarperCollins. Argyle, M. (2008).
Social Encounters: Contributions to Social Interaction. Aldine Transaction. Accessed
at 16 JULY 2013 from http://www.simplypsychology.org/self-concept.html

Frager, J.; Fadiman, R. (2005). Personality and personal growth. New York, NY: Pearson
Prentice Hall. p. 324. Accessed at 16 JULY 2013 from
www.cengagesites.com/academic/assets/sites/4713/Chapter%2015.pdf

Accessed at 16 JULY 2013 from www.scribd.com/doc/152308426/SELF-CONCEPT

Hewitt, John P. (2009). Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology. Oxford University

Press. pp. 217224. Maslow A. H. (1987). Motivation and Personality (3rd ed.). New
York: Harper & Row. Accessed at 16 JULY 2013 from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-esteem