Module 3: The Self
Instructor Notes
In this module, we will first consider the cognitive aspects of the self, including the self-concept (the thoughts that we hold about ourselves) and self-awareness (the extent to which we are currently fixing our attention on our own self-concept). Then we will move on to the role of affect, focusing on concepts including self-esteem (the positive or negative feelings that we have about ourselves) and the many ways that we try to gain positive self-esteem. Finally, we will consider the social aspects of the self, including how we present ourselves to others in order to portray a positive self-image, as well as the many ways that our thoughts and feelings about ourselves are determined by our relationships with others.
This week contains a number of “Major Points” with videos and discussion and assignment prompts to support the topics. This chapter contains an abundance of content. As an instructor, you will want to choose just 1 or 2 videos and perhaps just a few of the “Major Points” to cover and meet the learning outcomes of your course. You may wish to reference the “How to use this Resource” section for ideas on how to tailor your course offering.
Readings
Chapter 3: The Self in Principles of Social Psychology – 1st International H5P Edition.
Teaching Materials
- Major Points
- Selected video presentations (choose 1 or 2)
- Class Discussion
Student Tasks
Major points
- Beliefs about self and the world
- The Cognitive Self
- The Feeling self
- iii) The social self
- William James (1890-1910)
- Self as the Knower “I”
- Self as the Known “Me”
- Physical self, Social self, Spiritual self
- Cooley (1902) & Mead (1934)
- “The Looking Glass self”
- The reflected appraisals of the self
- Sources of inaccuracy of self-images
- Self-knowledge, Self-Schema
- Self-complexity
- Self-labelling
- Social identity theory
- Self-discrepancy theory
- The Self and Social Behavior
- Self Presentations: Private and Public self
- Self-monitoring
- Self-affirmation
- Culture & Self
- The individualistic and the Collectivist self
- The Indigenous self and Forced Assimilation
Videos
YouTube
Self and Other: A philosophical discussion in social psychology by Michel Picard, MSc, PhD is licensed under a CC BY 3.0 License. (30:09)
Self concept, Self identity, and Social identity | Individuals and Society | Khan Academy by khanacademymedicine is licensed under a Standard YouTube license. (9:37)
Ted Talks
Christina Balch: Selfies and seeing ourselves-One artist’s look in the mirror is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International License. (2:54)
Cheyenne Cochrane: A celebration of natural hair is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International License. (13:44)
Discussion
- Watch the TED Talk “A celebration of natural hair” which focused on the Black people’s hair.
https://www.ted.com/talks/cheyenne_cochrane_a_celebration_of_natural_hair - Think of one of your physical characteristics that you believe is at the core of YOUR sense of self that YOU believe you should not change because it would adversely impact your identity and sense of self. Tell your story through text or comix about how this physical characteristic and your identity are related.
- Post this on Discussion Forum providing your reasons why you believe this “physical self” is critical in shaping one’s sense of self and how it may affect one’s social interactions.
- Respond to TWO other posts indicating if you agree or disagree and why.
Assignment
Read the following definition:
“Identity covering is the act of concealing something about one’s self to avoid making other people feel uncomfortable or to lessen attention to a given characteristic. It’s not about hiding something for untoward purposes, but downplaying pieces of your identity, such as race, religion, gender, disability, or sexual orientation, to avoid evoking others’ feelings of anxiety, frustration, fear, or something else.”
Based on your reading of the text, what are the consequences to the individual who covers their identity in order to stay safe, be accepted, and/or progress in their career? What must change about the workplace or society to make the need for “covering” unnecessary?
Content Attributions
The instructor notes are adapted from Principles of Social Psychology – 1st International H5P Edition by Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani and Dr. Hammond Tarry which is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.