Three components of the image of myself. Self-concept and its components. Real and ideal self-concepts. Formation and development of self-concept. The installation includes three main elements

Don't lose it. Subscribe and receive a link to the article in your email.

The term “Self-concept”, which can be heard today from psychologists of various directions, sociologists and other specialists in the field of the personal sphere of a person, is interpreted as a system of ideas of an individual about himself. These ideas can be perceived by a person to varying degrees and be relatively stable. This concept is the result of a person’s self-assessment through individual images within various real and imagined situations, as well as through the opinions of others and the person’s correlation of himself with them.

It doesn't take a genius to come to the conclusion that a person's self-image is very important and has a direct impact on his personality and life. Taking into account the relevance of this topic, we want to talk about the “I-concept”.

The emergence of the “I-concept”

As an independent concept, “I-concept” began to take shape at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, when ideas about the dual nature of man as a subject of the knower and the known were actively discussed. Then, already in the 50s of the last century, it was developed by phenomenological and humanistic psychological science, the most prominent representatives of which were Carl Rogers. They viewed the single human “I” as the fundamental behavioral and developmental factor. Thus, having appeared in foreign literature on psychology, in the 80s and 90s of the 20th century, the term “Self-concept” became part of domestic psychological science.

Despite this, it is quite difficult to find any precise and unified interpretation of the term in question, and the closest to it in meaning is the term “self-awareness”. The relationship between these two terms is not precisely defined today, but quite often they are considered synonyms. However, in some cases, the “I-concept” is considered separately from self-awareness, acting as a finished product of its processes.

What is “self-concept”?

So, what exactly is the “I-concept” and what psychological meaning should be given to it?

If we turn to psychological dictionaries, then “I-concept” is defined in them as a dynamic system of ideas of an individual about himself. English psychologist Robert Burns in his work “Development of Self-Concept and Education” speaks of “Self-concept” as the totality of all ideas a person has about himself, interconnected with their assessment.

“I-concept” arises in an individual during social interaction as an inevitable and always unique result of mental development, as well as as a relatively stable and, at the same time, subject to internal transformations of mental acquisition.

The initial dependence of the “I-concept” on external influences cannot be disputed, but as it develops, it begins to play an independent role in the life of all people. The surrounding reality and ideas about other people are perceived by people through the filter of “I-concept”, which is formed in the process of socialization and at the same time has specific individual biological and somatic prerequisites.

How is the “I-concept” formed?

The connections of each person with the outside world are extremely wide and rich. It is in the complex of these connections that a person is forced to function in different roles and qualities, being the subject of all kinds of activities.

Any interaction with the material world allows a person to have his own Self. Through introspection and dividing different images of himself into separate formations (both external and internal), a person’s so-called exploration of his nature and its “discussion” is carried out. According to the Soviet psychologist and philosopher Sergei Leonidovich Rubinstein, the image of the personal Self is constantly integrated into ever new connections, due to which it begins to appear in new qualities, fixed in new concepts. This image, so to speak, constantly shows its new side, each time showing new properties.

In this way, over time, a generalized idea of one’s self is formed, which is, as it were, an “alloy” of individual elements, which is formed in the process of self-perception, introspection and introspection. This generalized idea of one’s own self, formed from disparate images conditioned by situation, includes the basic ideas and traits of a person about his own nature, which is expressed, in fact, in the “I-concept”. And the “I-concept,” in turn, forms the individual’s sense of self-identity.

Along with all of the above, the “I-concept” formed in the process of a person’s knowledge of himself can also be called something that is characterized by constant internal changes - it is not permanent and is not something that is given to a person once and for all. With practice, i.e. real life, both its adequacy and its maturity change. Based on this, the “I-concept” has a huge impact on the individual’s psyche and his worldview, and also serves as a basic factor in the formation of his behavioral type.

The structure of the “I-concept”

The above-mentioned Robert Burns, along with many domestic psychologists, defines three elements that make up the “Self-concept”:

The cognitive component is a person’s self-image, which contains his ideas about his
The evaluative component is self-esteem based on an affective assessment of the self-image
The behavioral component is behavior consisting of behavioral reactions or specific actions caused by self-image and self-esteem

The presented division of the “I-concept” into individual elements is conditional, because it itself is an integral formation, each of the elements of which, although distinguished by some independence, is in close relationship with each other.

The impact of “I-concept” on a person’s life

In the life of each of us, the “I-concept”, by and large, has a triple meaning.

First of all, the “I-concept” ensures the internal consistency of the personality and relative behavioral stability. In the case when the new experience that a person receives does not diverge from his vision of himself, it is easily accepted by the “I-concept”. But if this experience is not consistent with the existing image and contradicts it, psychological defense mechanisms are activated, helping the person either somehow explain the negative experience, or simply reject it. Thanks to this, the “I-concept” remains balanced, even if real experience puts it at risk. According to the idea of Robert Burns, this desire of the individual to protect himself and avoid destructive influences can be called one of the foundations of normal behavior.

The second function of the “I-concept” can be called determining the nature of a person’s understanding of the experience he receives. Self-vision is a specific internal filter that determines the characteristics of an individual’s perception of any event and any situation. When events and situations pass through this filter, they are reinterpreted and given meanings that correspond to the self-concept.

And finally, the third on this list is that the “Self-concept” serves as the basis of a person’s expectations, in other words, his ideas about what should happen. People who are confident in their importance always expect that others will treat them accordingly, and those who doubt their worth tend to believe that no one needs them and no one likes them and, as a result, try to limit them as much as possible. your social contacts.

Hence the conclusion that the development of each person’s personality, as well as his activities and behavior, are always determined by the influence of the “I-concept”.

FINALLY: As you may have noticed, the topic of “Self-concept” is closely related to the process of self-knowledge, which means that if a person understands the characteristics of his personality and is aware of his own “Self-concept”, he can function in the world, interact with others, achieve success and It will become much easier and even more interesting for him to develop. So we suggest that you do not put off working on yourself “on the back burner” and start getting to know yourself now (or at least in the near future) - especially for you, we have created a very interesting and effective course on self-knowledge, which can perhaps reveal to you almost all facets of your “I-concept”. You will find the course.

We wish you success and productive self-knowledge!

Self-concept - a relatively stable system of an individual’s ideas about himself, which is the basis for interaction with other people and attitude towards himself. It includes: awareness of one’s physical, intellectual, emotional, volitional and other properties; self-esteem; subjective perception of external factors. Self-concept - this is the totality of all an individual’s ideas about himself, associated with their assessment. The descriptive component of the Self-concept is the image of the Self or the picture of the Self; a component associated with the attitude towards oneself or towards one’s individual qualities - self-esteem or self-acceptance. The self-concept determines not just what an individual is, but also what he thinks about himself, how he looks at his activity and development opportunities in the future. The self-concept is an important structural element of the psychological appearance of the individual, developing in communication And activities.

Cognitive component - image of me- an individual's idea of himself.

- self-esteem

- those specific actions that can be caused by self-image and self-esteem.

Components of the self-concept: the real self (the idea of oneself in the present tense), the ideal self (what the subject, in his opinion, should become, focusing on moral standards). When the real self and the ideal self do not coincide, an intrapersonal conflict occurs ( neuroses).

Burns highlights the following main perspectives of self-concept:

Real Me- attitudes related to how an individual perceives his current abilities, roles, his current status, that is, with his ideas about what he really is.

Mirror (social) self- attitudes associated with an individual’s ideas about how others see him.

Ideal Self- attitudes associated with an individual’s ideas about what he would like to become.

A.V.Petrovsky And M.G.Yaroshevsky: Self image - a relatively stable, not always conscious, system of an individual’s ideas about himself, on the basis of which he builds his interaction with others.

The most famous distinction images of "I" is the distinction "I am the real one" And "I am ideal" A also discrimination "material self" And "social self".

1.interiorization other people's assessments- theory of the reflected mirror self (Mead and Cooley)

A person’s opinion of himself depends on how the reference group evaluates him, and the shift in self caused by the group’s opinion can be very stable. Changes will be more significant if a person thinks that the reference group is unanimous in assessing his qualities.

Internalization of other people's opinions involves both social comparison and attributional processes (a person first ascribes to others some attitude towards himself, and then accepts/rejects it as an assessment), and the selection of information in accordance with an already existing self-image and value criteria.

2.social comparison - manifests itself in two ways: a person compares the “present Self” with the “past Self” and the “future Self,” and his claims with achievements

James formula: self-esteem = success

claims

a person compares himself with other people

Thus, he takes into account not only his own successes, but also the successes of others, and takes into account the situation as a whole.

People are much more aware of the fact that they are different from others, i.e. from the implied average (physical disabilities, national minorities). Individuality is perceived as different from others and a person must choose a group to which he can/wants to orient himself and compare himself with it, and this will determine his self-esteem. The process of social comparison is two-way - a person perceives and evaluates himself in comparison with others, and perceives and evaluates others on oneself, unwittingly attributing one’s own traits to others, considering them more correct.

3.self-attribution – Skinner's neo-behaviourism, Ben's theory of self-perception.

The weaker or more incomprehensible the internal signals, the more a person judges himself by his actions. Moreover, he often attributes success to himself, and looks for the reasons for failure outside. Self-attribution is selective in the selection of causal factors, in their interpretation, and in unequal attention to them. The same function - to justify one's behavior - is performed by the ego-protective mechanism of rationalization.

4. meaningful integration of life experiences – semantic integration of the self-image

On its basis, all three previous mechanisms form interconnections and intertransitions.

The concept of semantic integration emphasizes the systemic and value-semantic nature, the inextricable connection between the cognitive (what, to what extent and thanks to what is realized) and motivational aspects of the self. The different subjective significance of different aspects of the Self allows people to find optimal directions for self-realization. A differentiated-selective system of personal values and self-esteem allows most people to maintain high self-esteem, regardless of their life defeats and failures. Formation, development and change of self. determined by the social environment. The human Self is recognized in the context of relationships as an identity (Self or not Self) and as a potential Self-other interaction.

Forms of self-concept:

There may also be private types (professional self) and mismatch can become a source of intrapersonal conflict or a factor in self-improvement.

Degrees of development of self-awareness(to compare the level of development of self-awareness in different people or at different stages of development in the same person) (Rosenberg):

the degree of cognitive complexity and differentiation, which is measured by the number and nature of one’s own qualities perceived by the individual; the more qualities, the more complex and generalized they are, the higher the level of self-awareness.

the degree of clarity of the self-image, its subjective significance for a person; one person thinks a lot about himself, tries to purposefully shape himself, the other has undeveloped reflection, he acts guided by immediate impulses or the logic of the situation. The objects of reflection may also differ: one is concerned with one’s appearance, another with mental abilities, and a third with one’s moral character.

the degree of internal integrity, consistency of the self-image; because a person sees himself from different angles; his self-awareness is contradictory, but the nature of the contradictions can be different: one option is the awareness of a discrepancy in the degree of development of some properties (a person knows that some qualities are not sufficiently developed in him and is trying to develop them), the other option - a person realizes that his inherent properties are in principle incompatible with each other ( high level claims with a low assessment of one’s abilities in a significant field of activity).

the degree of stability of the self-image, its stability over time

The image of “I” is multi-valued, it includes a bodily feeling, body image, self-identity, extension (my thoughts, my things, my religion). The self-image, which develops as a result of personal life experience, influences a given person’s perception of the world, other people and the assessment of his own behavior.

Main directions of physical appearance research:

body as a repository I, as a boundary of personal space

appearance

body as a carrier of symbolic signs

Rogers: important for the development of self-concept:

The need for positive attention, - conditions of value (m. to cause harm), - unconditional positive attention.

Defense mechanisms: distortion of perception and denial (+ rationalization - “the professor gives me unfair grades”).

Self-concept - this is the totality of all an individual’s ideas about himself, associated with their assessment. The descriptive component of the Self-concept is the image of the Self or the picture of the Self; a component associated with the attitude towards oneself or towards one’s individual qualities - self-esteem or self-acceptance. The self-concept determines not just what an individual is, but also what he thinks about himself, how he looks at his activity and development possibilities in the future.

Three main elements of self-concept:

Cognitive component - image of me- an individual's idea of himself.

Emotional-evaluative component - self-esteem- a person’s assessment of himself, his capabilities, qualities and place among other people.

Potential Behavioral Response- those specific actions that can be caused by self-image and self-esteem.

Components of self-concept:

real self (present tense self-image),

ideal self (what the subject, in his opinion, should become, focusing on moral standards),

When the real self and the ideal self do not coincide, an intrapersonal conflict (neuroses) occurs.

Burns highlights the following main perspectives of self-concept:

Real Me- attitudes related to how an individual perceives his current abilities, roles, his current status, that is, with his ideas about what he really is.

Mirror (social) self- attitudes associated with an individual’s ideas about how others see him.

Ideal Self- attitudes associated with an individual’s ideas about what he would like to become.

Kon: The self-concept as an attitude includes:

a) knowledge about oneself c) plans of behavior towards oneself

b) emotional attitude towards oneself

It is unique and specific to each person.

Mechanisms of self-concept formation:

internalization of other people's assessments - the theory of the reflected mirror self (Mead and Cooley)

social comparison manifests itself in two ways:

a person compares the “present self” with the “past self” and the “future self”, and his claims with achievements

James formula: self-esteem = success

claims

a person compares himself with other people

self-attribution - Skinner's neo-behaviorism, Ben's theory of self-perception.

A person draws information about his emotions, attitudes and beliefs from three sources:

a) perception of one’s internal states

b) observing one’s overt behavior

c) observing the circumstances in which this behavior is carried out

semantic integration of life experiences - semantic integration of the self-image

Forms of self-concept:

Real Self - how a person sees himself this moment

Ideal Self - what I would like to be

Possible Self - which Self seems possible to him

Fantastic (=imaginary) Self – if everything were possible

Dynamic Self - what I will become when I achieve my goal

The represented Self is something that is represented to others

Ticket No. 28 . Identity: phenomenology, functions, stages of formation, theories.

Erikson understood identity in general as the process of organizing life experience into an individual “I,” which naturally implied its dynamics throughout a person’s life. He views identity as a complex personal formation that has a multi-level structure. This is due to the three main levels of analysis of human nature: individual, personal and social.

Stages of personal development according to E. Erikson

1. Basic trust versus basic mistrust. According to Erikson's theory (1963), the foundations of a person's personal development are laid in the first stage, which lasts from birth to 18 months. During this period, the child must acquire sense of basic trust to the surrounding world. This is the basis for developing a positive sense of self. A sense of trust in the world serves as a support for the child to acquire new experiences, a guarantee correct transition to the next phases of development. Otherwise, he will not be able to easily and willingly turn to new activities. In an environment conducive to trust, the child feels that he is loved, that he is always ready to be accepted; he develops a strong foundation for future interactions with others and for developing a positive attitude towards himself.

2. Development of autonomy (autonomy versus shame and doubt) The second stage of child development lasts from one and a half to three to four years. During this period, the child realizes his individual beginning and himself as an actively acting being. But the child’s life activity may not be impeccable, as a result of which he faces disapproval from others.

The main positive result of development at this stage is the achievement of a sense of independence. In other words, the child must move from a state of complete dependence on adults to relative independence, when he begins to recognize himself as an autonomous being capable of performing certain actions. At this age, the child strives to do everything his own way, indignantly rejects attempts to feed him, dress him, hold his hand on a walk, or open the door for him. We constantly hear from him: “I myself, I myself!”

During this period, the child especially needs benevolent support and inspiration. The emerging sense of autonomy should be encouraged so that conflicts associated with adult prohibitions do not lead to excessive shyness and doubts about own strength. The development of self-control should occur without compromising the formation of positive self-esteem.

Firmness is necessary because it is necessary to protect the child from possible troubles that can occur as a result of the lack of certain experience and the ability to navigate correctly. On the other hand, an adult should encourage the child’s desire to stand firmly on his feet, since otherwise he may be suppressed by a feeling of shame and embarrassment from his unsuccessful actions, and doubts about his own worth to the people close to him.

So, according to Erikson, the preschooler must develop, firstly, a fundamental sense of trust in the world around him, especially in his parents, and secondly, a sense of autonomy, realized within certain limits. Both of these achievements increase self-esteem, since the child feels surrounded by the warmth and care of his parents and is confident in his competence in a certain range of tasks. Parental approval and self-approval combine as a focal point in creating a sense of self-worth.

Self-concept, according to encyclopedic literature, is a stable system of an individual’s ideas about himself, an image of his own “I”, an attitude towards himself and other people, a generalized image of his qualities, abilities, appearance, social significance; a prerequisite and consequence of social interaction. In classical psychology, it is customary to distinguish between the real “I”, the ideal “I”, and the dynamic “I” (what the individual intends to become).
The concept of “I”-concept arose in the 50s of the last century in the works of humanistic psychologists: K. Maslow and C. Rogers. Scientists considered this concept as an auto-attitude, that is, the individual’s attitude towards himself. This installation has conscious and unconscious aspects. The “I” concept is associated with the individual’s desire to attribute himself to a certain social group(gender, age, ethnic, civil, social-role) and manifests itself in various ways of its self-realization.

The discrepancy between the real and ideal “I”, realized by the individual, can cause negative emotional characteristics of the individual (inferiority complex) and intrapersonal conflicts. The “I” concept ensures the integrity and situational stability of the individual, his self-affirmation and self-development in line with the life strategy adopted by the individual. A synonym for the “I” concept is "self-awareness" of the individual.

Components of self-concept

COGNITIVE COMPONENT OF SELF-CONCEPT

An individual's ideas about himself, as a rule, seem convincing to him, regardless of whether they are based on objective knowledge or subjective opinion whether they are true or false. The specific methods of self-perception leading to the formation of the self-image can be very diverse.

The abstract characteristics that we use to describe a person are in no way related to a specific event or situation. As elements of a generalized image of an individual, they reflect, on the one hand, stable trends in his behavior, and on the other, the selectivity of our perception. The same thing happens when we describe ourselves: we try to express in words the main characteristics of our usual self-perception, these include any role, status, psychological characteristics individual, description of property, life goals, etc. All of them are included in the image of the Self with different specific weight - some seem more significant to the individual, others - less. Moreover, the significance of the elements of self-description and, accordingly, their hierarchy can change depending on the context, the life experience of the individual, or simply under the influence of the moment. This kind of self-description is a way to characterize the uniqueness of each personality through combinations of its individual traits (Burns R., 1986, p. 33).

EVALUATIVE COMPONENT OF SELF-CONCEPT

The emotional component of an attitude exists due to the fact that its cognitive component is not perceived by a person indifferently, but awakens in him assessments and emotions, the intensity of which depends on the context and on the cognitive content itself (Burns R., 1986, p. 34).

Self-esteem is not constant, it changes depending on circumstances. The source of evaluative knowledge of an individual’s various ideas about himself is his sociocultural environment, in which evaluative knowledge is normatively fixed in linguistic meanings. The source of an individual’s evaluative ideas can also be social reactions to some of his manifestations and introspection.

Self-esteem reflects the degree to which an individual develops a sense of self-respect, a sense of self-worth and a positive attitude towards everything that is included in the sphere of his Self.

Self-esteem manifests itself in the individual's conscious judgments in which he tries to formulate his importance. However, it is hidden or overtly present in any self-description. There are three points that are essential to understanding self-esteem.

Firstly, an important role in its formation is played by the comparison of the image of the real self with the image of the ideal self, that is, with the idea of what a person would like to be. Those who achieve in reality the characteristics that define their ideal self-image should have high self-esteem. If a person perceives a gap between these characteristics and the reality of his achievements, his self-esteem is likely to be low (Burns R., 1986, p. 36).

The second factor important for the formation of self-esteem is associated with the internalization of social reactions to a given individual. In other words, a person tends to evaluate himself the way he thinks others evaluate him.

Finally, another view on the nature and formation of self-esteem is that the individual evaluates the success of his actions and manifestations through the prism of identity. An individual experiences satisfaction not from the fact that he simply does something well, but from the fact that he has chosen a certain task and is doing it well.

It should be especially emphasized that self-esteem, regardless of whether it is based on the individual’s own judgments about himself or interpretations of the judgments of other people, individual ideals or culturally defined standards, is always subjective.

A positive self-concept can be equated to a positive attitude towards oneself, self-esteem, self-acceptance, a sense of self-worth; In this case, synonyms for a negative self-concept become a negative attitude towards oneself, self-rejection, and a feeling of inferiority (Burns R., 1986, p. 37).

BEHAVIORAL COMPONENT OF SELF-CONCEPT

The fact that people do not always behave in accordance with their beliefs is well known. Often, the direct, immediate expression of an attitude in behavior is modified or completely restrained due to its social unacceptability, the individual’s moral doubts, or his fear of possible consequences.

Any attitude is an emotionally charged belief associated with a specific object. The peculiarity of the Self-concept as a complex of attitudes lies only in the fact that the object in in this case is the installation media itself. Thanks to this self-direction, all emotions and evaluations associated with the self-image are very strong and stable. Not attaching importance to another person's attitude towards you is quite simple; For this purpose, there is a rich arsenal of psychological defenses. But if we are talking about attitude towards oneself, then simple verbal manipulations may be powerless here. No one can just change their attitude towards themselves (Burns R., 1986, p. 39).

Self-concept(the image of “I”) is a person’s generalized idea of himself.
The structure of the self-concept includes the following components:
1) cognitive (self-knowledge);
2) emotional-value (self-attitude, self-esteem);
3) behavioral (self-regulation).
In the structure of the self-concept, three main modalities are also distinguished:
1) I-real (the individual’s ideas about what he is);
3) I-ideal (the individual’s ideas about what he would like to be);
2) Mirror self (the individual’s ideas about how others see him).
One of the most important components of the self-concept is self-esteem - a person’s assessment of himself, his capabilities, qualities and his place among other people.
Self-esteem is closely related to the level of aspiration - the desired level of self-esteem of an individual, manifested in the degree of difficulty of the goal that the individual sets for himself.
Study: the first theoretical developments in the field of self-concept belong to W. James. He viewed the personal Self as a combination of two components: the conscious Self and the Self-as-object. James owns the original formula for self-esteem: Self-esteem = success/aspirations. Investigator-
but, a person can improve self-image by either increasing the numerator of the fraction (achieving success) or decreasing the denominator (lowering the level of aspirations).
At the beginning of the 20th century. sociologist C. Cooley proposed the theory of the mirror self. He believed that an individual’s ideas about how others evaluate him significantly influence his self-concept. Cooley was the first to emphasize the importance of " feedback”, which we receive from other people, as the main source of data about our own Self.
Psychologist D. Mead also believed that a person’s self-determination is achieved through awareness and acceptance of the ideas that other people have regarding this person.
E. Erickson largely agreed with the views of Cooley and Mead. At the same time, he considered the problem of self-concept through the prism of self-identity, which arises in a child when communicating with an adult.
The decisive role of the self-concept in human life and development was proclaimed by K. Rogers. He emphasized the importance of objectifying self-esteem, which is facilitated by the acceptance of the individual, his “personal self” by other people.
Domestic scientists also studied the self-concept: B. G. Ananyev, I. S. Kon, A. A. Bodalev, V. V. Stolin, A. A. Rean, I. I. Chesnokova and others.

Lecture, abstract. The concept of self-concept briefly - concept and types. Classification, essence and features. 2018-2019.

Term

The concept of “Self-concept” was born in the 1950s in line with phenomenological, humanistic psychology, whose representatives (A. Maslow, K. Rogers), unlike behaviorists and Freudians, sought to consider the holistic human Self as a fundamental factor in behavior and development personality.

The term is often used as a synonym for “self-awareness,” but unlike the latter, “I-concept” is less neutral, including the evaluative aspect of self-awareness.

The self-concept, in essence, determines not just what an individual is, but also what he thinks about himself, how he looks at his active beginning and possibilities for development in the future .

Problems of defining self-concept

The complexity of the problem in defining the self-concept has been emphasized by many researchers. Its essence lies in the too general nature of what we define as “I”.

“Even such a simple material object as a glass can be defined differently, depending on the practical or theoretical context. This is even more true in relation to concepts such as “personality”, “consciousness” or “self-awareness”. It’s not so much a matter of terminological laxity of the humanities, much of it is that different researchers are concerned with different aspects of the problem of personality and the human “I”. But what, in fact, is its mystery? F. T. Mikhailov is concerned with the question of what is the source of human creative abilities, the dialectic of the creative and the created A. G. Spirkin is interested in “I” as a carrier and at the same time an element of self-consciousness. D. I. Dubrovsky approaches “I” as the central integrating and activating factor of subjective reality. Psychologists (B. G. Ananyev, A. N. Leontiev , V. S. Merlin, V. V. Stolin, I. I. Chesnokova, E. V. Shorokhova and others) consider the “I” either as the inner core of the personality, or as its conscious beginning, or as a clot of individual self-awareness, a system a person's ideas about himself. The research interest of neurophysiologists is aimed at identifying where and in what parts of the brain the regulatory mechanisms of the psyche are localized, allowing a living being to distinguish itself from others and ensure the continuity of its life activity. For psychiatrists, the problem of “I” focuses on the relationship between the conscious and unconscious, the mechanisms of self-control (“the power of “I”), etc., etc.,” the famous philosopher and sociologist Igor Semenovich Kon reflects on the problem of “I” in his acclaimed book “I” In search of myself” (p. 7) .

For Burns, “I-concept” is associated with self-esteem as a set of attitudes “about oneself” and is the sum of all an individual’s ideas about himself. This, in his opinion, follows from the identification of descriptive and evaluative components. The author calls the descriptive component of the “I-concept” the image of the Self or the picture of the Self. The component associated with the attitude towards oneself or towards one’s individual qualities, self-esteem or self-acceptance. He writes that the “I-concept” determines not just what an individual is, but also what he thinks about himself, how he looks at his active beginning and possibilities for development in the future. Describing the youthful “I-concept,” R. Burns points to a well-known contradiction: on the one hand, the “I-concept” becomes more stable, on the other hand, “... undergoes certain changes due to a number of reasons. Firstly, physiological and psychological changes associated with puberty cannot but influence an individual’s perception of his appearance. Secondly, the development of cognitive and intellectual capabilities leads to the complexity and differentiation of the “I-concept,” in particular to the ability to distinguish between real and hypothetical possibilities. Finally, thirdly, the demands emanating from the social environment - parents, teachers, peers - may turn out to be mutually contradictory. Changing roles, the need to make important decisions regarding profession, value orientations, lifestyle, etc., can cause role conflict and status uncertainty, which also leaves a clear imprint on the “I-concept” during adolescence.”

Thus, depending on original problem and the ways of its division, the meaning of concepts and their countless derivatives changes.

Material has been accumulated on the content of the Self-Image and its structure. Many works reveal age-related characteristics of ideas about the content of one’s “I”. The subject of a special psychological study was the question of the levels of development of the Self-Image, mastery of which in different age groups can mean not only knowledge of one’s “I,” but also a readiness to realize it. Most authors propose studying changes in the content of self-image, that is, the transition from objective indicators (physical characteristics) to subjective ones (personal qualities, ideas, attitudes).

The structure of the self-concept

The subject of an individual’s self-perception and self-esteem can, in particular, be his body, his abilities, his social relationships and many other personal manifestations. Based on the self-concept, the individual builds interaction with other people and with himself.

Cognitive

Usually a person believes that he has certain characteristics. These characteristics cannot be derived or reduced to one the current moment his life - if a person believes that he is “strong”, this does not mean that he is currently lifting weights. Moreover, in fact, this person may not be objectively strong. Or maybe it is. The set of beliefs about oneself is the cognitive component of the self-concept.

These beliefs may have different meanings for an individual. He may believe, for example, that he is brave first of all, and strong only tenth. This hierarchy is not constant and may change depending on the context or over time. The combination and significance of characteristics at a given moment largely determine the individual’s attitudes and expectations about himself.

Along with other things, the cognitive component of the self-concept is represented in the mind of the individual in the form of social roles and statuses.

Estimated

An individual not only believes that he has certain characteristics, but also evaluates them in a certain way and relates to them. He may or may not like the fact that he is, for example, strong. An important role in the formation of this assessment is played by:

Behavioral

No matter who a person considers himself to be, he cannot ignore how he actually behaves, what he actually succeeds in. This “objective” part is the behavioral component of the self-concept.

Most modern scientists dealing with personality problems come to the conclusion that when studying the self-image, it is most productive to move from metaphors to the spheres and properties of the psyche that “work” on the self-image. They, like vectors, determine a certain general load and direction of the central structure, which is often called “self”.

Other approaches to the structure of self-concept (self-image)

T. Yu. Kaminskaya identifies two approaches to developing the problem of the structure of the Self-Image. In the first approach, the motivational component is not identified in the structure of the Self-Image, or only its minor components are identified. Thus, S. Stein defines Self-Concept - “a system of representations of images and assessments existing in the mind of an individual, relating to the subject himself.” L.A. Wenger speaks of the Self-Image as a set of generalized meaningful and evaluative representations.

The second approach is to recognize the influence of the motivational component (the connection between Self-Image and behavior) on the development of Self-Image. In other words, the prerequisites are being formed for the inclusion of a motivational component in the structure of the Self-Image.

The most common is the idea of the structure of the “Self-Image” as a unity of cognitive (the image of one’s qualities, abilities, appearance, etc.), emotional (self-esteem, self-deprecation, etc.) and evaluative-volitional (the desire to increase self-esteem, gain respect etc.) components (A.V. Petrovsky, M.G. Yaroshevsky).

G. E. Zalessky distinguishes two components of the Self-Image - motivational and cognitive. In relation to the study of age-related features of the development of Self-Image, Special attention is devoted to clarifying the question of how the formation of each of the components occurs when two components of the Self-Image begin to interact.

The cognitive block of Self-Image reflects meaningful ideas about oneself. This understanding of cognitive block of Image-I close to the understanding of Self-Image by other researchers. But both evaluative (self-esteem) and target (level of aspirations, system of prohibitions and rewards) components are added to this block. The motivational block is responsible for the functional significance of these qualities, that is, whether these qualities act as criteria in the choice of motives, goals, and actions. And if they do, then do the qualities perform the function of active or meaning-forming motives?

Measuring Self-Concept

The literature presents a diverse set of techniques for studying the self-concept (I-image) or its components.

Various questionnaires Examples:

The Self-Attitude Research Methodology (MIS) was developed by R. S. Panteleev (1989) and contains 9 scales:

inner honesty;
self-confidence;
self-leadership;
reflected self-attitude;
self-worth;
self-acceptance;
self-attachment;
internal conflict;
self-accusation.

The method for diagnosing socio-psychological adaptation was developed by K. Rogers and R. Diamond (1954). The methodology has been tested and standardized on different samples of students in domestic schools and universities. Based on a Russian-language sample, adapted by A. K. Osnitsky. The scale as a measuring instrument has revealed a high differentiating ability in diagnosing the characteristics of self-image, their restructuring during critical age periods of development and in critical situations that prompt an individual to reassess himself and his capabilities, acceptance or rejection of himself, others, emotional comfort or discomfort, internal or external control, dominance or dominance, avoidance of solving problems.

I. S. Kon raises the question of whether an individual can adequately perceive and evaluate himself, in connection with the problem of the relationship between the main functions of self-consciousness - regulatory-organizing and ego-protective. In order to successfully direct his behavior, the subject must have adequate information both about the environment and about the states and properties of his personality. On the contrary, the ego-protective function is focused primarily on maintaining self-esteem and stability of the self-image, even at the cost of distorting information. Depending on this, the same subject can give both adequate and false self-assessments. The low self-esteem of a neurotic is a motive and at the same time a self-justification for leaving activities, while self-criticism of a creative person is an incentive for self-improvement and overcoming new frontiers.

Projective techniques

Almost all projective techniques are aimed at studying the personal sphere in its various aspects - level of aspirations, degree of self-acceptance, attachment to loved ones, conflict, etc. The idea that in a drawing or story you can see a kind of “self-portrait” is the basis of the tests “Drawing of a Man” (K. Machover), “House - Tree - Man” (Goodenough - Harris), Thematic Apperception Test (G. Murray), Psychogeometric Test (Dellinger), Symbol Apperception Test (Nagibina-Afanasyeva) and others.

Types and classifications of self-concept (self-image)

Self-image (Self-image, Self-conception) is a kind of global self-esteem. The self-image can be adequate and inadequate, real and ideal, structured and disintegrated, etc.

Almost any of the self-images has a complex structure, ambiguous in its origin.

V.V. Stolin notes that the analysis of the final products of self-awareness, which are expressed in the structure of ideas about oneself, “I-image”, or “I-concept” is carried out either as a search for types and classifications of images of “I”, or as a search for “ dimensions" (that is, meaningful parameters) of this image. The most famous distinction between the images of the “I” is the distinction between the “real I” and the “ideal I”, which in one way or another is already present in the works of W. James, S. Freud, K. Lewin, K. Rogers and many others, as well as the distinction between the “material self” and the “social self” proposed by W. James. S. Samuel identifies four “dimensions” of the “Self-concept”: body image, “social self”, “cognitive self” and self-esteem.

A more detailed classification of images was proposed by M. Rosenberg:

"real me"
"dynamic self"
"actual self"
"probable self"
"idealized self"

Self-Image Acceptance

Recognition and acceptance of all aspects of one’s Self, as opposed to “conditional self-acceptance,” ensures the integration of the Self-concept, asserts the Self as a measure of oneself and one’s position in life space. Self-concept (Self-image) is the seed that carries both the embryo and its potential for growth and development. The coordination of the work of all structures, their harmonious interaction is a necessary condition for psychological comfort.

V. Rotenberg in his book “Image of the Self” gives examples of the perception of the image of the Self under hypnosis: “When one subject was told that he was Paul Morphy, a brilliant American chess player, and was asked to play chess, his first reaction was to demand a huge fee - a million dollars . He was handed a pack of blank paper, announcing that this was the coveted million, and at that moment a powerful surge of electrical activity in the skin was recorded on the encephalograph, indicating a pronounced emotional reaction. By the way, Mikhail Tal himself played with this subject, and he also played a game with him in his usual state outside of hypnosis. The photographs showed how confidently the subject behaved during the game, while he considered himself Paul Morphy, for whom the name Tal means nothing - and how timidly the same subject squeezed into a chair outside of hypnosis, well imagining who he was playing with. By the way, Tal admitted that although the subject’s performance “in character” was, of course, not at Morphy’s level, it was still about two grades higher than without hypnosis. A few months later, in response to a journalist’s question: “Which party is for Lately Do you remember more than others?” Tal replied: “Meeting with Morphy,” and explained to the stunned reporter that he had no hallucinations yet. So, it is the suggestion of a holistic image that makes it possible to identify unique possibilities in hypnosis that the person himself is not aware of. Of course, these possibilities are precisely revealed, and not introduced by the state of hypnosis.”

Psychological conflicts become a kind of quality control points on the path to personal growth and self-realization when the interaction and dialogue of self-images is interrupted, “split”, each of which, being an essential part of the self-concept, tries to “declare itself”, “speak”, “to be heard”, but is not accepted as one’s own, rejected or transformed defensively.

The complexity and unpredictability of the self-image creates difficulties for its study. Sometimes a teacher deals with a student whose various parts and components of the self-image are “blurred” and are not interconnected. The consequence of psychological undifferentiation and dependence, which constitute the main system-forming property of “borderline self-awareness,” are its three interrelated characteristics:

A high level of bias in the self-image and its accessibility to subjective distortions;
Overdependence on the assessments of significant others, stress availability and vulnerability of the self-concept in relation to emotionally traumatic experiences;
“Narrowness” and “flatness” of the system of individual meanings representing the image of the Self.

“The factor that creates the greatest risk of destabilization of self-attitude is the low degree of differentiation of the self-concept and, as a result, insufficient autonomy of cognitive and affective processes that increase the stress availability of the entire holistic system,” says E. T. Sokolova.

In the personality structure, the mental component is particularly distinguished, which is responsible for the integrity of the psyche. This is a certain core - the self.

Babies initially do not differentiate between themselves and the world. As one grows, the bodily self begins to develop, with the awareness of which comes an understanding of the non-identity of the internal and external worlds. Later, young children begin to compare themselves with their parents, peers and relatives, finding certain differences. By middle childhood, their knowledge about themselves expands so much that it already includes a whole system of assessing their own qualities.

In adolescence and adolescence, self-esteem takes on a more abstract character, and adolescents develop a noticeable concern about how others perceive them. Finding yourself, collecting your own identity from the mosaic of knowledge about yourself becomes a paramount task for boys and girls. It is during this period that their intellect reaches a level of development that allows them to think about what the world around them is and what it should be like.

We can say that what is inherent in the self-concept is what the teenager is trying to develop. For example, a physically ill child’s self-concept is healthy. Such a child will try to physically pull himself up. If the level of aspirations is high, and one’s own capabilities are perceived as insufficient, neuroticism (touchiness, stubbornness) may occur.

Throughout the adult period of life, a person’s self-concept simultaneously strives to maintain continuity and undergoes changes. Important life events: changing jobs, marriage, the birth of children and grandchildren, divorce, job loss, war, personal tragedies - force us to reconsider our attitude towards ourselves.

It has been discovered that the dynamics of change in a person’s self-concept begins with a change in attitude towards oneself and the outside world, which serves as an impetus for a shift in all interdependent components of a multi-level system. With the increase of contradictions in the structure of the self-image, stability is disrupted, the internal consistency of the elements of the self-concept model disappears, “loss of self” occurs, and mental tension arises. The process of change, which follows either the path of simplification or the path of complication of the content of the Self-concept, ends with the transformation of its entire structure.

Factors influencing self-concept

All researchers note the complexity and ambiguity of the formation and development of the self-image. Self-image is a systemic, multi-component and multi-level formation of the human psyche. All components of this system have countless degrees of freedom, which complicates the possibility of a scientific approach in diagnosing and predicting the formation of the self-image. Apparently, the points of personal growth and development along the path of self-realization coincide with such human realities as selfhood, self-actualization, the ideal self and a person’s desire to find a harmonious correspondence of these realities in his self-image.

Gergen (1971) notes the following factors related to the evaluations of others that influence an individual's self-image:

Consistency between external assessment and self-concept.
The significance of the ideas that the assessment addresses.
Trust in the expert. The greater the credibility of the expert making the assessment, the greater his influence (Bergin, 1962).
Number of repetitions. The greater the number of repetitions of a given assessment, the greater the likelihood of its acceptance.
Modality of assessment. Acceptance or ignoring of external evaluation depends on whether it is positive or negative.

Based on this, external assessment will pose a threat to the self-concept in cases where:

the assessment does not coincide with the individual’s ideas about himself and is negative;
the assessment affects functionally significant concepts that the individual uses for self-determination;
the expert making the assessment enjoys significant credibility;
the individual is systematically exposed to the same external assessment and cannot ignore it.

The reflective “I” is a kind of cognitive scheme that underlies the implicit theory of personality, in the light of which the individual structures his social perception and ideas about other people. In the psychological orderliness of the subject's idea of himself and his dispositions, the leading role is played by higher dispositional formations - the system of value orientations in particular.

G. E. Zalessky identifies the following stages in the formation of personal meanings:

Notes

Literature

Agapov V. S. Age representation of the self-concept of personality.
Burns R. Self-concept and education. - M., 1989. - 169 p.
Vasiliev N. N. Self-concept: in agreement with oneself. - Elitarium: Center for Distance Education, 2009.
Golovanevskaya V. Features of self-concept as a factor in the formation of addictive behavior. - M.: 2000.
Deryabin A. A. Self-concept and the theory of cognitive dissonance: a review of foreign literature.
Kolyadin A.P. Approaches to the study of “Self-concept” in psychological science // Series “ Humanitarian sciences" - 2005. - No. 1. - ISBN 5-9296-0241-7
Lang R. Split “I”. - St. Petersburg: White Rabbit, 1995.
Maslow A.G. Motivation and personality. - St. Petersburg, 1999.
Meili G. Personality structure // Experimental psychology. / Ed. P. Fressa and J. Piaget. - M.:, 1975. - Issue. V. - pp. 197-283.
Slobodchikov I. M. Experience of loneliness within the framework of the formation of “I-concept” adolescence. (fragment) // Psychological science and education. - 2005. - No. 1.
Sokolova E. T. Self-awareness and self-esteem in personality anomalies. - Moscow University, 1989. - ISBN 5-211-00231-8
Stolin V.V. Self-awareness of the individual. - M.: MSU, 1983.