Compare and contrast at least two theories of self
Introduction
Throughout history the topic of ‘Self’ has been broadly discussed by a range of different psychologists, (Rogers, 1995, Maslow, 1970, Hosseini, 2014). They have researched in areas including social and biological, they have also come up with different explanations in order to attempt to explain the meaning of ‘self’. Many people have the idea that the self is based around a person’s personality and emotion; however research has shown that it is more subjective.
This essay will explore multiple theories that look more broadly at the self and include ideas such as; relationships with others, our belongings and spirituality. This essay will present 3 separate theories of the self …show more content…
According to James there are 2 selves; me-the self as known, and the I-self as knower. In his theory there is the ‘me-self’ which is made up of three aspects, the first being the material me, consisting of all of our possessions and belongings (for example our phones, houses and clothes). The following aspect is known as the social me, this is the side of personality that is defined by our social roles and relationships with other, for example our job and family, and finally the spiritual-me characterised by our religious beliefs or lack of beliefs. The second half of this theory is known as the I-self as knower, this is the individualistic side of personality which is made up of different mental states (such as emotions), psychological disorders and different personal identities. These cognitive processes occur together at the back of our mind (transitivity). As you will see throughout this essay this approach takes a more social form rather than an individualistic one, when compared to the Ego Theory and Bundle Theory. The vast majority of work in this field is based on the individualistic self, however one study that brought the theory of socially acquired personality to light was Adorno’s Study on Authoritarianism, (1950) whereby personality traits such as racism and attitudes towards homosexuals were seen to be caused by upbringing, showing the importance of social relationships as part of the …show more content…
The idea coincides with the view that each person is a singular mental thing, such as a soul or spirit, this is called the Cartesian view. This is completely different to the previous two theories that say there is several selves (James) or no self (bundle). However one element that Ego and bundle share is that the self is determined by or made up of our experiences and emotions, conflicting with James theory which states the self is more
Introduction
Throughout history the topic of ‘Self’ has been broadly discussed by a range of different psychologists, (Rogers, 1995, Maslow, 1970, Hosseini, 2014). They have researched in areas including social and biological, they have also come up with different explanations in order to attempt to explain the meaning of ‘self’. Many people have the idea that the self is based around a person’s personality and emotion; however research has shown that it is more subjective.
This essay will explore multiple theories that look more broadly at the self and include ideas such as; relationships with others, our belongings and spirituality. This essay will present 3 separate theories of the self …show more content…
According to James there are 2 selves; me-the self as known, and the I-self as knower. In his theory there is the ‘me-self’ which is made up of three aspects, the first being the material me, consisting of all of our possessions and belongings (for example our phones, houses and clothes). The following aspect is known as the social me, this is the side of personality that is defined by our social roles and relationships with other, for example our job and family, and finally the spiritual-me characterised by our religious beliefs or lack of beliefs. The second half of this theory is known as the I-self as knower, this is the individualistic side of personality which is made up of different mental states (such as emotions), psychological disorders and different personal identities. These cognitive processes occur together at the back of our mind (transitivity). As you will see throughout this essay this approach takes a more social form rather than an individualistic one, when compared to the Ego Theory and Bundle Theory. The vast majority of work in this field is based on the individualistic self, however one study that brought the theory of socially acquired personality to light was Adorno’s Study on Authoritarianism, (1950) whereby personality traits such as racism and attitudes towards homosexuals were seen to be caused by upbringing, showing the importance of social relationships as part of the …show more content…
The idea coincides with the view that each person is a singular mental thing, such as a soul or spirit, this is called the Cartesian view. This is completely different to the previous two theories that say there is several selves (James) or no self (bundle). However one element that Ego and bundle share is that the self is determined by or made up of our experiences and emotions, conflicting with James theory which states the self is more