UTS REVIEWER

MODULE 1
THE SELF ACCORDING TO PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE

1. THE MEANING OF PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy derived from two Greek words, “Philo” and “Sophia,” which means “love of wisdom”.
Philosophy is a field of study that deals with the fundamental questions of human existence which
include the question “who am I.”

2. SELF ACCORDING TO VARIOUS PHILOSOPHERS

A. SOCRATES
“The Unexamined Life is not worth living” – Socrates

While the pre-Socratic philosophers were busy finding the origin of the nature of the universe, it
was Socrates who first study the problem of the self. The main venture of his philosophy is found in his
famous dictum “Know thyself”.

For Socrates, to know one’s self is an imperative and requirement. It is an imperative or command to
evaluate our strengths and limitations since knowing one’s self is a requirement to live towards a good,
virtuous, and happy life. By examining the self means the evaluation of our customs, beliefs, and
practices. But “what is Socrates’s concept of the self?”

For Socrates, “the soul is a person’s true self...It is the seat of knowledge and ignorance, of goodness
and badness of actions... the intellectual and moral personality of humans” (PHILO-notes, YouTube,
2020). The soul as a thinking and willing subject is where our personality is established. That is why
Socrates wants us to take care of the soul. But why? So that the soul can attain a good life. The good life
for Socrates is the soul’s acquisition of knowledge, wisdom, and virtue. To attain a good life, there is a
need to examine our life.

According to Socrates, we can only attain a good and happy life by examining ourselves through the
Dialectic or Socratic Method:

Socratic Method, also known as dialectic method, is the foundation of critical thinking, a method of
questioning that challenges accuracy and completeness of thinking in a way that acts to move people
towards their ultimate goal. (UB Psychology Department, 2020)

Socratic Method is a question and answers conversation. It is compared to a teacher and students or the
court hearing where lawyers are task to ask various questions by clarifying certain things. The goal of
this method is to arrive at the true meaning of certain concepts such as virtue, justice, goodness, love,
etc.
B. PLATO

Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotions, and knowledge. – Plato

Plato described his concept of self in his notion of the human psyche. For Plato, the self, which is the
soul is composed of three elements: reason, spirit, and appetite:

The appetitive element of the psyche includes one’s desires, pleasures, physical satisfactions, comforts,
etc. The spirited element of the psyche that is excited when given challenges, or fights back when
agitated, or fights for justice when unjust practices are evident. The mind, however, is what Plato
considers as the most superior of all elements. He refers to this element as the nous which means the
conscious awareness of the self. It decides, analyses, thinks ahead, proposes what is best, and rationally
controls both the appetitive and spirited elements of the psyche. (Villafuerte, 2018)

According to Plato, “human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge”.
When the appetitive and spirit controlled the reason, disharmony of our soul and lives occur. Reason
must control the other two elements so that ignorance may not occur and happiness can be attained.

The harmony or our behavior depends upon the harmony of these three elements. Disharmony happens
when the desire (appetite) and emotion (spirit) governed our reason. Reason must control and prevail
over others. Let’s say, for example, you are attending UTS class at this moment. Your appetite tells you
to go out and eat something, while your emotion is motivated to do it. However, your reason tells you
that it is inappropriate to go out and eat something since the class is ongoing. If your reason prevails,
then harmony occurs. When these three elements work together harmoniously will lead towards
harmonious, virtuous, and just life.

C. ST. AUGUSTINE

Every man whatsoever his condition, desires to be happy. –Augustine

St. Augustine believed that a human person is bifurcated in nature. For him, a human being is a dualistic
view of the separation between the body and soul. A human soul, which is imperfect, always yearns to
be with the Divine, which is God. That is why a human soul is restless until he/she finds rest in God.

St. Augustine’s development of the self is achieved through self-presentation and self- realization.
According to him, the “self is in search of happiness, because after all, we, humans, are eudemonic
characters: our satisfaction in this life is derived from happiness.” (UB Psychology Department, 2020).
There are two fundamental rules in living a happy life: justice and love. To be happy is to love the things
properly. The improper love of things leads us to love things more than one’s self and forget the true
meaning ourselves. We can have proper love when we embrace our spiritual life deeply.
D. RENE DESCARTES

“I think, therefore, I am”- Rene Descartes

Rene Descartes begins his conception of the self in his methodic doubt. His famous dictum, “Cogito ergo
sum” translated as “I think, therefore, I am,” becomes very important not only in the field of philosophy
but also to understand the self differently.

The “I” exist even you are doubting or dreaming. For Descartes, the self is a “thinking thing” “a thing
that doubts, that understands, that affirms, that denies, that wishes to do this and does not wish to do
that, and also that imagines and perceives by the senses.” (Descartes, 2008). According to Villafuerte:

Descartes’ discovery of the cogito revolutionizes the way we view ourselves and the world around us. It
has also dramatically changed the way we evaluate ourselves. The primary condition, therefore of the
existence of the self, at least according to Descartes, is human rationality. Simply put, we need reason in
order to evaluate our thoughts and actions. We need reason in order to live fully the demands,
challenges, and call of our religion. We need reason in order to establish firm foundations for universal
truth and morals. We need reason in order to protect ourselves from being savage to one another. We
need reason in order to build and live out our peace. (Villafuerte PhD, 2018)

E. JOHN LOCKE

“No man’s knowledge can go beyond his experience”- John Locke

John Locke, a British philosopher, physician, and politician formulated his idea of the self in connection
to personal identity. For Locke, the self is consciousness, and he called it an intelligent being. Unlike
Descartes, Locke does not believe in innate ideas, or that reason alone is the source of knowledge.
Locke’s knowledge of the self comes from experience:

John Locke suggested another way of looking at the self. Locke opposed the idea that only reason is the
source of knowledge of the self. His proposition is that the self is comparable to an empty space where
every day experiences contributed to the pile of knowledge that is put forth on that empty space.
Experience, therefore, is an important requirement in order to have sense data which, through the
process of reflection and analysis, eventually becomes sense perception. (Villafuerte PhD, 2018)

John Locke asserts that our idea of the self begins with an empty sheet called Tabula Rasa. For Locke,
“no man’s knowledge can go beyond his experience”. We acquire knowledge by sensation and
reflection. The sensation passed through our senses and by reflection, means “perceiving, thinking,
doubting, believing, reasoning, knowing, and willing”. Locke discussed three degrees of knowledge;
intuitive, demonstrative, and sensitive:

Intuitive knowledge involves direct and immediate recognition of the agreement or disagreement of
two ideas...For example, I know intuitively that a dog is not the same as an elephant. Demonstrative
knowledge is when we perceive the agreement or disagreement indirectly through a series of
intermediate ideas. For example, I know that A is greater than B and B is greater than C, thus I know
demonstratively that A is greater than C. Sensitive knowledge is when our sensory ideas are caused by
existing things even when we do not know what causes the idea within us. For example, I have known
that there is something producing the odor I can smell. (Clark, n.d.)

Conclusion
The prominent philosophers are trying to answer the question who am I. They provided us with their
ideas about their concept of the self. Knowing oneself is very significant in our lives. By these ideas of
the self, our task is to evaluate these ideas and make our concept of self so that we will be able to know
who we are and like the philosophers be able to define who we are as a human person.

MODULE 2

SELF FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PSYCHOLOGY

Introduction

Psychology is defined as a science that studies human behavior. Psychologists are trained to observe,
describe, understand, predict and control behavior with the use of different objective and projective
methods contrary to the common misconception that psychologists understand one person by merely
reading their minds.

In this module, we will focus on understanding Personality through the various schools of psychology,
namely: Psychodynamic, Behaviorism, Humanistic and Existentialism.

Etymologically, Personality came from the Latin word “persona” which means mask used by actors in a
play. It is the mask we wear when we face the world.

Simply, it can be referred to “I” or everything about yourself – your likes, dislikes, strengths and
weaknesses. It can also be defined as the totality of characteristics that go beyond physical qualities.

When Psychologists defined Personality, they are referring to more than what was mentioned above. It
is designated as the unique and stable set of internal and external aspects of a person. One’s Personality
can be compared to one’s fingerprint – unique in every individual, siblings, and even twins are distinctive
from each other.

Lesson 1: PSYCHODYNAMIC (The Study of the Unconscious)

The first school in Psychology is Psychodynamic. It supports the view on Personality that unconscious
forces govern human behavior. Theories on the psychodynamic perspective descended from the work of
Sigmund Freud.

Sigmund Freud’s Theory of Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis views us, human beings as biological organisms motivated by the satisfaction of our
bodily needs (achieving pleasure). It also states that your experience as a child strongly determine your
adult personality (“The child is the father of the man”).
Freud also discussed the three levels of the mind: conscious, preconscious and unconscious. He also
introduced the three structures of the mind. These are the id, ego and superego. In addition to this, he
proposed three types of anxiety: reality anxiety, neurotic anxiety and moral anxiety. Lastly, Freud
explained some strategies the ego uses to defend itself against anxiety; these are known to be defense
mechanism.

FREUD SAW A PERSON'S BEHAVIOR AS THE OUTCOME OF INTERACTIONS AMONG THESE THREE

ID- THE PRIMITIVE, INSTINCTIVE COMPONENT OF PERSONALITY THAT OPERATES ACCORDING TO THE
PLEASURE PRINCIPLE.

EGO - IS THE DECISION-MAKING COMPONENT OF PERSONALITY THAT OPERATES ACCORDING TO THE

REALITY PRINCIPLE.

SUPEREGO - IS THE MORAL COMPONENT OF PERSONALITY THAT INCORPORATES SOCIAL STANDARDS

ABOUT WHAT REPRESENTS RIGHT AND WRONG.

LEVELS OF AWARENESS
Conscious- consists of whatever one is aware of at a particular point in time.

Preconscious- contains material just beneath the surface of awareness that can easily be retrieved.

Unconscious- contains thoughts, memories, and desires that are well below the surface of conscious
awareness but that nonetheless exert great influence on behavior.

DEFENSE MECHANISMS
are largely unconscious reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions such as anxiety and
guilt.
Alfred Adler’s Individual Psychology

Adler proposed the view of Personality that focuses on striving for superiority (becoming a better
version of his self). He believed that we are motivated to overcome inferiorities. Inferiority feelings are
inescapable; they are necessary because they provide the motivation to strive and grow.

Adler highlighted in his theory the concept of compensation wherein we form some strategies to strive
for a higher level of development. When a person is unable to compensate his/her weaknesses, he/she
develops the feeling of inferiority. Thus, he/she has an inferiority complex. Inferiority complex Is “the
conscious or unconscious feeling that one is not good as others” (www.chegg.com). However, when a
person overcompensates, his/her normal feelings of inferiority will result to having a superiority
complex. As we strive for superiority, we also have an innate need to live in harmony and friendship
with others (social interest), and we develop a pattern of personal behavior (style of life).

One of the most famous works of Adler is his study about Family Constellation (Birth Order). To him, an
individual possesses a particular characteristic depending on his/her birth order in the family.

Lesson 2: BEHAVIORISM (The Study of Consciousness)

John B. Watson founded the second school of psychology - behaviorism. It focused on psychology as the
study of overt behavior rather than mental processes. Watson argued that if psychology was to be a
science, it had to focus on the tangible aspects of human nature – that which could be seen, heard,
recorded and measured. Watson ignored genetic factors and insisted that Personality is shaped by
controlling the environment.

Burrhus Frederic Skinner’s Operant Conditioning

Burrhus Frederic Skinner believed that most human behaviors are learned through operant
conditioning. The key to operant conditioning is the immediate reinforcement of the response. The
organism first does something (the behavior) and then reinforced by the environment. This
reinforcement increases the possibility that the same act will be repeated.

Three conditions are present in the process of operant conditioning: (A) antecedent, (B) behavior (C)
consequence. The (A) antecedent refers to the environment which the (B) behavior takes place, while
the (C) consequence is the reinforcement (reward experience) or the punishment.

Albert Bandura’s Observational Learning

Bandura agrees with Skinner that behavior is learned. However, he argued on the idea that it was
acquired through reinforcement. For him, learning occurs when an organism's response is
influenced by observing others called models.

There are two types of modeling: Live modeling and symbolic modeling. One learns through live
modeling when the person he/she’s trying to imitate is seen/heard in the flesh. On the other hand, in
symbolic modeling, an individual learns through the use of a medium or instrument.
THREE BASIC MODELS OF OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING
1.LIVE MODEL, WHICH INVOLVES AN ACTUAL INDIVIDUAL DEMONSTRATING OR ACTING OUT
BEHAVIOR.

2. VERBAL INSTRUCTION MODEL, WHICH INVOLVES DESCRIPTIONS AND EXPLANATION OF A BEHAVIOR.

3. A SYMBOLIC MODEL, WHICH INVOLVES REAL OR FICTIONAL CHARACTERS DISPLAYING BEHAVIORS IN

BOOKS, FILMS, TELEVISION PROGRAMS, OR ONLINE MEDIA

Lesson 3: HUMANISTIC

The Third school of psychology is Humanistic. It is a theoretical orientation that emphasizes the unique
qualities of humans, especially their free will and their potential to personal growth.

Abraham Maslow’s Theory of Self-Actualization

Abraham Maslow opposed the Psychoanalytic and Behavioral view on human nature. He insisted that
these views underestimate human nature, and we fail to examine the best people.

Maslow proposed in his theory that human motives are organized into a hierarchy of needs - a
systematic arrangement of needs, according to priority, in which basic needs must be met before higher
requirements are aroused. He also emphasizes that the ultimate goal of a person is self-actualization.
This concept means the fulfilment of one’s potential, and a self – actualized individual is one that
attained real happiness and peace of mind.
Lesson 4: EXISTENTIALISM ISM FINDING MEANING IN LIFE

Existentialists believed that people search for some meaning in their lives. They ask the important
questions concerning their being: Who am I? Is life worth living? Does it have a purpose? To the
existentialist, each of us is responsible for who we are and what we become. We cannot blame our
parents, our teachers, employers, or any circumstances. Ultimately, we can choose to become what we
can be – it is our own choice.

Victor Frankl’s Logotherapy

Frankl’s Logotherapy is based on the premise that the human person is motivated by a “will to meaning”
an inner pull to find meaning in life. According to Frankl, “We can discover this meaning in life in three
different ways: (1) by creating a work or doing a deed; (2) by experiencing something or encountering
someone; and (3) by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering” and that “everything can be
taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given
set of circumstances.

ASSUMPTIONS OF LOGOTHERAPHY

Body, Mind, Spirit. The human being is an entity that consists of a body (soma), mind (psyche) and spirit
(noos). Frankl argued that we have a body and mind, but the spirit is what we are, or our essence.

Life has meaning in all circumstances. Life has meaning in all circumstances, even the most miserable
ones.

Humans have a will to meaning. Which means that meaning is our primary motivation for living and
acting, and allows us to endure pain and suffering.

Freedom to find meaning. Frankl argues that in all circumstances, individuals have the freedom to
access that will to find meaning.

Meaning of the moment. For the decisions to be meaningful, individuals must respond to the demands
of daily life in ways that match the values of society or their own conscience.

Individuals are unique. Frankl believed that every individual is unique and irreplaceable.

SELF ACCORDING TO PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE (BASED ON PPT)

The unexamined life is not worth-living -Socrates

KNOW T H Y S E L F -K N O W I N G O N E S E L F I S A N I M P E R A T I V E A N D R E Q U I R E M E N T.

Socratic Method, also known as dialectic method is the foundation of critical thinking, a method of
questioning that challenges accuracy and completeness of thinking in a way that acts to move people
towards their ultimate goal. (UB Psychology Department, 2020)

For Plato, the self, which is the soul is composed of three elements; reason, spirit, and appetite.
Plato split’s the human soul into three parts.
The Rational: Reason
The Spirited: Honor
The Appetite: Desire

The appetitive element of the psyche includes one’s desires, pleasures, physical satisfactions, comforts,
etc. The spirited element of the psyche that is excited when given challenges, or fights back when
agitated, or fights for justice when unjust practices are evident. The mind, however, is what Plato
considers as the most superior of all elements. He refers to this element as the nous which means the
conscious awareness of the self. It decides, analyses, thinks ahead, proposes what is best, and rationally
controls both the appetitive and spirited elements of the psyche. (Villafuerte, 2018)

Every man whatsoever his condition, desires to be happy- Augustine

For him, a human being is a dualistic view of the separation between the body and soul. A human
soul, which is imperfect, always yearns to be with the Divine, which is God. That is why a human soul
is restless until he/she finds rest in God.

St. Augustine’s development of the self is achieved through self- presentation and self- realization.

“self is in search of happiness, because after all, we, humans, are eudemonic characters: our satisfaction
in this life is derived from happiness.”

UB Psychology Department, 2020

RULES OF LIFE ST. AUGUSTINE

JUSTINE & LOVE

To be happy is to love the things properly. The improper love of

things leads us to love things more than one’s self and forget the true meaning ourselves. We can have
proper love when we embrace our spiritual life deeply.

“I think, therefore, I am” -Rene Descartes

THE SELF IS A “THINKING THING” THAT DOUBTS, THAT UNDERSTANDS, THAT AFFIRMS, THAT DENIES,
THAT WISHES TO DO THIS AND DOES NOT WISH TO DO THAT, AND ALSO THAT IMAGINES AND
PERCEIVES BY THE SENSES. ” (DESCARTES, 2008).

The primary condition of the existence of the self, at least according to Descartes, is human rationality.
Simply put, we need reason in order to evaluate our thoughts and actions. We need reason in order to
live fully the demands, challenges, and call of our religion. We need reason in order to establish firm
foundations for universal truth and morals. We need reason in order to protect ourselves from being
savage to one another. We need reason in order to build and live out our peace. (Villafuerte PhD, 2018)

NO MAN”S KNOWLEDGE HERE CAN GO BEYOND BY HI EXPERIENCE – JOHN LOCKE (1632 – 1704)

TABALU RASA – the self is consciousness, and he called it an intelligent being

John Locke suggested another way of looking at the self. Locke opposed the idea that only reason is the
source of knowledge of the self. His proposition is that the self is comparable to an empty space where
every day experiences contributed to the pile of knowledge that is put forth on that empty space.
Experience, therefore, is an important requirement in order to have sense data which, through the
process of reflection and analysis, eventually becomes sense perception. (Villafuerte PhD, 2018)

DEGREES OF KNOWLEDGE
INTUITIVE KNOWLEDGE
DEMONSTRATIVE KNOWLEDGE
SENSITIVE KNOWLEDGE

The prominent philosophers are trying to answer the question who am I. They provided us with their
ideas and their concepts of the self. Knowing oneself is very significant in our lives. By these ideas of the
self, our task is to evaluate them and apply to make our concept of the self so that we will be able to
know who we are, and like the philosophers, be able to define who we are as a human person.
SELF FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOCIOLOGY

BASIC MEANING OR TERMINOLOGY

Sociology is the scientific study of society, including patterns of social relationships, social interaction,
and culture. (Dictionary of Social Sciences)

Anthropology is defined by the American Anthropological Association as the study that makes us
human.

Social Psychology is interested in all aspects of interpersonal relationships and the ways that psychology
can improve those interactions. (American Psychological Association)

WHAT IS SELF ACCORDING TO SOCIOLOGY?

THREE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES THAT WILL HELP OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SELF.

Charles Horton Cooley’s Looking-Glass-Self

George Herbert Mead’s Generalized Others
Ervin Goffman’s Impression Management

CHARLES HORTON COOLEY'S

HOW DO WE FORM OUR CONCEPT OF THE SELF?

LOOKING GLASS SELF

MAIN PRINCIPLES OF THE LOOKING-GLASS SELF THE CONCEPT OF THE LOOKING GLASS-SELF STATES
THAT PART OF HOW WE SEE OURSELVES COMES FROM OUR PERCEPTION OF HOW OTHERS SEE US
(COOLEY, 1902)

Cooley believes that the self emerges from social experiences and he saw the significant role of language
(verbal and non-verbal) in the self’s emergence.

For him, once we understand the language of people whom we interact, we can already gain a concept
of who we are (self-concept) or self-identity from their evaluation and description of us, and the way
they view who we are or perceive us to be.

IT IS ''SEEING OURSELVES AS OTHERS SEE US.''

WE TEND TO USE OTHERS AS A MIRROR FOR PERCEIVING OURSELVES.

HOW OTHERS PERCEIVE US INFLUENCES HOW WE SEE OURSELVES.

SUMMARY

WE IMAGINE HOW WE APPEAR TO OTHERS

We imagine how we appear to those around us. For example, we may think that others perceive us as
witty or dull.

WE INTERPRET OTHER” S REACTION

We interpret other’s reactions. We come to conclusions about how others evaluates us.

WE DEVELOP OUR SELF – CONCEPT

We develop a self-concept. How we interpret other’s reactions to us frames our feelings and ideas about
ourselves. A favorable reflection in this social mirror leads to a positive self-concept; a negative
reflection leads to a negative self-concept.

GEORGE HERBERT MEAD'S

GENERALIZED OTHERS

GEORGE HERBERT MEAD

For Mead, the self that we have (our self-identity, self-concept, or personality) is the result of learning
the roles of other people in the group where we belong.

How? From taking-on roles of other people significant to us (e.g., parents, aunts, uncles, etc.), we learn
the roles of these people within the group, community, or society where we belong,

THE STAGES

GENERALIZED OTHERS

1ST STAGE: PREPARATORY STAGE

The child observes the significant people's performance of their role (The significant people are their
parents, or close relatives living with the child.).

2ND STAGE: THE PLAY STAGE

Once the child learns the language (verbal and non-verbal) of these significant people, he or she starts
to think and act like the others as he or she performs their roles.

3RD STAGE: THE GAME STAGE

The child understands that the significant others have expectations on him/ her with regards to the
performance of his/ her roles as he/ grows older.
ERVIN GOFFMAN’S
IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT

is defined as a process where we have a stake in presenting ourselves to others in ways that will lead
them to view us in a favorable light.

This occurs by concealment and strategic revelation. In application, the self emerges from what the
individual wants other people to perceive him or her to be during their initial meeting or phase in their
relationship.

3 aspects involved in Impression Management

1. Mask represents the concept one has formed of himself or herself which he or she consciously wears
and acts out and which becomes second nature and eventually an integral part of his or her personality.

2. Performance refers to all the activities of an individual during a period marked by continuous
presence before a particular set of observers. When a person appears before others he or she presents a
front.

3. Front is the expressive equipment of a standard kind intentionally or unconsciously employed by the
individual during the performance of the self-concept projected to other people. Examples of front are
insignia of office or rank, clothing, and jewelry, looks, posture, speech patterns, facial expressions, bodily
gestures, etc.

DRAMATURGY
PRESENTATION OF THE SELF IN DAILY LIFE

Goffman also looks at the society as similar to a stage and the social roles as similar to the roles and
functions performed by characters performing on stage. He called this dramaturgical approach.

THE SOCIAL POSITIONS EACH ONE OF US FILLS IN THE SOCIAL GROUP (SUCH AS FAMILY, PEER GROUP,
AND THE LIKE), COMMUNITY (SUCH AS QCU, SINGLES FOR CHRIST, AND THE LIKE), OR SOCIETY (SUCH AS
PHILIPPINE SOCIETY) WHERE WE BELONG DICTATES OUR BEHAVIOR, INTERACTION, AND RELATIONSHIP
TO OTHER PEOPLE.

Thus, the self emerges from the performance of one's role and function.

For Goffman, we are basically concerned with self-presentation (or how we present our self) in all our
social encounters, and we do this by taking on a specific role in a particular situation.
ANTHROPOLOGY

Social psychology views the self, or the person as rooted in the social context.

Our self is shaped by the world we live in and we shape the world in return.

IN CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY, SELF AND CULTURE CONSTITUTE OR CONSTRUCTS EACH OTHER .

THE INDIVIDUAL SELF DEVELOPS WITHIN A PARTICULAR CULTURE THAT STRUCTURES HOW THE SELF
THINKS, FEELS, AND ACTS.

According to Matsumoto & Juang (2004 cited in Macapagal, M. E. J. et al., 2013), “our sense of self,
referred to as self-concept is shaped by our cultural context” (p. 31). Different cultures produce different
self-concepts in their members.

CULTURE AND SELF: INDIVIDUALISTIC VS. COLLECTIVE

Collectivist cultures emphasize interdependence among people while individualist cultures emphasize
that people are independent of their groups.

In collectivist cultures, a person’s goals are defined based on his or her held social roles but the goals of
the group are more important than his or her own goals.

He or she is expected to sacrifice for the group and this is viewed as natural.

INDEPENDENT VS. INTERDEPENDENT SELF

Independent self is “define by unique internal attributes, such as traits and dispositions,” that are
independent of one’s context”

It is an American culture and in some Western European countries. The individual emphasizes his or her
personal thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Other people become important to him or her when they verify and affirm his or herself self such as
when opinions, abilities, and characteristics validate who

Interdependent self “sees the self-in-relation-to-others as the focus of the individual experience rather
than the independent self.” Cultures with the interdependent self are

Asians. Also, they look at how the individual self fits in harmony with them. The interdependent self
finds ways to fit in with significant others, to fulfill obligations, and to belong to groups.
MODULE 5

Material & Economic Self

“Consumerism is not bad, but reckless and mindless consumerism is not just bad, but downright
injurious to the health of not just the individual, but of the entire society.” ― Abhijit Naskar

The material self refers to tangible objects, people, or places that carry the designation my or mine.

What is Material self?

Two subclasses of the material self can be distinguished:
The bodily self and the extracorporeal (beyond the body) self. Rosenberg (1979) has referred to the
extracorporeal self as the extended self.

The bodily component of the material self requires little explanation. A person speaks of my arms or my
legs. These entities are clearly an intimate part of who we are. But our sense of self is not limited to our
bodies. It includes other people (my children), pets (my dog), possessions (my car), places (my home
town), and the products of our labors (my painting).

It is not the physical entities themselves, however, that comprise the material self. Rather, it is our
psychological ownership of them (Scheibe, 1985). For example, a person may have a favorite chair she
likes to sit in. The chair itself is not part of the self. Instead, it is the sense of appropriation represented
by the phrase “my favorite chair.” This is what we mean when we talk about the extended self. It
includes all of the people, places, and things that we regard as “ours.”

How can we tell whether an entity is part of the self?

We could make this determination by examining our emotional investment in the entity. If we respond
in an emotional way when the entity is praised or attacked, the entity is likely to be part of the self.

A man’s Self is the sum total of all that he CAN call his, not only his body and his psychic powers, but his
clothes and his house, his wife and children, his ancestors and friends, his reputation and works, his
lands and horses, and yacht and bank-account. All these things give him the same emotions. If they wax
and prosper, he feels triumphant; if they dwindle and die away, he feels cast down,—not necessarily in
the same degree for each thing, but in much the same way for all.

Another way to determine whether something is part of the extended self is to see how we act towards
it. If we lavish attention on the entity and labor to enhance or maintain it, we can infer that the entity is
part of the self.

All of the components of the material self are the objects of instinctive preferences coupled with the
most important practical interests of life. We all have a blind impulse to watch over our body, to deck it
with clothing of an ornamental sort, to cherish parents, wife and babes, and to find for ourselves a home
of our own which we may live in and ‘improve.’
1. CONSUMER BEHAVIOR 2. RIGHTS OF THE CONSUMER 3. KINDS OF CONSUMPTION
WHAT IS CONSUMPTION?
Consumption is the overall spending on consumer goods by individuals, groups and even nations in a
particular time frame.

As people continue to fulfil their wants and needs, they would naturally consume and spend for goods.
The way the consumers would behave is called consumer behavior.

The idea behind consumer behavior is that consumers make their choices based on their incomes, the
prices of the goods, and their own preference.

FACTORS THAT AFFECT CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Wealth
Income
price
Psychological Factors

1.Wealth Someone who has a million

pesos in the bank would probably
consume more than
someone who has no savings at all. More
wealth tends to lead to higher
consumption. This behavior is called,
wealth effect, and is seen in the fact that
rich people have an abundance of things
in their house.

2. Income
At a certain point, however, low-income earners tend to
dissave, or spend more than what they earn.
The Picodi Analysis Team found that 91 percent of those
surveyed are planning to participate in the
Double Twelve event and are willing to spend up to Php4,300 each on an average of 4.6 items.

Clothes are on the top of the list of online shoppers, followed by electronics, cosmetics, grocery
products, and footwear.

3. Prices
Generally, people purchase lower- priced products, but other factors such as the quality of the product
or its attraction to consumer could affect the price, even if it’s low or high.
The consumer also has to consider what items to buy given their prices. For example, a consumer may
choose between one high quality T-shirt worth 600 pesos or two low quality one priced 300 pesos each.
His decision might take into consideration what he needs at the moment.

Psychological Factors

Another one of these psychological factors is the built-in preferences each individual has. One girl may
prefer buying nice earrings while another would want shoes. Still, one particular girl may want black
leather shoes, while another would like more colorful ones. Obviously, each individual’s preference has
a great influence on consuming behavior.

KINDS OF CONSUMPTION

Extravagant Consumption.
This is consumption of expensive goods, high above the means of the consumer. Or even if the
consumer is wealthy, the goods are not worth the price. Sometimes this is done to gratify certain
psychological need, such as the need to be praised or recognized.

Harmful Consumption.
This pertains to consumption of cigarettes, liquor, or even illegal drugs which are harmful to the
consumer. It is ironic that people are willing to spend for things that would later make them sick.

Wasteful Consumption.
This is about buying things for the sake of buying and not using the things bought.

Wise Consumption.
This is about spending money its fullest capacity, which means that consumer gets his money’s worth
and uses resources to his advantage. This means buying goods that can benefit him in the long run and
at a price that is not bloated. This means budgeting money according to the basic needs, and even
saving for some future consumption.

Rights of the Consumers

Right to Basic needs - This is your right to have access to basic and essential goods and services, such as
adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, public utilities, water, and sanitation. T

Right to Safety- This is your right to be protected against the marketing of goods or provision of services
that are hazardous to your health and life.

Right to Choose- Consumer should have the right to choose from a variety of goods and in a competitive
price.

Right to be informed- The buyers should be informed with all the necessary details of the product, make
her/him act wise, and change the buying decision.

Right to be informed- The buyers should be informed with all the necessary details of the product, make
her/him act wise, and change the buying decision.
Right to Consumer Education- Consumer should be aware of his/her rights and avoid exploitation.
Ignorance can cost them more.

Right to be heard- This means the consumer will get due attention to express their grievances at a
suitable forum.

Right to seek compensation- The defines that the consumer has the right to seek redress against unfair
and cruel practices or exploitation of the consumer.

Right to a healthy Environment- This is your right to live and work in an environment that is neither
threatening nor dangerous but rather permits a life of dignity and well-being.

Consumer Responsibilities

Critical Awareness. The responsibility to be more alert and questioning about the use and the price and
quality of goods and services we use.

Action. The responsibility to assert ourselves and act to ensure that we get a fair deal. Remember that
as long as we remain passive consumers, we will continue to be exploited.

Social Concern. The responsibility to be aware of the impact of our consumption on other citizens,
especially the poor, exploited, disadvantaged or powerless groups, whether in the local, national or
international community.

Environmental Awareness. The responsibility to understand the environmental consequences of our

consumption. We should recognize our individual and social responsibility to conserve natural resources
and protect the earth for future generations.

Solidarity. The responsibility to organize together as consumers to develop the strength and influence
to promote and protect our interests.