UNIT III: Self-Concept and Self-

Perception
Nosheen Siddique
MSN, POST RN,
CCN, RN, RM
Objectives
• Define self-perception/ self-concept pattern
• Describe the functions of self and self-concept
• Discuss how self-concept develops throughout the lifespan
• Discuss factors that can affect self-concept
• Identify possible manifestations of altered self-concept
• Apply the nursing process for a person with an altered self-concept
Self-concept
• Self-concept is one’s mental image of
oneself. A positive self-concept is
essential to a person’s mental and
physical health.
• Individuals with a positive self-concept
are better able to develop and maintain
interpersonal relationships and resist
psychological and physical illness.
• Self-concept involves all of the self-
perceptions—appearance, values, and
beliefs—that influence behavior and
are referred to when using the words I
or me.
Dimensions of Self-concept
• There are four dimensions of self-concept:
1. Self-knowledge: insight into one’s abilities, nature, and limitations
2. Self-expectation: what one expects of oneself; may be realistic or unrealistic
expectations
3. Social self: how a person is perceived by others and society
4. Social evaluation: the appraisal of oneself in relationship to others, events,
or situations.
• Self-awareness refers to the relationship between one’s perception of himself or
herself and others’ perceptions of him or her.
FORMATION OF SELF-CONCEPT
• A person is not born with a self-concept; rather, it develops as a result of social
interactions with others.
• The development of one’s self-concept consists of three broad steps:
• The infant learns that the physical self is separate and different from the
environment.
• The child internalizes others’ attitudes toward self.
• The child and adult internalize the standards of society.
• The term global self refers to the collective beliefs and images one holds about
oneself.
• People are thought to base their self-concept on how they perceive and evaluate
themselves in these areas:
• Vocational performance
• Intellectual functioning
• Personal appearance and physical attractiveness
• Sexual attractiveness and performance
• Being liked by others
• Ability to cope with and resolve problems
• Independence
• Particular talents
• There is also the ideal self, which is how we should be or would prefer to be. The
ideal self is the individual’s perception of how one should behave based on certain
personal standards, aspirations, goals, and values.
COMPONENTS OF SELF-CONCEPT
• Personal Identity:
• Personal identity is the conscious sense of individuality and uniqueness that is
continually evolving throughout life
• Role Performance:
• A role is a set of expectations about how the person occupying a particular
position behaves.
• Role performance is how a person in a particular role behaves in comparison
to the behaviors expected of that role.
• Role mastery means that the person’s behaviors meet role expectations.
Expectations, or standards of behavior of a role, are set by society, a cultural
group, or a smaller group to which a person belongs.
• Role development involves socialization into a particular role. For example,
nursing students are socialized into nursing through exposure to their
instructors, clinical experience, classes, laboratory simulations, and seminars.
• Role ambiguity occurs when expectations are unclear, and people do not know
what to do or how to do it and are unable to predict the reactions of others to their
behavior. Failure to master a role creates frustration and feelings of inadequacy,
often with consequent lowered self-esteem
• Role strain occur when people feel or are made to feel inadequate or unsuited to a
role. Role strain is often associated with sex role stereotypes. For example,
women in occupations traditionally held by men might be treated as having less
knowledge and competence than men in the same roles.
• Role conflicts arise from opposing or incompatible expectations. In an
interpersonal conflict, people have different expectations about a particular role.
For example, a grandparent may have different expectations than the mother about
how she should care for her children.
• Self-Esteem
• Self-esteem is one’s judgment of one’s
worth, that is, how that person’s standards
and performances compare to others’
standards and one’s ideal self.
• The two types of self-esteem are global and
specific.
• Global self-esteem is how much one likes
oneself as a whole.
• Specific self-esteem is how much one
approves of a certain part of oneself. Global
self-esteem is influenced by specific self-
esteem.
• For example, if a man values his looks, then
how he looks will strongly affect his global
self-esteem. By contrast, if a man places
little value on his cooking skills, then how
well or badly he cooks will have little
influence on his global self-esteem
FACTORS THAT AFFECT SELF-CONCEPT
• Many factors affect a person’s self-concept. Major factors are
• Stage of development,
• Family and culture, stressors,
• Resources,
• History of success and failure,
• Illness.
NURSING MANAGEMENT
• Assessing
• The nurse assessing self-concept focuses on its four components:
1. personal identity,
2. body image,
3. role performance,
4. self-esteem.
• Diagnosing
• Three of the NANDA International (Herdman & Kamitsuru, 2014) nursing diagnostic
labels relating specifically to this domain:
• Disturbed Body Image
• Ineffective Role Performance
• Chronic Low Self-Esteem (and Risk for)
Planning
• The nurse develops plans in collaboration with the client and supports people
when possible, according to the client’s state of health, level of anxiety, resources,
coping mechanisms, and sociocultural and religious affiliation.
• The nurse who has little experience in caring for clients with altered self-concepts
may wish to consult with a more experienced nurse to develop effective plans.
• The nurse and client set goals to enhance the client’s self-concept.
Implementing
• Identifying Areas of Strength
Nurses can employ the following specific • Become aware of distortions, inappropriate
strategies to reinforce strengths: or unrealistic standards, and faulty labels in
• Stress positive thinking rather than self- clients’ speech.
negation.
• Explore clients’ positive qualities and
• Notice and verbally reinforce client
strengths.
strengths.
• Encourage the setting of attainable goals. • Encourage clients to express positive self-
• Acknowledge goals that have been attained. evaluation more than negative self-
• Provide honest, positive feedback evaluation.
• Enhancing Self-Esteem • Avoid criticism.
The following nursing techniques may help clients • Teach clients to substitute negative self-talk
analyze the problem and enhance their self-esteem: (“I can’t walk to the
• • Encourage clients to appraise the situation • store anymore”) with positive self-talk (“I
and express their feelings. can walk half a block each
• • Encourage clients to ask questions. • morning”). Negative self-talk reinforces a
• • Provide accurate information. negative self-concept.