BRAINSTORM: ALL ABOUT PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Knowing Personality or the Self

What comes into your mind when you think of the concept “self’? What
makes a person himself or herself? In this module, though there are a lot of definitions of
the word “self”, oneself will be treated synonymously with the term “personality”. The
word personality came from the Greek word “persona” which means mask. The term
came from the Greek custom of putting up a show wherein actors wear masks to
portray different personalities or selves. The activity that you did about creating a mask
somehow asks you to describe the things that you know about yourself and how you
want “to be seen” by the external world.

The self encompasses one’s body, feelings, emotions, thoughts, values

and relationships. It is a unique personal identity made up of one’s experiences, beliefs,
convictions, as well as one’s longings, dreams, life’s purpose and meaning. As we look
deeply within ourselves, we will realize that it is every human person’s goal to strive
harder to acquire a positive view of oneself or a Positive Self-Concept.

But what is self-concept? The term self-concept is a general term used to

refer to how someone thinks about, evaluates or perceives themselves. To be aware of
oneself is to have a concept of oneself. Lewis (1990) suggests that the development of
oneself has two aspects:

1. The Existential Self - This is 'the most basic part of the self-scheme or self-concept;
the sense of being separate and distinct from others and the awareness of the
constancy of the self' (Bee, 1992). The child realizes that they exist as a separate
entity from others and that they continue to exist over time and space.

2. The Categorical Self- Having realized that he or she exists as a separate

experiencing being, the child next becomes aware that he or she is also an
object in the world. Just as other objects including people have properties that
can be experienced (big, small, red, smooth and so on) so the child is becoming
aware of himself or herself as an object which can be experienced, and which
has properties.

Understanding these two aspects of our development is very crucial and important in
our development as a human being as a whole (this will be further discussed in lesson
2). And at your current state as an adolescent, it is necessary for you to understand the
why’s of your thoughts and behaviors. Another renowned psychologist, Carl Rogers
(1959), believes that the self-concept has three different components: The view you
have of yourself (self-image), how much value you place on yourself (self-esteem or
self-worth), what you wish you were really like (ideal-self). We are going to discuss it one
by one. Let us proceed to the first one!
SELF-IMAGE (how you see yourself)

Mountain Sate Centers for Independent Living explain that: “Self-image is

how you perceive yourself. It is a number of self-impressions that have built up over
time… These self-images can be very positive, giving a person confidence in their
thoughts and actions, or negative, making a person doubtful of their capabilities and
ideas.” What you see when you look in the mirror and how you picture yourself in your
head is your self-image. Let’s do the next activity for us to further understand what self-
image is.

EXPLORE

Kuhn (1960) investigated the self-image by using The Twenty Statements Test. He asked
people to answer the question 'Who am I?' in 20 different ways. He found that the
responses could be divided into two major groups. These were social roles (external or
objective aspects of oneself such as son, teacher, and friend) and personality traits
(internal or affective aspects of oneself such as gregarious, impatient, and humorous).

The list of answers to the question “Who Am I?” probably include examples of each of
the following four types of responses:

 Physical Description: I’m tall, have blue eyes...etc.

 Social Roles: We are all social beings whose behavior is shaped to some extent
by the roles we play. Such roles as student, housewife, or member of the football
team not only help others to recognize us but also help us to know what is
expected of us in various situations.

 Personal Traits: These are the third dimension of our self-descriptions. “I’m
impulsive...I’m generous...I tend to worry a lot”...etc.

4) Existential Statements (abstract ones): These can range from "I’m a child of the
universe" to "I’m a human being" to "I’m a spiritual being"...etc.

*Typically, young people describe themselves more in terms of personal traits, whereas
older people feel defined to a greater extent by their social roles.

SELF-ESTEEM (the extent to which you value yourself)

Self-esteem (also known as self-worth) refers to the extent to which we like, accept or
approve of ourselves, or how much we value ourselves. Self-esteem always involves a
degree of evaluation and we may have either a positive or a negative view of
ourselves.

High self-esteem (we have a positive view of ourselves)

This tends to lead to:

 Confidence in our own abilities

 Self-acceptance

 Not worrying about what others think

 Optimism

Low self-esteem (we have a negative view of ourselves)

This tends to lead to:

 Lack of confidence

 Want to be/look like someone else

 Always worrying what others might think

 Pessimism

Argyle (2008) believes there are 4 major factors that influence self-esteem.

1. The Reaction of Others

If people admire us, flatter us, seek out our company, listen attentively and agree with
us we tend to develop a positive self-image. If they avoid us, neglect us, tell us things
about ourselves that we don’t want to hear we develop a negative self-image.

2. Comparison with Others

If the people we compare ourselves with (our reference group) appear to be more
successful, happier, richer, better looking than ourselves we tend to develop a negative
self-image BUT if they are less successful than us our image will be positive.

3. 3. Social Roles

Some social roles carry prestige e.g., doctor, airline pilot, TV. presenter, premiership
footballer and this promotes self-esteem. Other roles carry a stigma. E.g., a prisoner,
mental hospital patient, refuse collector or unemployed person.
 4. Identification

Roles aren’t just “out there.” They also become part of our personality i.e. we identity
with the positions we occupy, the roles we play and the groups we belong to.

Another important factor here is the influence of parents. We cannot deny the fact that
parents play a major role in developing positively the self-esteem of their children. You
could just imagine a life of a child or an adolescent whose major source of developing
a negative self-esteem are their loved ones especially parents. We will now proceed
with the last component, the Ideal Self.

IDEAL SELF (what you'd like to be)

If there is a mismatch between how you see yourself (e.g., your self-image) and what
you’d like to be (e.g., your ideal-self) then this is likely to affect how much you value
yourself. Therefore, there is an intimate relationship between self-image, ego-ideal and
self-esteem.

A person’s ideal self may not be consistent with what actually happens in the life and
experiences of the person. Hence, a difference may exist between a person’s ideal self
and actual experience. This is called incongruence.

Where a person’s ideal self and actual experience are consistent or very similar, a state
of congruence exists. Rarely, if ever does a total state of congruence exist; all people
experience a certain amount of incongruence. The development of congruence is
dependent on unconditional positive regard. Rogers believed that for a person to
achieve self-actualization they must be in a state of congruence.

Michael Argyle (2008) says there are four major factors which influence its
development:

1. The ways in which others (particularly significant others) react to us.

2. How we think we compare to others

3. Our social roles

4. The extent to which we identify with other people

PERSONALITY

Another important lesson that we will discuss under self-development is Personality.

Gordon Allport (1990) defines personality as a “pattern of habits, attitudes, traits that
determine an individual’s characteristics, behaviors, and traits.

Components of Personality

1. Habits – reactions so often repeated as to become fixed characteristics or

tendencies

2. Attitudes – certain ways of viewing things gained from the environment,

changed by the working mind and imagination and somewhat influenced by
the physical environment, particularly by emotions.

3. Physical Traits – include facial appearance, height, weight, physical defects,

complexion, strength and health.

4. Mental Traits – include our ability to control the mind

5. Emotional Traits – give an individual the capacity to face different situations in life
and still maintain his/her composure.

6. Social Traits – give an individual the ability to get along with others

7. Moral and Religious Traits – standards for a person’s actions and behaviors. His
moral traits are manifested by his conduct. His religious traits guide his actions
according to his beliefs.

Personality according to Amparo and Tuazon (1960) can be one of two things:

 One’s biggest asset leading to success

 One’s heaviest liability leading to failure

People conduct themselves depending on the self-concept/personality as it regulates

how they view and relate to their surroundings. Personality is how an individual thinks
and behaves in different situations. For instance, when someone has a more withdrawn
personality, it can be expected most of the time, regardless of the situation, highly
reclusive, physically inactive and not socially inclined to interact with others.

Our personality is our biggest responsibility. It ought to be treated with the most intensive
care because it may turn out to be our worst enemy or our best friend. It may be our
best friend because when treated with care, a mature personality makes us
acceptable to the society and thus be successful in the fields of our endeavor. When
neglected, however, it will hinder our personal growth. Many adolescents today,
struggle a lot when it comes to developing their personality and how to associate
themselves with the external world. Just always remember that all of these are just part
and parcel of your lives as teenagers. The important thing is that you try your best to
develop as a good and responsible teenager as you grow towards adulthood.

Johari Window: A Model for Self-Awareness and Interpersonal Relations

Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham, two noted psychologists, introduced

the concept of Johari window. The term “Johari” was coined from the first syllables of
their names. Johari Window is a mechanism designed to help an individual grow
through learning more about oneself and others. It consists of four windowpanes which
is also known as the four windows of truth. The four windowpanes are the following:

1. Open Area - the area known to oneself and to others. Examples are age,
gender, etc.

2. Hidden Area – the area known only to oneself and not known by others. It refers
to one’s secrets in life

3. Blind Area – the area not known to the self but is known by others. Examples are
expressions and mannerisms.

4. Unknown Area – the area not known to the person or others. This area remains
untapped and undiscovered until the right time or opportunity.

According to Luft and Ingham, a person can use the Johari Window to improve the self
by widening the open area and reducing the blind and hidden areas. Doing so will
eventually lead to the reduction of the unknown area as well as pave the way for one
to discover more about oneself in terms of attitude, talents, capabilities and other skills.
These can be made possible by the following:

1. Self-disclosure and Sharing

2. Establishing Trust

3. Asking for feedback and giving feedback

The Johari Window likewise enhances one’s competence to interrelate with people
through trust, understanding, and concern. Let us now proceed writing our second
journal. Just follow the instructions below and try to “see” your hidden, blind and
unknown areas.
PART 1- ADOLESCENCE - TOWARD HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT AND FACING DIFFERENT
CHALLENGES

As a child grows, he/she will gradually notice the enormous development that happens
on many levels of dimensions of himself/herself. First to notice would be the physical
changes which are manifestations of their emerging gender and sexual characteristics.
And as their bodies undergo changes, there is also an expansion of one’s social
network as the adolescent spends more time being with their friends or peers rather
than their families. At the same time curiosity about the self, other people and the
society at large emerges as an adolescent expands his/her horizon on thinking and
dealing with the world along with the learnings acquired in school. As a teenager
journeys in his/her adolescent life, these things bring excitement, joy, sadness and other
feelings that could help or hinder their growth as a person.

This is the main reason why an adolescent must understand the

importance of recognizing these changes so that he/she could be able to understand
and evaluate his/her thoughts, feelings and behavior in actual situations. The activity
that we did shows us a glimpse of how you react cognitively, emotionally and also
triggered other aspects of yourselves. This will lead now to our discussion of the different
areas of Personal Development of a human person. Let’s get started!

A. PHYSIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

Adolescence is generally referred to as the teenage years, which starts at about the
age of twelve and ends at the age of twenty-one. The beginning of these physical
developments is said to be signaled by the onset of Puberty. Puberty refers to the
physical changes that a child experiences as sexual maturity is reached. It is the stage
that the child may be overly concerned with the appearance and body image (Lewis
2015). Common changes would be increase in height and weight, the testes of the
male starts to produce sperm and ovaries in the female begin to release egg cells,
development secondary sex characteristics such as changes in genitals and breasts
and maturation of sex organs and other physical changes. These changes could also
make adolescents feel uncomfortable with themselves. This is why it is so important that
an adolescent should carefully acknowledge and care for his/her physical body to
optimally function as a person.

B. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Cognitive development refers to the progression of one’s ability to think and

reason out. The growth of one’s mental abilities affects how one makes decisions,
remembers details and solves problems. According to Jean Piaget, Swiss biologist and
psychologist, there are four main stages of cognitive development from birth to
adolescence.

The diagram above shows the different stages of cognitive development according to
Jean Piaget. As adolescents, you are now on the stage which Piaget’s called as
the Formal Operational Stage meaning, you are capable of theoretical, hypothetical
and counterfactual thinking. But it is not a hundred percent guarantee that when a
person reaches this age, he/she would be capable of those types of thinking or
reasoning. Some factors may affect the cognitive growth of a person. It is also our
responsibility to enrich our cognitive skills. It can be developed through the use of our
intellectual capacities in studies, work and in figuring out how to best deal with
challenges.

C. PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

Psychological development refers to how thinking, feeling and behaving interact

and happen in a person. Psychological changes that happen to a person during
adolescent stage center primarily on establishing a clear identity. During adolescence,
one learns new things including truths about childhood fantasies. This is one of the
reasons why during the middle adolescent years, the bond between parents and
teenagers weaken. Teenagers at this stage tend to be more adventurous and start
experimenting on various activities such as engaging themselves in unusual and risky
activities. Also exists during this stage is conflict when it comes to one’s set of values and
what is expected of them by their parents.

It is very crucial during this stage that adolescents should learn how to
evaluate and control their actions and decisions so as not to ruin one’s life. There is a
big possibility that teenagers could go the wrong way and it is primarily the responsibility
of their parents to teach and guide them properly. One positive thing that we can see
here is that somehow, these young teens are also starting to show a sense of
responsibility and the desire to contribute to society.

D. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Social development refers to our capacity to relate to others, to connect, and to

feel belongingness. Early attachments of a child with the people around him/her,
especially parents, could affect one’s self-concept and how one would relate to other
people. Children who were welcomed and showered with joy and affection as they
grow old most likely will have positive views on oneself and with others while neglected
or rejected children tend to develop negative concepts of the self and others.

It is very important for a child to have social interactions as he/she

grows old. As a child journeys towards adolescence, the interaction that he/she has
would greatly influence how he/ she will relate to other people.

E. MORAL DEVELOPMENT

Morality means “a set of guiding principles that direct a person in the

pursuit of what is right or wrong and what is good or bad.” During childhood, the family,
culture and religion greatly influence the morality of the individual. Once an individual
reaches early adolescence, he/she gets to be influenced by friends which could
eventually lead to peer pressure. It is also at this stage that a person develops the ability
to think abstractly leading to the realization that rules are just created by society. By the
late adolescence. Most teens have already acquired their own identity, values system,
and set of moral principles. Adolescents who have experienced life’s misfortunes such
as physical or emotional trauma, separation from a loved one, or senseless violence
committed by adults, their sense of morality may be adversely affected. They may view
the world as violent, unfair or unjust (Oswalt 2015).

One of the most accepted theories even until today is the theory of moral
development formulated by Lawrence Kohlberg. Kohlberg formulated a six-stage
theory of moral development and classified these stages into three higher-order levels
of development. Let’s take a look at the overview of Kohlberg’s theory.
PART 2- THE CHALLENGE OF MIDDLE AND LATE ADOLESCENCE

There are multitude of challenges that plague the typical teenager. As one looks at the
challenges that are most often encountered in the senior high school development
stage, it helps that one’s experiences and feelings are unique.

Major Challenges that Afflict the Adolescent in SHS

1. Concern for Body Image

2. Searching for Identity

3. Group Belongingness

4. Academic Concerns

5. Relationships

6. Sexual Interest, Curiosity & Partnerships

7. Socio-Emotional Challenges
Kinds of Socio Emotional Challenges

1. Grief

2. Anxiety

3. Depression

4. Bi-Polar Disorders

5. Eating Disorders

6. Trauma

7. Substance Abuse

Understanding of oneself better will lead us to Self-Awareness which plays a major key
in overcoming challenges especially for adolescents. Self-Awareness is the ability to
see yourself clearly and objectively through reflection and introspection. It plays a
major role in helping a person understand himself/herself.

Sigmund Freud

Is known for his study of the three basic components that greatly affect our personality.
He conceptualized the 3 LEVELS OF AWARENESS that are congruent to the 3 different
Parts of the MIND: CONSCIOUS MIND, PRECONSCIOUS MIND, and the SUBCONSCIOUS
MIND.

From these levels of awareness, Freud developed the 3 Components of

Man’s Personality: the ID, EGO, and SUPER EGO. These are the results of our thinking,
feeling and behaviors.

Defense mechanisms are working strategies that help relieve and protect oneself from
unpleasant feelings like fear and guilt.

Primitive Defense Mechanisms

 Denial

 Regression

 Projection

 Acting Out

 Reaction Formation
Less Primitive Defense Mechanisms

 Repression

 Displacement

 Intellectualization

 Rationalization

 Disassociation

Mature Defense Mechanisms

 Sublimation

 Suppression

 Compensation

 Altruism

 Affiliation

Remember, defense mechanisms are most often learned behaviors, most of which we
learned during childhood. That’s a good thing, because it means that, as an adult, you
can choose to learn some new behaviors and new defense mechanisms that may be
more beneficial to you in your life.

Eight Developmental Task for Middle and Late adolescents:

1. Establishing harmonious and favourable relations with people of similar age

group

2. Acquire either a Masculine or Feminine role in the society

3. Learning to accept and appreciate one’s body and physical attributes

4. Obtaining freedom from the protective arms of parents and other people

5. Getting ready for a particular vocation, marital relationship and family life

6. Preparing for a professional career

7. Adopting set of moral principles to guide one’s actions and behaviors in

developing a sense of ideology

8. Yearning and embracing socially responsible behaviors

COPING WITH STRESS

STRESS is defined as a reaction of the mind and body to a stimulus that disturbs the well-
being, state of calm or equilibrium of a person.

SpencerRathus defined stress as a form of demand that urges an individual to do

something in order to adapt to a situation, or else he/she will experience anxiety.

Stress attacks the 3 major developments that are occurring in adolescent stage
namely: self development and identity, involvement in groups and emotional and
behavioural autonomy development.

COMMON SOURCES OF STRESS

 FAMILY/ PARENTS

 ACCIDENT/ILLNESS

 SEXUALITY

 AUTONOMY

 DEVIANCE

 RELOCATION

 DISTRESS

 CHANGE
“Eustress”is the kind of stress that is helpful to promoting one’s growth and development
by providing sufficient challenges that allow one to become more resourceful and show
initiative in problem-solving. Without some stress, life would be such a comfort zone and
may lead to boredom.

o Traveling

o Playing Sports

o Doing Exercise

o Meeting new people in work or organizations

o Meeting or engaging in a challenge

o Watching a suspenseful or scary movie

Types of Coping Styles

 Problem-Focused Coping

 Emotion-Focused Coping

 Avoidance Coping

Stress Management is a set of techniques that people can use to be able to manage
their stressors.
IMPORTANT FACTORS ON HOW TO MANAGE STRESS

1. SELF EFFICACY EXPECTATIONS

2. PSYCHOLOGICAL HARDINESS

3. SENSE OF HUMOR

4. PREDICATABILITY & CONTROL

5. SOCIAL SUPPORT