Creating a Positive Identity Laura Meier West Chester University Fall 2011

Agenda  Creating a positive identity PPT  Library  Log in to WikiSpaces to join  Begin Reflection #1- Analysis on Media  Next Class- Suicide prevention, community relations

The Social Mirror  Ideal-self  How we want to be; expectations we have for ourselves  Pygmalion-self  Perception of what we believe other people think of us  “I am not what I think I am. I am not what you think I am. I am what I think you think I am.”  Self-image  What we perceive ourselves to be  The product of this, negative or positive, is self-esteem

Ideal-Self Involves every aspect of our being Physical characteristics Mental abilities Emotional and social skills Moral standards Shaped by relationships and interactions “If we do not obtain these characteristics, we are less than ideal.”

Hero Identification  People we admire  They shape our perception of what we want to be  Identify three hero’s you admire  What do you admire about them?  Can be people you know personally, from a distance or through media  How do these people affect your life?  Turn to your partner and share your hero and character traits

Pygmalion-Self I am what I think you think I am Highly specific to each relationship and interaction What perceptions do significant people in your life have of you? How are you affected and shaped by these perceptions? These perceptions can be positive, negative or neutral

Self-Evaluation  The manner in which we evaluate ourselves has a profound effect on self-esteem.  When our ideal-self or Pygmalion-self is distorted, our self-esteem is affected.  True picture: take a nonemotive, third-person view of yourself. See yourself through the eyes of another person without being judgmental.

Self-Worth  External factors or “conditional self-worth”  Clothing, athletics, grades, appearance, achievements  Internal factors or “unconditional self-worth”  Feeling that one is an important and unique person regardless of performance or appearance  Feels that they have infinite potential

Identifying Factors  Identify the following statement as conditional or unconditional self-worth. If conditional, what is the condition?  “Stock market crash of 1929 resulted in a great number of suicides.”  “Individuals obtaining plastic surgery has increased in recent years.”  “Even though we lost, that soccer game was awesome cause we worked so hard.”

Getting To Know Me  “A common denominator among children and adolescents likely to attempt or commit suicide is a very low sense of self-worth.”