1. Self Concept and factors that affect it.
Unit 3
Self Concept and factors that affect it.

2. Objectives To gain an awareness of what self-concept is.
To state your own positive and negative self-concepts.
To gain knowledge and show understanding of how self-concept develops throughout the life stages.
To describe factors that affect self-concept and how they interrelate.

3. What is Self- Concept?
Self concept is the combination of self-esteem, which is how highly we think about ourselves; and self-image, which we gain from other people’s reactions to us.

4. What does self-concept involve?
How clever we are
How physically attractive we are
How we compare to other people we know
How good we are activities or sport etc
Self concept involves
How popular we are with others
How likely we are to be successful at coping with problems
How fit and strong we are

5. Factors that affect self-concept
Age
Gender
Culture
Sexual orientation
Appearance
Life experiences
Emotional maturity
Education
All these factors affect the way we feel about our self and
the reactions we get from others, therefore affect our self
concept.

6. As a baby we don not have any concept of the world we are born into or who we are.
Adults may be able to explain the quality of their lives and personality in greater depth than when in adolescence.
Age
Older adults may have more self knowledge than younger adults and may show wisdom in their self concept.
In adolescence we start to get a sense of who we are, what we like and dislike, relationships with others.

7. Gender Education choices may be affected due to gender.
There are different social expectations for men and women eg not to smoke or drink as much
Gender
Women and men expect to have the same opportunities now in the workplace although women may not go for the same jobs as men due to being female.
Women may have to consider career moves if they have children or want to have children

8. Parents may express disappointment when their child may not marry or live in a conventional family
Acquaintances may express homophobic attitudes
Sexual orientation
Same pension and housing privileges are not allowed for homosexual couples as for heterosexual couples
Public opposition for homosexual couples to foster or adopt children