The Concept of Self Image - Report Example

The Concept of Self Image “The concept of our self image, our sense of identity and gender roles, as well as the way we behave and think, are all determined by our environment, rather than any innate factor”. This statement is convincing because of the way that it is written. Although there is a component of innate factors that affect an individual’s personality, the sentence as it is written, can be very convincing It is important to understand that self-image can be a compilation of a variety of factors that are dependent on how the individual sees the world as well as their environment. As an example, a child who grows up in a home where they are told negative things about themselves may internalize this information and develop a low self-image. In a home where the child is told that they are wonderful and that they can do anything they want in their lives, the child may grow up feeling this way internally and continue to find a variety of successes throughout their lives. The first aspect of the socialisation process begins in the home. When a young child is growing up, their first exposure to an environment will be their home environment. The home environment will provide the foundation for their self-image and provide the self-image they will take into other environments. As the child ages, they may change environments to go to school. The school environment will build upon what parents have already begun, and this can create a conflict for the child as to how to behave. As an example, a child is taught certain morals and ways of behaving by the parent. Parents will discipline the child, and in a positive situation, the child will learn their boundaries and limitations. When they enter school, some of the aspects of behaviours may be the same, but some will be different, because the school will have an idea of what is necessary for the child to be successful in school. The child will have to adjust to being at home vs. being in school and act accordingly. Once the child reaches adolescents, they will also be exposed to the media via the television and then via magazines, newspapers and the Internet. They will continue to be influenced by their environment and continue to mould their self-image. Of course, most of their self-image will be developed by their home life, but these other environments will also have influence. As an adult, their self-image is primarily set, but they may have challenges with relationships because of the self-image they have developed. According to Mitchell & Shepard (2010) self-image is defined as the total ideas and attitudes that an individual has upon reflection about themselves. The authors suggest that these ideas and attitudes are “prototypes of the self” (142). The author’s research showed that the individuals who had more positive self-images were able to make decisions based on worth and value to themselves. This research shows that an individual with a positive self-image is more open to opportunities where they can see the big picture, although the opportunities may also be uncertain. When looking at gender, it is clear that men and women have a different way of seeing the world and their experiences may be different. As an example, many men are still receiving more income than women are and this could be one factor in the development of their self-image. However, this would depend on how they formed their self-image prior to this experience. If they formed a self-image that was positive because of their environment in growing up, they may perceive the experience as positive or see past the issue and find another job. Another reason why self-image is formed by the environment is that we have so many different factors that form who we are as people. As an example, several children can grow up in a household with different perceptions of their experience. This will create different ways that they perceive their self-image. A study by Huis in’t Veld & Johan suggests that the way in which a child attaches to their primary carer will have a bearing on their self-esteem, especially if they have a certain personality type. This particular study evaluated Type D personality type that is defined as “proneness to both negative affectivity (NA) and social inhibition (SI)” (1099). The study found that the there is some correlation between attachment and self-expression with other people. This study shows that environment does play a part in building self-image. The media can make it difficult for women to have a positive self-image. Many magazine ads, Internet displays and images on the television provide an individual with what is supposed to be the “ideal image.” Unfortunately, the image that is supposed to be ideal has nothing to do with real life people. Vartanian (2009) studied the effects of the media on body image, particularly for women. In this study, they observed that men were supposed to be lean and muscular, while women were supposed to be thin. Their study showed that most people have some internalization of these media ideals but each individual may internalize this body image at a different rate, or in a different way (Vartanian 2009). They found that the environment was a contributing factor, but it was not the only factor that promoted a person’s self-image. Body image was also studied by Delfabbro, Winefield, Anderson, Hammarstrom, and Winefield. This studied observed male and female adolescents and their relationship to body image as it applied to their self-image. In this study, males and female adolescents were given a questionnaire and asked them how they saw their self-image. What the researchers found was that those students who had family support and a good social life were more prone to be extraverted and to have a positive self-image. This study shows that there are many factors that may go into the process of self-image and that environment is one of them. Environment seems to play a large part in this process because the individual learns to understand their environment to develop their self-image. A study by Tynan, & Allen studied the way that carers perceived aggressive behaviour by their service users. They found that those carers who had positive self-images also related well to their service uses. The study was interesting because it asked carers to rate the types of aggressive behaviour that was positive to them. Most carers stated that when an individual was aggressive because of their home environment or learned behaviour, it was easier to work with than if the person was perceived as being aggressive against the carer. The study was interesting because they also stated that some of the way that the carers perceived the aggressive behaviour had to do with whether the individual had a mild or severe mental handicap and they were perceived as being able to control their behaviour. In this situation, the carer’s response could also be due to the way in which the carer has learned to deal with their own anger, especially when serving others. A negative attitude towards their service users could develop if they had a negative upbringing and their environment was more negative than positive as they were growing up. There are other individuals that believe that self-image is created through both the environment and internal factors. The internal factors may be the reason why some people have a positive self-image while others have a negative one. A study by Fawcett, May, Garton, and Dandy examined the interaction of adolescents in a structured, after school program. They wanted to understand the motivation that these children had to participate in these programs. They found that parental involvement (whether it was active or passive), intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy were the reasons that children did well in these programs. From their research, it is shown that intrinsic motivation may have been stipulated through the self-efficacy that they already had when approaching this program. This would seem to show that internal factors played a part in whether these children were successful or not. When looking at the issue of whether the internal factors or external factors make an individual’s self-image, it is clear that both play a part. Parents and society play a part in providing the first aspects of self-image while society as a whole continues to mould the self-image. If the child grows up with a positive foundation, they will usually develop a positive self-image. If they grow up with a foundation that is critical of them, they may grow up with a negative self-image. Regardless of how they have achieved their self-image, they will carry how they feel into their relationships at work and at home. References Delfabbro, Paul H.Winefield, Anthony H. Anderson, Sarah Hammarstrom, Anne Winefield, Helen. 2011. Body image and psychological well-being in adolescents: The relationship between gender and school type. Journal of Genetic Psychology 172(1) p. 67. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 9 Jan. 2012. Fawcett, Lillian May, Alison F. Garton, and Justine Dandy. 2009. Role of motivation, self-efficacy and parent support in adolescent structured leisure activity participation. Australian Journal Of Psychology 61(3) 175-182. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Jan. 2012. Huis in ’t Veld, E.M. J., & Johan, D. Attachment style and self-esteem: The mediating role of Type D personality. 2011. Personality And Individual Differences, 50(Special Issue on Anxiety (dedicated to the memory of Professor Blazej Szymura), 1099-1103. ScienceDirect. 09 January 2012. Mitchell, J. R. & Shepard, D. A. 2010. To thine own self be true: Images of self, images of opportunity, and entrepreneurial action. Journal of Business Venturing, 25138-154. ScienceDirect. 05 January 2012. Web. 9 January 2012. Tynan, Hannah, Allen, David. The impact of service user cognitive level on carer attributions for aggressive behaviour. 2002. Journal Of Applied Research In Intellectual Disabilities 15(3) p. 213. Professional Development Collection. Web. 9 Jan. 2012. Vartanian, Lenny R. When the body defines the self: self-concept clarity, internalization, and body image. 2009. Journal Of Social & Clinical Psychology 28(1) pp. 94-126. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Jan. 2012. Read More