Psychology Essay Sample on Self-Concept

How often does a person ask himself the question “Who is “I”? When his sight is directed inward, what is he like, what is he like in other people’s perception, whom would he like to be in reality? Is it only nationality, gender, age, religion, profession, marital status, hobbies, interests, etc. that describe us? I would rather call it identity, but personality is something we cannot describe that easily. So, I was asking myself what am “I”? And then, a few years ago, I first discovered the “Self-concept” for myself. At the turn of the 19th-20th century, the American psychologist William James was the first who proposed the idea of the “Self-concept”. Later in the 1950s Abraham Maslow and Karl Rogers developed this theory of considering the holistic human self.  Robert Burns, one of the leading English scientists in the field of psychology, published his book "Self-concept and Education" in 1986. The complexity of determining the “Self-concept “has been emphasized by many academics for even more than a decade. I was interested in psychology since my teenage years, and this concept captivated me with its depth and multitasking. Seeking reliable information for self–study, I turned to scientific sources: literature, publications, articles, etc. Throughout the learning process, I realized that the main functions of the “Self-concept” are maintaining a sense of self-cognition, pursuing the structure of values, ensuring the internal integrity of the personality, and the constancy of its main manifestations. The "Self-concept" is closely related to the process of self-knowledge, hence if a person understands the features of his personality and is mindful of his self-concept, then interacting with others, achieving goals, and developing will become much easier and even more interesting. 

The methodology designed by Timothy Leary helped me how to figure this out. Diagnostics of Interpersonal Relationships was intended for analysis of the person’s beliefs about himself and the ideal “self” and used for inquiry of relationships in groups. Once I took this test personally and invited relatives and friends to have it. The results surprised and satisfied us in most cases. It so happened that among my acquaintances I have students from the Faculty of Psychology, we talk over a range of topics, presumptions, and ideas concerning psychological science, thus I gather helpful information and answers to my musings. Human psychology is a broad field to study and relates entirely to all aspects of the life of each of us living in the world today. I readily put into practice every theoretic awareness that helps me improve the quality of communication with others, along with understanding the inner state of my mind too. There are specialized sites on the Internet, where practicing psychologists conduct free webinars, so I can join them when the subject is engaging and close to me. Likewise, I am attending online training to give me real-world skills. I would like to continue expanding this knowledge and capabilities to build my life in harmony with myself, other people, and the world around me.