Psychological factors that strongly influence our human development

1. Psychological factors that strongly influence our human development Lesson objective – to learn or re-cap self-concept

2. Q&A • Write down two things that you really feel you are good at doing • Write down two things that you have achieved in the past two months • Write down two things that you admire in your best friend • Write down two positive things that your parents have said to you in the past few weeks

3. Answers • When answering question one you are thinking in a ‘self ware’ statement of mind • Question two you are analysing your ‘self esteem’ • You are thinking about the ‘self image’ of another person • You are growing and being nurtured by your parents, and this in turn, is helping you develop a positive ‘self concept’

4. What is self awareness What is it to be Self-aware? To be Self-aware is to know yourself and, to understand that you exist as a unique individual distinct from others. What is the importance of being self-aware? Knowing yourself brings clarity for choosing what kind of person you aspire to become, what kind of life you want to live and how to best express your potential and fulfill your desires. These are the most important goals a human Being can focus upon.

5. The self image of Amy Winehouse http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2018025/Amy-Winehouse-dead-Before-rise-fall-deeply-flawed-prodigy.html

6. AfL • Now discuss some of these statements

7. Task – apply some knowledge task list • With a friend to help you draw up a list of questions to investigate the strength of a person's self-concept. You can use the following phrases to get you started: • Physical attraction • Intelligence or cleverness • Athletic or sporting ability • Popularity • Fitness • Problem-solving • Decision-making When you have completed the list, devise a method of scoring, say, 0-5 represents excellence. If you have 9 questions, the 45 is the top score. 35-45 is a positive self-concept and 0-20 is a negative self concept. Some will be positive in some areas and negative in others

8. I belong with these people. I am like them. – self concept is influenced by groups of friends during adolescence The development of self-concept begins with self-awareness That’s me – self awareness I belong with this family – self is influenced by being in a family group I can picture myself playing with others – imagine self through play

9. I am 1… 2… 3… Full adult sell-concept helps people to be successful in work and love

10. High self-esteem A high self-esteem - This is the regard individuals have for themselves, which can influence behaviour and moods. Having a high self-esteem increases self-confidence and makes an individual more able to cope with the difficulties he or she might face. It also might mean that a person is popular with peers and more likely to be successful. A child having high self-esteem is more likely to be content and happy in his or her adult life. It would seem that a close, loving relationship with his or her mother, a fair, constant framework of discipline and the ability to express individuality provides a good foundation for the development of self-esteem through childhood.

11. Low self esteem You may be wondering why some (and countless others) have low self esteem.  The answer usually lies so far in a person’s past that they may not be aware of it.  Many people may have been given negative messages about themselves during childhood.  Were you teased for years because you were different from other kids?  Did your parents say things that led you to feel you weren’t good enough?  Did you endure abuse of any kind?  Maybe you drew negative conclusions from a lack of affection or emotional connection in your family? There is no shortage of circumstances that can lead to self esteem issues.  Children pick up on everything in their surroundings, including positive and negative views of themselves.  They often internalize the messages received from others, thus it begins to feel like their reality.  In other words, if the message you picked up as a child was “you’re worthless,” you may spend your adult life feeling that you are indeed worthless without realizing that the message was never true.

12. Secure your knowledge • Using your ‘home made’ self concept from the first exercise, explore the ways in which self concept has been influenced by the factors in the images on the previous two slides.

14. What do the experts say about self concept? Baxter (1990) discovered that stressful life events such as widowhood, bereavement, divorce, unemployment and moving home were associated with increased morbidity (incidence of disease) and mortality (death). She against reported that people were protected or ‘buffered’ against these effects of stress when they had a close social support network of friends, family, partners and /or community links. As well as protecting against stress, support will also maintain self-esteem, self concept and identity when these may be threatened. Argyle (1987) maintained that the quality of sup[ort was important and that both sexes preferred to have meaningful dialogue with females , who are more pleasant and open to self-disclosure than mean.

15. Task – social and emotional help and support that you have been given. Media Society Teachers Colleagues Family Self Concept Environment Officials Local neighbourhoods Work roles Friends Relatives Comparing self with others Task – using these links, decide how your self concept has been influenced by the links. Write up a personal mind map and illustrate using all of these headings

18. Case studies – now carry out these case studies and analyse how each persons’ self esteem – self concept has been influenced.

19. Case studies – now carry out these case studies and analyse how each persons’ self esteem – self concept has been influenced.

20. Case studies – now carry out these case studies and analyse how each persons’ self esteem – self concept has been influenced.

21. Mary Ainsworth has classified attachment systems in the following ways. These systems help to identify why someone may in later life have a positive or negative self concept. Anxious-avoidance Secure Anxious- ambivalent The child shows a clear preference for the mother (or other primary carer) over others. The carer is sensitive to , and responds to, the child’s attempts to communicate. The child is confident that the carer is available to give support and takes pleasure in the presence of the carer. The child shows distress on separation from the carer. On reunion she seeks some reassurance, but then settles again. This is a normal attachment process • This is known as ‘insecure avoidant’ (the word ‘anxious’ and the word ‘insecure’ are used interchangeably in this context) and one might describe it as the ‘aloof’ strategy. The child doesn’t show much distress on separation from the carer and when she returns the child ignores or avoids her. The child does not seek out physical contact and is watchful and wary around her carer. Her play is inhibited and she shows little discrimination between her carer and others., including strangers. This pattern emerges when the parent is insensitive to, or rejecting of, the child's needs. The child has therefore, learnt to minimise needs for attachment (through defensive exclusion) in order to avoid rebuff. It is as if the child is saying ‘who cares? I didn’t want it anyway.’ • Also called ‘insecure ambivalent’ or ‘resistant’, this might be described as the ‘clingy strategy. Here a child is distressed on separation but does not settle down on reunion. The return of the carer is longed for, but when it comes it is nor reassuring: the separation anxiety continues. The anxious-ambivalent child is frightened to go off and explore the world, because she is uncertain about whether the carer will be there when needed. • This pattern is the result of parenting style that is not consistently hostile or rejecting, but is not consistent, and where parents are lacking in empathy for the child's needs. Not surprisingly, separations from parents, and threats of abandonment, are also associated with this strategy.

22. Anxious avoidant classification • Anxious (Avoidant) Personality Disorder is a condition characterised by extreme shyness, feelings of inadequacy, and sensitivity to rejection. These individuals feel inferior to others. This disorder is only diagnosed when these behaviors become persistent and very disabling or distressing. This diagnosis should be used with great caution in children and adolescents for whom shy and avoidant behavior may be appropriate (e.g., new immigrants). Complications:Loss and rejection may be so painful that the individual with this disorder will choose loneliness rather than risk trying to connect with others. • The individual with this disorder has few close friends, but often is very dependent on them. • Individuals with this disorder are described by others as being "shy", "timid," "lonely," and "isolated". • Their occupational functioning may also suffer because they avoid the social situations that are important for job advancement

23. Which of these three do you think could be the greater cause for concern in a child’s development? Classifications Secure Anxious Avoidant Anxious Ambivalent Now referring back to the two case studies, do you recognise any of these attachment classifications in the studies?

24. Self-image • Is how we see ourselves as individuals, which is important to good psychological health. At a simple level this might see you perceive yourself as a good or a bad person, beautiful or ugly. Self-image, and how it comes about (see self), has an effect on how we as individuals think, feel, ...

25. What the experts say! • Addiction to anything at all is only a symptom of a much deeper issue, though it is a particularly nasty symptom at that. Amy was no different and her addictions spoke of an even more intense battle with mental illness. She was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder – (I or II, i’m not really sure but I suspect I) and refused to be compliant with her medication. This mental illness is categorized as a mood disorder with the person experiencing phases of mania- racing thoughts and speech, aggression, grandiose ideas, hyperactivity, insomnia interspersed with equally dramatic phases of deep depression- not bathing, staying in bed all day, withdrawal, tearfulness, feelings of self-hatred, hopelessness and despair.   • This disorder can see you starting 4 businesses, giving away all your possessions and marrying a stranger in one month and then cleaving to your bed in a hapless, hopeless, broke and bleak state for another 3 months. The swinging of mood affects ones ability to function socially as well as occupationally and as such Bipolar Disorder has the highest rate of completed suicides of all diagnosed Mental illnesses. • This is not to say Amy committed suicide, but if she was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, chances are it may have crossed her mind. Its a terrible disease and withstanding its ravages is a tremendous lifelong feat. • That being said Bipolar disorder is said to be responsible for immense bouts of imagination and creativity in such persons as Sinead O’Connor,  Virginia Woolf, Robin Williams, Vincent Van Gogh, Tim Burton, and Ted Turner. Amy Winehouse will surely be added to these annals. For many people with this disorder there is a way back, and Sinead credited staying on her medications and having children to stabilize her as her anchor; unfortunately for some people, like Amy, there is no way back.