2.2 Describe the components of our self-concepts and major influences on the development of self-concept.

Your self-concept is your interior identity or subjective description of who you think you are. Your self-image is your view of yourself in a particular situation. The selfconcept contains three components: attitudes, beliefs, and values. Philosopher William James believed that three

“selves” exist in each of us:

• Material self: the tangible things you own, such as your body, possessions, home, and so forth;

• Social self: that part of you that interacts with others;

and

• Spiritual self: a mixture of your beliefs and your sense of who you are in relationship to other forces in the universe.

Our self-concept develops through our communication with others, our association with various groups, the roles we assume in our lives, and the labels we use to describe ourselves. Our avowed identity is assigned by ourselves, whereas our ascribed identity involves characteristics other people assign or attribute to us.

Self-Esteem: What’s Your Value?