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self-concept

 
Dictionary: self-con·cept   (sĕlf'kŏn'sĕpt)
 
n.

The mental image or perception that one has of oneself.


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Food and Fitness: self-concept
 

self-image

A person's perception of himself or herself. It is often defined by self-description, for example, ‘I am a father, athlete…’ and so on. It is thought to have three components:

the ideal self (the person you would like to be)
the public self (the image you think other people have of you)
the real self (what you really think about yourself).

Sometimes a conflict between the real self and the other components results in anxiety. In sport, this can be detrimental to performance and there are a number of psychological training methods to improve self-concept. In addition, to maintain good mental health, the public and ideal self should be compatible with the real self. See also body image.

 
Sports Science and Medicine: self-concept
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All the elements which make up a person's self. Self-concept represents how a person sees himself or herself and is thought to have three components: ideal self (the person one would like to be); public self (the image one believes others have of oneself); and real self (the sum of those subjective thoughts, feelings, and needs that a person sees as being authentically theirs). Sometimes there is a conflict between the different components of self resulting in anxiety. To maintain good mental health, the public and ideal self should be compatible with the real self.

 
Medical Dictionary: self-concept
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n.

An individual's assessment of his or her status on a single trait or on many human dimensions using societal or personal norms as criteria.

 
Wikipedia: Self-concept
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Self-concept or self identity refers to the global understanding a sentient being has of him or herself. It presupposes but can be distinguished from self-consciousness, which is simply an awareness of one's self. It is also more general than self-esteem, which is the purely evaluative element of the self-concept.[1]

The self-concept is composed of relatively permanent self-assessments, such as personality attributes, knowledge of one's skills and abilities, one's occupation and hobbies, and awareness of one's physical attributes. For example, the statement, "I am lazy" is a self-assessment that contributes to the self-concept. In contrast, the statement "I am tired" would not normally be considered part of someone's self-concept, since being tired is a temporary state. Nevertheless, a person's self-concept may change with time, possibly going through turbulent periods of identity crisis and reassessment.

The self-concept is not restricted to the present. It includes past selves and future selves. Future selves or "possible selves" represent individuals' ideas of what they might become, what they would like to become, and what they are afraid of becoming. They correspond to hopes, fears, standards, goals, and threats. Possible selves may function as incentives for future behavior and they also provide an evaluative and interpretive context for the current view of self.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Fleming, J. S., & Courtney, B. E. (1984). The dimensionality of self-esteem: II Hierarchical facet model for revised measurement scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 404-421.
  2. ^ Markus, H., & Nurius, P. (1986). Possible selves. American Psychologist, 41, 954-969.

External links


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Food and Fitness. Food and Fitness: A Dictionary of Diet and Exercise. Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
Sports Science and Medicine. The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine. Copyright © Michael Kent 1998, 2006, 2007. All rights reserved.  Read more
Medical Dictionary. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Self-concept" Read more