Self-consciousness in psychology is ... What is self-awareness? Definition and concept

One of the basic in the theory of personality isproblem of self-awareness. It is not surprising, because the concept is very complex and multifaceted. Scientific researchers have devoted a lot of work to this phenomenon. Self-consciousness in psychology is the process of awareness and self-assessment of an individual as a subject of various types of activity and as a person who possesses a set of his own interests, value orientations, motives, ideals.

Definition of concept

Psychologists say that not only mandifferent self-awareness, but also society, class, nation or any other social group, but only if these elements reach an understanding and awareness of the system of relationships, common interests, common activities. Self-consciousness in psychology is when a person separates himself from the whole external environment and determines his place in the turbulent natural and social life. This phenomenon has a close connection with such a concept as reflection, theoretical thinking.

Criterion and starting point of how a personrefers to oneself, it is the people around, that is, the emergence and development of consciousness occurs among their own kind, in society. Social psychologists say that in three areas it is possible the formation and formation of the individual as a person, namely: in activity, in communication and in self-awareness.

Theory of V.S. Merlin

The socialization process involves the expansion andthe deepening of relationships and relationships of the individual with other people, certain groups, society in general. The image of "I" develops and becomes more stable. The formation of self-consciousness, or of that very “I”, occurs gradually, during the whole course of life, and not immediately, from birth. This is a complex process, subject to many social influences. In this connection, V.S. Merlin singled out the components of self-consciousness:

• The first is that a person is aware of his differences and distinguishes himself from the outside world.
• The second is that the individual is aware of himself as an active subject, capable of changing his surrounding reality, and not as a passive object.
• The third - the person is aware of their own mental properties, processes and emotional states.
• Fourth - a person forms social and moral aspects, self-respect as a result of the experience gained.

Self-awareness: three directions in science

Modern science has very different views onthe emergence and development of consciousness and self-awareness. In the traditional approach, this concept is considered as the initial in genetic terms, the primary form of human consciousness, which is based on self-perception and self-perception. It develops in childhood, when a child meets his body, realizes it, distinguishes his “I” from the “I” of others, looks in the mirror and realizes that it is he.

Such a concept indicates that a special and universal aspect of what we call ethnic self-consciousness is self-experience, which generates it.

But scientists did not stop, and SLRubinstein offered the opposite view. For him, the problem of self-consciousness is different and lies in another area. It lies in the fact that this phenomenon has the highest level and is, as it were, a product and result of the development of consciousness.

Есть еще и третья точка зрения, которая assumes that consciousness and psyche, as well as self-consciousness, are characterized by simultaneous simultaneous development, one and interdependent. It turns out that a person perceives the world with the help of sensations, and he develops a certain picture of the external world, but besides that he experiences self-perceptions that form his self-image.

The development of the phenomenon

Self-consciousness in psychology is a process that consists of two main stages:

• The first involves the construction of a diagram of your physical body and forms the feeling of “I”.
• The second stage begins whenintellectual abilities, conceptual thinking and reflection are developed. The individual is already able to comprehend his life. But no matter how much we want to think rationally, even the reflexive level still has a connection with affective experiences, at least, V. P. Zinchenko says so. According to scientists, the right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for feeling oneself, and the left one - for reflection.

Constituent concepts

The structure of self-consciousness is characterizedseveral components. First, the individual distinguishes himself from the outside world, he is conscious of himself as a subject independent of the environment, both from the natural and from the public. Secondly, there is an awareness of their own activity, that is, self-management. Thirdly, a person may be aware of himself and his qualities through others (if you notice a certain trait in a familiar, it means that you have it, otherwise you would not select it from the general background). Fourthly, a person evaluates himself from a moral point of view, it is characterized by reflection, internal experience. This structure has a Russian identity.

A person feels one becausethe continuity of the experience of time: the memory of past events, the experience of the present and hope for a bright future. Since it is precisely these phenomena that are continuous, the person integrates himself into a holistic education.

The structure of self-consciousness, namely its dynamicaspect has been repeatedly analyzed. As a result, two terms appeared: “current Self”, denoting certain forms of how a person realizes himself in this period, “here and now”, and “personal Self”, which is characterized by resilience and is the core of all other “Current I’s”. It turns out that any act of self-consciousness is distinguished by both self-knowledge and self-experiencing.

Another structure

Since many scientists were involved in this problem, most of them isolated and named their components of self-consciousness. Here is another example:

• We can realize the close and distant goals, the motives of our activity, although they can often be hidden and veiled (“I am acting”).
• We are able to understand what qualities are really inherent to us, and which we only wish to possess (“I am real”, “I am perfect”).
• The process of understanding their cognitive attitudes and ideas about themselves.
• Emotional attitude towards yourself, which will help to measure the test for self-esteem.

According to the above information, self-awareness includes self-knowledge (intellectual aspect) and self-relation (emotional).

The teachings of C. G. Jung

Greater popularity in psychological science, inteaching "Consciousness and psyche", received the theory of CG Jung, an Austrian psychiatrist. He argued that the basis of self-consciousness is the opposition of conscious and unconscious activity. According to K. Jung, the psyche has two levels of self-reflection. On the first of these is the self, which takes part in both conscious and unconscious processes, totally penetrating everything. The second level is the way we think about ourselves, for example, “I feel that I miss you,” “I love myself,” and all this is an extension of the self. Subjectivity and objectivity in one bottle.

The views of humanist psychologists

Humanistic scholars in psychology perceive the self as the focus of the whole human essence, which will help to realize the maximum potential of opportunities.

The criterion of how the individual will be to himselfrelate, become other individuals. In this case, ethnic self-awareness develops, and social contacts that bring new experience change the way we are and make it more multifaceted. Conscious behavior manifests itself not so much as a person in reality, but as a result of stereotypes, introjects about oneself, formed as a result of communication with other people.

It is important for the personality to become itself, to remainsuch and have the ability to maintain themselves in difficult moments, so that self-relation does not change, and the self-assessment test shows stable results.

Self-awareness levels

Psychologists have identified four levels of self-awareness.The first is directly sensual, which has information about all physiological processes, the desires of the organism, the states of the psyche. This level of self-awareness and self-experience, which provide the most simple identification of the person.

The second level - personal, or holistic-shaped. The individual realizes himself to be active, and self-actualizing processes are manifested.

The third is the level of the mind, because here the person interprets the content of his intellectual forms, reflexes, analyzes, observes.

Well, the fourth level - focusedactivity, which is a combination of the three previous ones, thanks to which the personality functions adequately in the world. Self-control, self-education, self-organization, self-criticism, self-esteem, self-knowledge, self-improvement, and many more are self-all — these are characteristics of the fourth synthesized level.

The structural components of self-awareness are different.content and have a connection with such mechanisms as assimilation, that is, the identification of the individual with the object or subject, and intellectual analysis (we are talking about reflection).

Relationship category

Self-consciousness in psychology is a combination of attitude towards oneself and others and expectations of how other people will relate to a person (projective mechanisms).

In this regard, the relationship is divided into types:

1. Egocentric - the individual puts himself in the center and believes that he is a value in itself. If people do what he wants, then they are good.
2. Group-centric - this is the relationship in the reference group. When you're on our team, you're good.
3. Prosocial - in such relationships respect and acceptance of each other reigns, since any person is considered a value in itself. Do what you want in return.
4. Estocholic is a level of spiritual relations where such noble traits as mercy, honesty, justice, love of God, and neighbor are welcomed.

Pathological forms of the phenomenon

With pathological manifestations, self-consciousness is affected first of all, after it comes the usual consciousness.

Consider what are the disorders:

• The process of depersonalization is characterized by the loss of one’s own “I.” In this case, the person perceives external events and occurring inside as an outside observer, and not an active subject.
• The process of splitting the basis of personality.This is a dissociation. The core is divided into two, sometimes three or more principles that have alien properties that may conflict with each other. Known to science is the case when in one person 24 (!) People got along who had their own memories, interests, motives, temperament, values ​​and even a voice. Each of these principles claimed that it was true, and the others simply did not exist.
• There are violations of the identification of his own body. People can perceive its parts as alien, separate.
• The most pathological form is derealization. A person loses contact with reality, begins to doubt the existence of not only himself but also the entire external environment. Very serious violation of personality.

Conclusion

The concept described in the article is important for understanding.various processes of human life. Self-awareness is related to many aspects of personality, differs in various manifestations, it can be both normal and in pathological condition. Different scientists distinguish their components, structure, levels and stages. This phenomenon is a superstructure over the human psyche, consciousness, and depends on the people around him who influence him. Self-consciousness has its own characteristics of development and formation in ontogenesis. Although this area has already been sufficiently studied, many more are hidden and awaiting research.