life span

all of the characterisitcs of a person

is who a person is , representing a synthesis and integration of self-understanding

indivisuals enduring personal characteristics/ viewed as the broadest

cognitive representation of the self, the substance of self- conception/it is based on roles and mebership categories, and proviedes the underpinnings for the deleopment of identity

being attntive and positive toward ones image in the mirror/ appears around 3 months, but the ability to recognize one physical features appears in 2 years

• confusion of self mind and body
• concrete descriptions
• physical description
• active descriptions
• unrealistic positive overestimations

self described in many material demensions, size, shape, color, etc

think of themselves in concrete terms, iknow my abc, i live in a big house

see themselves from others through a physical and material attributes (im taller then jane)

central component of the self in early childhood (i can plya football)

child saying they know all thier abcs but know none of them

how the compare with others

self understanding becomes more complex, and their social understanding and perspective of others increases

• psychological characteristis and traits- popular, nice, helpful, mean, smart
• social descriptions- use social aspects such as references to social grops(girl scouts, catholics)
• social comparison- what they can do in comparison to others
• real self and ideal self- seperating actual competencies from those they aspire to have and think are the most important
• realistic

ability toassume another perspective and understand his or her thoughts and feelings

• internal characteristis emphasized
• more referencing in social descriptions
• more use of social comparison
• distnguish between real self and ideal self
• realistic in self evauations

• abstract and idealistic ( describe themselves in abstract and idealstic ways)
• self consious; preoccupied with self
• contradictions within the self: has multiple roles
• fluctuating self; over tiime and situations
• real and ideal selves; constructed, compared thoughts of posible selves
• self integration: in sense of identity

what individuals might become and what they are afraid to become

• self awareness- awareness of strenths and weakness
• possivle selves- what one could or wanted to be and afraid to be
• life review- review, evaluate lifes successes and failures

refers to global evaluation of self, self worth and self image

domain specifc evaluations of self ( atheletic)

taking another perspective improves children likelihood of understanding and sympathizing with others when the are distressed or in need

children who have a low level of perspective taking skills engage in more anitesocial behavior

too much self esteem (self centered, self concerned)

self esttem decreased in adolescenc, incresased in the twenties, leveled off in the thirties, rose in the fifties and sixties, and the dropped in the seveties and eithties

• identify causes of low self esteem
• provied and seek emotional support for social approval
• develop self confidence adn initiative
• achieve goals
• debelopp coping skills

the ablity to control ones behavior without having to rly on others help/ includes self generation and cognitive moitoring of thoughs, feelings, and behaviors in order to reach a goal

• states that successful aging is linked with three main factors:
• selction: older adults hav a reduced capcity and a loss of functioning,(reduction in performance)
• optimization:it is possible to maintain performance through practice and technology
• compensation:life tasks require a level of capacity beyond the current level of the adults performance potential

the importance of examin control related strategies and the ability of pople to control importan outcomes in their lives

try to chang external world for needs and desires/ directed at attaining personal goals and overcoming obstacles

targets ones inner worlds: motivation, emotion, and mental representation

• self portrait composed of many pieces:
• vocational career, plitical, religious
• relationship, achievements
• cultural, sexual, physical

need to understand adolescent development

adolescetns examin who they are, what they are about, and where they are going in life

gap between childhood security and adult autonomy, part of exploration for identiy

existtence or extent of their crisis or commitment(crisis)

a period of idetnity delvopment during which the individual is exploring alternatives

personal ivestmetn in identity

status of individuals who have not yet experienced a crisis or made any commitments/ undecided about occupational and ideological chocies

have made a commitment, not experienced a crisis , usuall decision externally made for them

midist of a crisis but whose commitments are either absent or only vaguely defined

undergone a crisis and have made a commitment

asking individuals to tell their life stories and evaluate the extent to which their stories are meaningful and integrated

refers to the stories people construct and tell about themselves to drine who they are for themselves to others

• myst be confiecent that they have parental support
• musth have an established sense of industyr
• must be able to take a self reflective stansce toward the future

• pattern for positive identiy
• moratorum, acheievement,moratoruim, achievement

• self assertion- ablility to have and give point of view
• separateness- use of communication patterns to express own indiduality

• mutuality- sensitivity to and respect for others views
• permeability- openness to others views

an enduring aspect of the self that includes a sense of membership in an ethinc group, along with the attitudes and feeling related to that membership

personality consits of broad dispositions called traits that tend to produce characteristic responses

ways to describe a person by behaviors

• openness to experience: imaginative or practical
• conscientiouness: organizied or disorganized carefule or areless
• extraversion: scoialbe or retirein
• agreeablenesss: solfhearted or ruthless
• neurtisism : calm or anxious

in 40s tyring to cope with gap between past and future

the 20s

seventh stage in life span theory

taking care fo next generation

self absorption, develops when one senses he has done nothing for the next generation