Self-concept

Self-Concept Theory

Self-Concept is critical for a person’s wellness because when the person has a good and solid self-concept, the person is content. When a person does not have satisfaction with life, the person may struggle. To improve, the person needs to do self-analysis such as finding out what the person like and what the person doesn’t like. In addition, whether the person wants to be faithful, being honest, and what the person enjoy doing with life apply to self-concept. A self-concept is a complex, organized, and dynamic system of learned culture and opinions the person holds his/her true existence (Purkey, 1988). When a person has good self-worth and solid self-concept, the person will have a healthy relationship with another person and/or the community.

            Having a good self-esteem and self-concept is a positive regard. As Rogers (1947) put this: the positive regard is the human’s basic needs for oneself and from others (Purkey, 1988). The more positive thinking a person has, the more positive output the person will produce in oneself and toward others. The positive regard produces happiness within the people and the relationship among people. The self-concept needs to have consistency and stability and if not, the person will have unreliable personality (Purkey, 1988). With the importance of the healthy and positive self-concept, a person would prefer to be around people who have positive and stable attitudes. Anyone potentially can develop positive and realistic self-concept with no limits (Purkey, 1988). 

            Demaray et al., 2009, conducted a study about school-aged children’s perception of the support availability and the level of children’s self-concept. As Demaray et al. explained that the social support is one of the ecological influences that affect the lives of youth. The support is positive for school-aged children. When one gets sufficient support, the least likely there will be maladjustments in behavior or in mental health – anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and behavioral problems. The study discovered that the support from peers and parents increase the level of self-esteem (Demaray et al., 2009). 

            Furthermore, Demaray et al., 2009, participants of all grade levels regarded the importance for getting support from teachers, classmates, close friends, and parents. The study noted that the high school girls have a higher level of the importance of having support available than high school boys. With the higher level of the importance in support, the levels of self-concept in students noted to be higher. The study analyzed the results from the students as follow:

·         Low self-concept students perceive lower level of social support availability

·         Students’ average score in the availability of the social support have higher level of self-concept

·         Students with high level of parental support have high level of self-concept

·         Students with average importance of having support available have high self-confidence academically

·         Students with high level of classmate and close friends support have high level of self-concept

A social support is an important contributor toward well-being of children and adolescents. The study discovered that the relationship between the frequency of support (i.e., availability) from parents, teachers, classmates, and close friends and self-concept were significant. If students lack classmates or close friends support, the teacher support fills the gap (Demaray et al., 2009).

            With the importance of having solid self-concept, it is as important to have social support available for school-aged children and adolescents to succeed academically. When anyone, including student, has resources including support, one would have a healthy relationship – a human’s basic needs – because of the positive regards that would lead to healthy mental health and behavior.

References

Purkey, W. (1988). An Overview of Self-Concept Theory for Counselors. ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling and Personnel Services, Ann Arbor, Mich. (An ERIC/CAPS Digest: ED304630). Retrieved from http://www.edpsychinteractive.org/files/selfconc.html on April 8, 2013.

Demaray, M., Malecki, C., Rueger, S., Brown, S. E., & Summers, K. (2009). The Role of Youth’s Ratings of the Importance of Socially Supportive Behaviors in the Relationship Between Social Support and Self-Concept. Journal Of Youth & Adolescence, 38(1), 13-28. doi:10.1007/s10964-007-9258-3. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier on April 8, 2013.