How does the notion of self-concept differ from the notion of self-esteem?

In this study note we explain the three related ideas of self-concept, self-image and self-esteem and how emotional development changes through the life stages.

Self-concept is how someone sees themselves and the perception that they hold about their abilities. There are various factors that can affect self-concept, these include: age, sexual orientation, gender and religion. The self-concept is also made up of a combination of self-esteem and self-image.

Self-esteem refers to a person’s feelings of self-worth or the value that they place on themselves.

There are a number of characteristics of high and low self-esteem.

Characteristics of high self-esteem

Willing to try new things in their life
Can cope well under pressure
Emotionally stable and confident
Happy to share their ideas and experiences

Characteristics of low self-esteem

Feels worthless
Reluctant to try new things
Struggles in new or challenging circumstances
Do not value their own opinions and sensitive to the opinions of others

Factors affecting self esteem

Parents/carers teaching problem solving skills from a young age (so that a child feels a sense of achievement) can lead to a positive self-esteem.
Learning difficulties at school can lead to a child struggling to complete work or maintain friendships, which can lead to negative self-esteem.

Self-image refers to the way an individual sees themselves, both physically and mentally. An individual’s self-image is developed over time and influenced by the experiences they have encountered.

There are a number of characteristics of a positive and negative self-image.

Characteristics of a positive self-image

Feels confident
Compares themselves positively with peers
Content with how they look and has belief in their own ability
Positive feedback received from friends and family on looks and abilities

Characteristics of a negative self-image

Doubts own ability
Compares themselves negatively with peers and images on social media/TV/magazines
Received negative comments from friends and family on physical appearance or mental ability

Factors affecting self-image

Early childhood experiences and social interactions eg parents who pass positive comments to a child can help contribute to a positive self-image.
Life events or roles eg a child who is captain of the rugby team is more likely to have a positive self-image that a child who is bullied at school

Emotional Development through the life stages

Infancy

During this stage, infants develop a sense of self and positive self-esteem through secure attachments with their caregivers. This starts with their basic needs being met as a baby.

Early Childhood

By the age of four, the child’s self-esteem develops further through the support they receive outside of the family. Being able to solve problems through puzzles will enhance self-esteem, as will involving the children in scenarios where their opinion is sought. Children who do not receive these experiences may develop low self-esteem.

Adolescence

Several factors affect self-esteem during adolescence. These can include stress within the home, or at school, or a combination of the two. Coupled with the changes that occur during puberty, these can all have an impact on self-image too.

Being bullied or not being accepted by your peers can have detrimental effects on a young person’s self-esteem and can feed into way they feel about themselves. This can lead to anxiety and depression and a sense of not belonging, all characteristics of having low self-worth. This can be intensified by peer pressure, the use of images in the media, social media and the increase in cyberbullying.

Adulthood

Self-esteem continues to develop through adulthood and an individual’s self-esteem may increase through the achievements they have made which, in turn, increases self-worth. During adulthood a person develops a real understanding of who they are and how to deal with situations more effectively and with more confidence.

Self-concept is the image we have of ourselves. It is influenced by many forces, including our interaction with important people in our lives. Learn more about self-concept, including whether it can be changed and a few theories related to self-identity and self-perception.

Self-Concept

Self-concept is how we perceive our behaviors, abilities, and unique characteristics. For example, beliefs such as "I am a good friend" or "I am a kind person" are part of an overall self-concept.

Other examples of self-concept include:

How you view your personality traits, such as whether you are an extrovert or introvert
How you see your roles in life, such as whether you feel that being a parent, sibling, friend, and partner are important parts of your identity
The hobbies or passions that are important to your sense of identity, such as being a sports enthusiast or belonging to a certain political party
How you feel about your interactions with the world, such as whether you feel that you are contributing to society

Our self-perception is important because it affects our motivations, attitudes, and behaviors. It also affects how we feel about the person we think we are, including whether we are competent or have self-worth.

Self-concept tends to be more malleable when we're younger and still going through self-discovery and identity formation. As we age and learn who we are and what's important to us, these self-perceptions become much more detailed and organized.

At its most basic, self-concept is a collection of beliefs one holds about oneself and the responses of others. It embodies the answer to the question: "Who am I?" If you want to find your self-concept, list things that describe you as an individual. What are your traits? What do you like? How do you feel about yourself?

Rogers' Three Parts of Self-Concept

Humanist psychologist Carl Rogers believed that self-concept is made up of three different parts:

Ideal self: The ideal self is the person you want to be. This person has the attributes or qualities you are either working toward or want to possess. It's who you envision yourself to be if you were exactly as you wanted.
Self-image: Self-image refers to how you see yourself at this moment in time. Attributes like physical characteristics, personality traits, and social roles all play a role in your self-image.
Self-esteem: How much you like, accept, and value yourself all contribute to your self-concept. Self-esteem can be affected by a number of factors—including how others see you, how you think you compare to others, and your role in society.

Incongruence and Congruence

Self-concept is not always aligned with reality. When it is aligned, your self-concept is said to be congruent. If there is a mismatch between how you see yourself (your self-image) and who you wish you were (your ideal self), your self-concept is incongruent. This incongruence can negatively affect self-esteem.

Rogers believed that incongruence has its earliest roots in childhood. When parents place conditions on their affection for their children (only expressing love if children "earn it" through certain behaviors and living up to the parents' expectations), children begin to distort the memories of experiences that leave them feeling unworthy of their parents' love.

Unconditional love, on the other hand, helps to foster congruence. Children who experience such love—also referred to as family love—feel no need to continually distort their memories in order to believe that other people will love and accept them as they are.

Defining Personality in Psychology

How Self-Concept Develops

Self-concept develops, in part, through our interaction with others. In addition to family members and close friends, other people in our lives can contribute to our self-identity.

For instance, one study found that the more a teacher believes in a high-performing student's abilities, the higher that student's self-concept. (Interestingly, no such association was found with lower-performing students.)

Self-concept can also be developed through the stories we hear. As an example, one study found that female readers who were "deeply transported" into a story about a leading character with a traditional gender role had a more feminist self-concept than those who weren't as moved by the story.

The media plays a role in self-concept development as well—both mass media and social media. When these media promote certain ideals, we're more likely to make those ideals our own. And the more often these ideals are presented, the more they affect our self-identity and self-perception.

Can Self-Concept Be Changed?

Self-concept is not static, meaning that it can change. Our environment plays a role in this process. Places that hold a lot of meaning to us actively contribute to our future self-concept through both the way we relate these environments to ourselves and how society relates to them.

Self-concept can also change based on the people with whom we interact. This is particularly true with regard to individuals in our lives who are in leadership roles. They can impact the collective self (the self in social groups) and the relational self (the self in relationships).

In some cases, a medical diagnosis can change self-concept by helping people understand why they feel the way they do—such as someone receiving an autism diagnosis later in life, finally providing clarity as to why they feel different.

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Other Self-Concept Theories

As with many topics within psychology, a number of other theorists have proposed different ways of thinking about self-concept.

Social psychologist Henri Tajfel developed social identity theory, which states that self-concept is composed of two key parts:

Personal identity: The traits and other characteristics that make you unique
Social identity: Who you are based on your membership in social groups, such as sports teams, religions, political parties, or social class

This theory states that our social identity influences our self-concept, thus affecting our emotions and behaviors. If we're playing sports, for instance, and our team loses a game, we might feel sad for the team (emotion) or act out against the winning team (behavior).

Multiple Dimensions

Psychologist Bruce A. Bracken had a slightly different theory and believed that self-concept was multidimensional, consisting of six independent traits:

Academic: Success or failure in school
Affect: Awareness of emotional states
Competence: Ability to meet basic needs
Family: How well you work in your family unit
Physical: How you feel about your looks, health, physical condition, and overall appearance
Social: Ability to interact with others

In 1992, Bracken developed the Multidimensional Self-Concept Scale, a comprehensive assessment that evaluates each of these six elements of self-concept in children and adolescents.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the development of self-concept finished?
Self-concept development is never finished. Though one's self-identity is thought to be primarily formed in childhood, your experiences as an adult can also change how you feel about yourself. If your self-esteem increases later in life, for instance, it can improve your self-concept.
How does self-concept affect communication?
Our self-concept can affect the method by which we communicate. If you feel you are a good writer, for instance, you may prefer to communicate in writing versus speaking with others.
It can also affect the way we communicate. If your social group communicates a certain way, you would likely choose to communicate that way as well. Studies on teens have connected high self-concept clarity with more open communication with parents.
What is the difference between self-concept and self-esteem?
Self-concept refers to a broad description of ourselves ("I am a good writer") while self-esteem includes any judgments or opinions we have of ourselves ("I feel proud to be a good writer"). Put another way, self-concept answers the question: Who am I? Self-esteem answers the question: How do I feel about who I am?
Why is a well-developed self-concept beneficial?
Our self-concept impacts how we respond to life, so a well-developed self-concept helps us respond in ways that are more positive and beneficial for us. One of the ways it does this is by enabling us to recognize our worth. A well-developed self-concept also helps keep us from internalizing negative feedback from others.
How does culture influence self-concept?
Different cultures have different beliefs. They have different ideas of how dependent or independent one should be, different religious beliefs, and differing views of socioeconomic development.
All of these cultural norms influence self-concept by providing the structure of what is expected within that society and how one sees oneself in relation to others.

How is self

What is the difference between self-concept and self-esteem? Self-concept is one's knowledge about oneself 'Who am I? ' while self-esteem is one's attitude about oneself.

How is self

Answer: Self-concept is how an individual views who they are based on their habits, skills and temperament. In other words, it is the ability to reflect on one's own traits, skills and behavior. On the other hand, self-esteem is an attitude or view that an individual has about him or herself.

How does a child's self

Early childhood is a time of forming an initial sense of self. Self-concept is our self-description according to various categories, such as our external and internal qualities. In contrast, self- esteem is an evaluative judgment about who we are.