UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

• Understanding Ownership


  1. By 2 years old: understand the concept of ownership

  2. By 2 to 4 years old: assume that the person who first possessed something is always the owner

  3. By 6 years old: exhibit "endowment effect", preferring objects already possessed
• Attachment Object

  1. Children have a "favorite" toy or object with intense relationships, responding strongly if someone tries to take it away

  2. Explained by magical thinking, reappearing in adulthood as sentimental value, heirlooms, and mementos
• Sense of Identity


  1. Research participants' brains show activation in areas associated with thinking about the self when shown objects labelled with "mine"

  2. We create associations between our identities and things we own

  3. Product-image congruity suggests buying products congruent to our sense of self, using brands, product designs, logos, and fashion styles to communicate self-concept
• Material Self

  • Refers to tangible objects which we call as "mine", viewed as extensions of ourselves with our identities associated with them
• Conspicuous Consumption


  Public display of economic power by spending
• Materialism

  1. Materialism peaks during middle adolescence (15-17 years old) with self-esteem tending to be lowest

  2. Letting adolescents have a sense of self-worth and achievement can lessen materialistic attitude
• William James: '“A man’s Self is the sum total of all that he can call his”'
• Envy/Jealousy


  1. Even babies show signs of aggression when their toys are taken away and given to someone else

  2. 22-month-olds in a day-care showed almost 25% of conflicts caused by defending possessed objects or wanting to take another's object
• Disposal

  1. Intentionally letting go of possessions symbolizes a new start

  2. Similar to giving away toys as a child or discarding mementos from a past relationship

  3. Shedding belongings to adopt a new identity
• Destroyed, lost, or stolen valuables can cause grief or trauma due to the link between belongings and identities
• Factors influencing purchasing behavior

  • Geographical group
  • Wealth/Income
  • Education
  • Occupation
  • Family
  • Peers
  • Age
  • Personality
• Membership


  1. Possession of certain things signals association with specific social groups

  2. Loyalty motivates fans to wait in line for hours or spend much money on products with logos

  3. Individuals strive to be part of the "cool tribe" by buying limited editions
• People from a certain area

  Tend to prefer buying certain products
• Needs and priorities


  Change over the lifespan
• Relatives' opinions


  Vital in purchasing a product
• Conspicuous Consumption


  1. Public display of economic power by spending much money on luxurious goods

  2. Used to communicate socio-economic status

  3. Experiment showed those wearing branded shirts were more successful at convincing strangers to complete questionnaires, get a job, and solicit money
• Loss


  1. Belongings linked with identities become precious

  2. Destroyed, lost, or stolen valuables can cause grief or trauma

  3. Psychological impact of loss is greater than financial loss
• Influence of peers or friends

  Apparent in different social aspects, especially in the purchasing behavior of a teenager
• People tend to buy products congruent to their sense of self, using brands, product designs, logos, and fashion styles to communicate self-concept
• High levels of agreeableness lead people to buy products or pay for services
• Those with higher education levels


  More likely to evaluate a product's worth from various angles before buying
• Aristotle: '“Man is a political animal”'
• Concepts related to politics

  • Influence
  • Elites
  • Legitimacy
  • Authority
• Politics promotes ideologies about democracy, citizenship, human rights, freedom, family, health, and other issues
• Political Self


  Organizes self-relevant information about politics, beliefs, attitudes, affiliations, views on leadership, leadership style, and submission to leadership
• Political Socialization


  1. Describes the process by which citizens crystallize political identities, values, and behavior that remain relatively permanent throughout later life

  2. Refers to a learning process by which political norms and behavior are transmitted from one generation to another
• Family


  The family plays a central role in developing one’s political personality, starting from the politicizing process at age three and completed by age 13
• School/Education


  Main agent for the political socialization of the young into the national political culture, introduces children to elections, voting, political facts, and involvement in political issues
• Other people


  The traits and values of individuals in society greatly affect the attitudes and beliefs of an individual
• The Philippines appeared in the 1980s after over three centuries of colonization
• Today has only appeared in the 1980s after over three centuries of colonization
• The individual’s race, ethnicity, and physical characteristics are not the sole factors that make one’s national identity
• Speaker: 'Excerpt from “A Moral Recovery Program: Building a People--Building a Nation” by Patricia Licuanan (2016)'
• Pakikipagkapwa-Tao


  Manifested in a basic sense of justice and fairness, concern for others, ability to empathize, helpfulness, generosity, mutual assistance, sensitivity to people’s feelings, trust, sense of gratitude, sensitivity to interpersonal relationships
• Family Orientation


  Manifested in genuine and deep love for the family, honor and respect for parents and elders, care for children, generosity towards kin, sacrifices for family welfare, feeling of belonging and security
• Joy and Humor


  Cheerful and fun-loving approach to life, pleasant disposition, sense of humor, propensity for happiness, love for socials and celebrations, capacity to laugh in difficult times, appeal of political satire, emotional balance, optimism, capacity to survive
• Hard work and Industry

  Capacity for hard work, willingness to raise standard of living, work hard for family, take risks for better opportunities, productivity, entrepreneurship, survival
• Faith and Religiosity


  Deep faith in God, innate religiosity, living intimately with religion, ascribing human traits to God, ability to comprehend reality in the context of God’s will and plan
• Weaknesses of the Filipino Character

  • Extreme Personalism
  • Extreme Family-Centeredness
  • Lack of Discipline
  • Passivity and Lack of Initiative
  • Colonial Mentality
  • Kanya-Kanya Syndrome
  • Lack of Self-Analysis and Self-Reflection
• Filipinos view the world in terms of personal relationships and the extent to which one is able personally to relate to things and people determines our recognition of their existence and the value