COMPONENTS OF SELF-CONCEPT

Driever (1976a) defined self-concept as: The composite of beliefs and feelings that one holds about oneself at a given time, formed from perceptions particularly of others' reactions, and directing one's behavior. Self-concept consists of the physical self, or body image; the personal self or personal identity; and the self-esteem. Physical Self or Body Image An individual's body image is a personal appraisal of his oilier physical being and includes physical attributes, functioning, sexuality, wellness-illness state, and appearance (Driever. 1976a). It is an integrated collection of visual, auditor)-, tactile, and proprioceptive information that combines with affective and cognitive processes to form the image of one's physical self (Robertson. 1991). An individuals body image may not necessarily coincide with his or her actual appearance. For example, individuals who have been overweight for main- years and then lose weight often have difficulty perceiving of themselves as thin. They may even continue to choose clothing in the size they were before they lost weight. A disturbance in one's body image may occur with changes in structure or function. Examples of changes in bodily structure include amputations, mastectomy, and facial disfigurements. Functional alterations are conditions such as colostomy, paralysis, and impotence. Alterations in body image is often experienced as losses. Personal Identity : Driever (1976a) identifies this component of the self-concept as the persona] self and further divides it into the moral-ethical self, the self-consistency, and the self-ideal/self-expectancy.

The moral-ethical self is that aspect of the personal identity that functions as observer, standard setter, dreamer, comparer, and, most of all, evaluator of who the individual says he or she is. This component of the personal self makes judgments that influence an individual's self-evaluation. Self-consistency is the component of the personal identity that strives to maintain a stable self-image. Even if the self-image is negative, because of this need for stability and selfconsistency, the individual resists letting go of the image from which he or she has achieved measure 61 constancy. Self-ideal/self-expectancy relates to an individual's perception of what he or she wants to be, to do, or to be come. The concept of the ideal self arises out of the perception one has of the expectations of others. Disturbances in self-concept can occur when individuals are unable to achieve their ideals and expectancies. Self-Esteem Self-esteem refers to the degree of regard or respect that individuals have for themselves and is a measure of worth that they place on their abilities and judgments. Warren (1991), states: Self-esteem breaks down into two components: (1) the ability to say that I am important. I matter," and (2) the ability to say I am competent. I have something to offer to others and the world. Maslow (1970) postulates that individuals must achieve; a positive self-esteem before they can achieve self-actualization. On a day-to-day basis, one's self-value is challenged by changes within the environment. With a positive self-worth, individuals are able to adapt successfully to the demands associated with situational and maturational crises that occur. The ability to adapt to these environmental changes is impaired when individuals hold themselves in low esteem (Driever. 1976b).

Self-esteem is very closely related to the other components of the self-concept. Just as with body image and personal identity, the development of self-esteem is largely influenced by the perceptions of how one is viewed by significant others. It begins in early childhood and vacillates throughout the life span. THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-ESTEEM How self-esteem is established has been the topic of investigation for a number of theorists and clinicians. From a view of personality theories. Coopersmith (1981) identified the following antecedent conditions of positive self-esteem. 1. Power: It is important for individuals to have a feeling or control over their own life situation and ability to claim some measure of influence over the behaviors of others. 2. Significance: Self-esteem is enhanced when individuals feel loved, respected, and cared for by significant others. 3. Virtue: Individuals feel good about themselves when their actions reflect a set of personal, moral, and ethical values. 4. Competence: Positive self-esteem develops out of one's ability to perform successfully or achieve self-expectations and the expectations of others. 5. Consistently set limits: A structured lifestyle demonstrates acceptance and caring and provides a feeling of security. Warren (1991) outlined the following focus areas to emphasize for parents and others who work with children when encouraging the growth and development of positive selfesteem: 1. A Sense of Competence: Everyone needs to feel skilled at something. Warren (1991) states, "Children do not necessarily need to be THE best at a skill in order to have positive self-esteem; what they need to feel is that they have accomplished their PERSONAL best effort."

2. Unconditional Love: Children need to know that they are loved and accepted by family and friends regardless of success or failure. This is demonstrated by expressive touch, realistic praise, and separation of criticism of the person from criticism of the behavior. 3. A Sense of Survival. Everyone fails at something from time to time. Self-esteem is enhanced when individuals learn from failure and grow in the knowledge that they are stronger for having experienced it. 4. Realistic Goals. Low self-esteem can be the result of not being able to achieve established goals. Individuals may ''set themselves up" for failure by setting goals that are unattainable. Goals can be unrealistic when they are beyond a child's capability to achieve, require an inordinate amount of effort to accomplish, and are based on exaggerated fantasy. 5. A Sense of Responsibility: Children gain positive self-worth when they are assigned areas of responsibility or are expected to complete tasks that they perceive are valued by others. 6. Reality Orientation: Personal limitations abound within our world, and it is important for children to recognize and achieve a healthy balance between what they can possess and achieve and what is beyond their capability or control. Driever (1976c) cites the following factors as influence in the development of self-esteem: 1. The Perceptions of Responses by Others, Particular Significant Others: The development of self-esteem can be positively or negatively influenced by the responses of others and by how individuals perceive those responses. 2. Genetic Factors. Factors that are genetically determined, such as physical appearance, size, or inherited infirmity, can have an effect on the development of self-esteem.
3. Environmental Factors. The development of self-esteem can be influenced by

demands from the environment. For example, intellectual prowess may be incorporated into the self-worth of an individual who is reared in an academic environment.