HOW SELF-PERCEPTION AFFECTS OUR SOCIAL INTERACTIONS

Self-perception can be defined as an abstract representation we hold about our self and our traits and the judgements we make about those traits. We come to know our own attitudes, emotions, and other internal states partially by inferring them from observations of our own overt behavior and/or the circumstances in which this behavior occurs. From the perspective of self-perception theory (Bem, 1972), we get to know ourselves in much the same way we get to know others. Just as we might observe someone’s behavior to make inferences about their desires, we may try to understand our attitudes by observing our own behavior. In essence, the perceiver self learns about internal attributes by observing external aspects of the perceived self. Therefore, our self-perception influences how we choose to present ourselves to those around us and thus influencing our social interactions in our day to day lives. The notion of self-perception can be further broken down into two core perceptual processes: Self-concept is the metaphysical representation we hold in our minds about who we are and Self-esteem is how we judge and evaluate ourselves against the traits we hold in our own representations.?

Our biological nature could also be a factor in determining the way we look at ourselves and the world at large. Physical characteristics are an important component of the self-concept, and they are mentioned by many people when they describe themselves. Our physical characteristics are important to our self-concept because we realize that other people use them to judge us. Physiologically, our facial features, structure of the body, and physical deformations, makes us dissimilar by nature. If you observe the way 10 different people walk or their bodily movements, you can easily spot the differences. Imagine that you would either want to excel at sports, or become a supermodel, you could only reach so far as your biological proclivity would allow you to reach. Which makes us experience life increasingly dissimilar. Largely affected by the biological factors, the human experience tends to take different walks of life. By way, every individual gets to experience a different reality, with a different world view on how life plays out in the society.?

Core Perceptual Processes

1.????Self-concept

Our self-concept is our perception of the traits we have, a list of the characteristics we see in ourselves.?This list is not positive nor negative, but it is a list of what we believe is true about ourselves. We create our list through self-appraisal and feedback from others. Our self-appraisal is our perception of our traits and behaviors. It is like looking in a mirror and using our own senses to perceive what we are. We must realize, however, that the perceptual processes that influence our interpretation of others applies to us as well.?Those influences can lead to a distorted picture.

The concept of self is not limited to human beings, experiments such as the mirror test (Gallup, 1970) revealed that some animals also have a sense of self. Gallup conducted an experimental test on chimpanzees to assess this possibility. Each chimpanzee was anesthetized and, while unconscious, a red mark was applied to the brow above one eye and the top half of the opposite ear. A non-odorous, nonirritant dye was used, so that upon recovery from the anesthetic the chimpanzees would have no knowledge of the marks. Observations in the absence of the mirror confirmed this as the chimpanzees rarely touched the marks. When the mirror was reinstated, however, the effect was dramatic: the chimpanzees looked at their reflection and guided their fingers to the marks on their faces that could only be seen in the mirror. In addition to touching the marks repeatedly and looking at their fingers, some even smelled their fingers.

Similar to our closely related species, there may have been times where we were overly focused on a pimple on our face or a gap in our teeth. Without any conscious effort, it was all we could see in the mirror. An individual with anorexia nervosa will perceive herself as "fat" when, in fact, she may be dangerously underweight.

As we know about the perception process, we cannot always believe our own eyes, it is plausible that our perceptions can easily be distorted. Hence, the feedback we get from others is a way we can check and validate our self-appraisal.

?1.????Self-esteem

Once we become aware of our traits, we evaluate them; we judge whether we like a specific trait or behavior. In order to evaluate anything, including our traits and behaviors, we must compare those traits and behaviors to something. For this purpose, we use criteria, standards by which we measure something. Our self-esteem works the same way. Our fields of experience contain standards by which we measure and judge ourselves. If a person considers themselves to be overweight or underweight, the judgment will be based on their perceived sense of what they consider to be ideal weight. Self-esteem, then, is a function of the perceived distance between our criteria and our current selves. As we move closer and closer to our goals, our self-esteem strengthens. Too often we assume the only way to improve self-esteem is to change the reality of ourselves, such as losing weight, to be closer to our ideal.?However, another avenue is to re-evaluate and re-consider the criteria itself.?Often, the standards we hold for ourselves are unrealistic and unattainable. The type of standard we use to evaluate ourselves is crucial in maintaining healthy self-esteem. This idea is akin to that of Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development (1958). Everyone has a frame of reference that they use to navigate the world around us. When a novel experience is encounter which does not fit into the existing frame of reference, we map that experience in our frame for future reference. Once in a while, we are faced with a completely new situation which requires us to do away with the existing frame and adopt a new frame of reference to fit the narrative.

Perception of self is the same process as perception of others, just turned on oneself. We sense information about ourselves, either through self-appraisal or from the feedback from others. We use this information to create our self-image, a list of our traits and characteristics.?And we interpret what that self-image means to us; we measure how much we like those traits, developing our self-esteem. We see that perception of self is subject to the pressures of variables that can cause distortions in that perception. By recognizing those pressures, we can moderate the effects of those pressures.

Individuation Process

At first glance, the concept of self-perception may seem trivial and partly automatized. However, Carl Jung’s unique view of the human condition as expressed in the Individuation Process encompasses much more than that. For him it encompasses the philosophical, mystical, and spiritual areas of the human being. It is worth noting that there have been similar undertakings into this paradigm by Freud, Rogers, Adler and other forefathers of modern psychology. Each of these theories offer a unique perspective on the human personality.

Individuation as a method of self-development is seen as a developmental psychic process during which innate elements of personality, the components of the immature psyche, and the experiences of the person's life become integrated over time into a well-functioning whole. To attain the benefits of individuation requires that we take a step that is simple in theory, but difficult in practice. We must focus our attention selfward and in the most objective manner possible assess our life and the current state of our character.

A radical self-acceptance is needed to individuate. This entails identifying, and accepting our character flaws and weaknesses, but also our talents and strengths. It requires an acceptance of past mistakes and failures and a clear grasp of the current conditions of our life in the recognition that we cannot move forward except from the place we happen to be (Carl Jung, Civilization in transition, 1964)

Importance of Self-Perception in Social Interactions

We understand that Self-perception is a developmental process through which we come to understand who we are. Mostly through introspection and partly through observing the behaviors of people around us that works in a feedback loop. Having a perception of self could have a few seemingly apparent outcomes but it can also provide some utility within a sociological structure. Comprehending who you are with confidence and without any self-doubt attributes to the role you play in relation to the people around you. This includes the decisions we make, our duties and responsibilities towards others, and our accountability in every social transaction.

As humans, we all want freedom. The freedom to express one’s self through the art we create, the language we use, even how we present ourselves, and various other forms expression. Having a sense of self is what sets us apart from each other, much in the way we bring our individuality through creative expression. It is the perception of ourselves and the perception we have of the world around us that helps us set goals. Although debatable, living in pursuit of those goals is what constitutes a human lifetime. The perception we adopt is what helps us orient our lives, whereby placing us in a social hierarchy. In other words, one’s perception and its expression are detrimental to attain one’s place in the society.

Self-perceptions, or different beliefs we have about ourselves, exert a powerful influence on the kinds of activities we engage in, the amount of effort we will expend on that activity, and the likelihood that we will engage in that activity in the future. Our self-perception determines what political ideologies we hold, the social clubs we belong to, philosophies we adopt, and even our spiritual communion. Therefore, understanding how self-perceptions influence behavioral outcomes, and ultimately contribute to healthy individual development of a whole self, has been a long-standing goal of researchers and psychologists.

Conclusion

Self-perception is the abstract representation we hold about our self and our traits and the judgements we make about those traits. The perception of self contains two core elements, namely, self-concept and self-esteem. These 2 processes work in correlation to identify our character traits and evaluate them in comparison to the inferences drawn from the environment. We understand that the formation of self-perception is a developmental process that requires radical self-acceptance. Coming into terms with who we are is the path towards discovering ourselves and our place in the society. To become a well-rounded individual and to function within a society, having a self-perception is fundamental. Having a sense of self allows us to attain freedom through creative expression. It helps us set goals in life and orient ourselves in pursuit of those goals. To live in a sociological structure means that we are part of various subsections of the society, we have a role to play with duties, responsibilities, and accountability. The role we play that attains the place we occupy within a social hierarchy is much the accumulation of a perceptual self as the individual themselves. As a result, a perceptual self is an integral part of the society in its formation and its existence. Whereby, our self-perception is embedded in every social transaction, thus affecting all our social interactions.

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