How is self-concept defined?
The self-concept is our view of ourselves. It includes our ideas about how we look, how we feel, what we look like and dislike, how we are the same as other people or different. Our beliefs and values are also part of our self-concept. The self-concept is perhaps our most fundamental possession. Knowing who we are is essential. How does Communication Influence the Development of the Self? We learn our self-concept through communication with others. We learn important facts about ourselves from reflected appraisals. A reflected appraisal is what we think other people think about us. This is also known as the looking glass self. (Refer to Charles Cooley). We get messages about who we are from all of the people around us. This begins when we are infants. (Example: How long baby cries before it is picked up. How we are touched, held; the tone of our caretakers voice.) When the child learns to speak and understand language, verbal messages both positive and negative affect self-concept. Whe
