Forces that shape our perception of self
Degree of intimacy in which the individual has with different group of people has an effect on the effectiveness of the judgment that they had on us which build our self-concept (Delaney & Madigan, 2009).
Primary groups refer to a small group of people that we have daily interactions with. They have a strong influence on the individual’s self. Some examples of these people are our friends and family. Secondary groups refer to a larger and less intimate people such …show more content…
Cooley came out with the theory of “looking-glass self” while Mead proposed a theory of role-play and imitation (Andersen & Taylor, 2007). Cooley explained how a person’s perception of self is driven by the relationship to others. The development of looking-glass self derived from (1) how we perceive ourselves appear to others; (2) how we perceive others judge us (3) the feelings that resulted from these thoughts. Cooley’s looking-glass self theory involves perception and its effects. The perception of how others view us and the effects of their judgment on us. This means that “self” is formed based on the interaction people have with each other which leads to self-reflection (Andersen & Taylor, 2007). For an example, if the person perceived that others think they are dumb, the person will form this self-image and become reluctant to participate in a …show more content…
When people take up the roles, they are expected to fulfil the expectations that are associated with the roles that they play (Andersen & Taylor, 2007). According to Mead, role-taking is essential for the development of sense of self. Role-taking is a source of self-awareness where when people take on new roles, their awareness of self will change and they will develop a set of identity based on the roles that they play. Mead explained this process by examining childhood socialization in three stages: imitation stage, play stage and game stage (Mead,