Self Concept

Self-concept has to with how a person sees themselves in the areas of academics, culture, race, gender and personality. It is the view a person has of who they are in this life. Self-esteem has to do with how a person sees themselves as far as how valuable they are in a society and what they can contribute to society. Self-concept is related to self-esteem by how the person views how well they do in certain areas of life. Take academics, for example. If a person views themselves as a smart intelligent person, they may tend to live up to that view of themselves by studying harder because they believe that is who they are. If a person views their particular race positively they may walk with confidence and present themselves in a positive way to other people, however someone who has a negative self- concept of their own race may have a negative spin on how they present themselves in their body language. There are many things affect a person’s self-concept. A parent’s comment (negative and positive) or lack of comments can greatly influence how they see themselves and how they think other people view them. Sibling’s comments and reactions also affect how a person views himself or herself. A teacher’s comments and reactions may influence how a person views themselves academically. The influence of friend’s comments and reaction can shape how a person views themselves socially. What a person reads and the music they listen to can also influence their self-concept and self-esteem. All of these factors combined affect a person’s self-concept and self-esteem.

Play can affect the child’s development by reinforcing what they have been taught about life. Play is like practice. A child practices certain behaviors in their playtime and becomes accustomed to the feelings and tasks associated with that playtime. They learn how to perform tasks in life by how they play. A girl might have a kitchen playset and pretend to make supper and wash dishes.