Self-concept is the set of beliefs a person holds about themselves: who you believe you are, what your capabilities are, your roles, and your history. Unlike self-esteem (affective evaluation), self-concept is descriptive and cognitive. It includes both the real and ideal self-image, and the gap between them generates distress when too large.
Concept origin
Rogers (1951) developed the concept within humanistic psychology, emphasizing congruence between experience and self-concept as key to well-being. Markus (1977) introduced "self-schemas" showing that self-concept selectively guides attention and memory.
Therapeutic approach
Young's schema therapy directly addresses dysfunctional self-concept by identifying schema modes activated in specific situations. Narrative therapy (White and Epston) helps rewrite the personal story in a less rigid way, more open to new evidence.
Related concepts
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