Introduction
Self-concept is among the most critical aspect of interpersonal communication, whereas, unlike self-efficacy and self-esteem, it focuses on the general idea of who one thinks he or she is. My ten selected characteristics, which will allow me to win the Remarkable Race, are assertiveness, openness, extraversion, determination, cooperativeness, competitiveness, strength, intelligence, resilience, and optimism. The pathways of gender, culture, reflected appraisal, and social comparison is manifested in the characteristics of assertiveness, extraversion, competitiveness, and strength, respectively.
Self-Concept and 10 Characteristics
- Assertive
- Open
- Extraversion
- Determined
- Cooperative
- Competitive
- Strong
- Intelligent
- Resilient
- Optimistic
Self-concept is a term that describes our understanding of who we are (Karimi Muthuri & Nyaboke Arasa, 2017). In other words, it is my perception of myself in regard to my own identity. Assertiveness characteristic will help me win the Remarkable Race by allowing me to communicate with others to get what I want. Openness will be critical because race involves collaboration with others, and thus, I need to be open to compromise in order to achieve my goal. Extraversion will be vital for my objective since I will need to start the conversations and lead others if needed. Determination is of paramount importance in any competition because one might be willing to give up without it. Cooperativeness is important since the integral part of the race will involve such activities. However, one should not forget that only a winner will get out with a million dollars, which means competitiveness will not allow cooperativeness to distract me. Being both physically and mentally strong is essential for the race because it includes physical and mental activities. The completion will involve mental tasks, which is why my intelligence will aid me. Being resilient is critical because the race will be challenging, and I need to be able to overcome them. Lastly, optimism will help me win because I need to think positively about the odds of me winning the price.
Pathways
Gender
The self-concept is a high multifaceted idea, and gender is among its main pathways. Gender is a term, which refers to socially constructed norms and behaviors on the basis of a subject being either male or female. In other words, it makes an attempt to differentiate between the notions of masculinity and femininity by imposing a set of certain beliefs upon the assumed individuals. The associated characteristic is assertiveness because one needs to be assertive in order to win the completion, where cooperation with others is critical. The evidence suggests that the given characteristic, which a key distinctive element among genders (Jarrett, 2016). In other words, its utilization will be useful for the race.
Culture
Culture is another essential element of the self-concept, which directly affects an individual. Culture can be defined as a set of all traditions, arts, customs, and beliefs of a specific society, which are transferred to a person (“Cultural understandings of personality,” n.d.). The selected characteristic for the given pathway is manifested in extraversion because it will be critical for the completion since I will be able to communicate and initiate interactions more readily. The evidence suggests that people from individualistic cultures tend to be more extroverted than collectivist nations (Arpaci et al., 2018). In other words, there is a strong correlative basis between the self-concept pathway of culture and extraversion.
Reflected Appraisal
The self-concept also includes the pathway of reflected appraisal, which can also be considered among the most fundamental elements of the notion. It is important to note that the core idea is centered around the fact that people tend to form their opinions about themselves on the basis of their perception of others’ opinions about them (Cherry, 2020a). In other words, the selected character will be competitiveness because I think that others think that I am a highly competitive person. Therefore, my assumption is that all my efforts in being a high-achiever and dedicated individual will be eventually noticed by others, which will make them think about me as someone who is highly competitive.
Social Comparison
The last critical pathway of the notion of self-concept is social comparison. The term refers to one’s self-understanding by evaluating and comparing oneself with others in regard to the elements, such as traits, abilities, and attitudes (Cherry, 2020b). The selected characteristic includes strength because I am convinced that I am generally stronger than people similar to me in gender and physical stature. Being strong will be a critical component of overcoming the majority of challenges in the competition because physical tasks are an essential aspect of the race.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is highly important to point out that self-concept is a critical aspect of interpersonal communication, which refers to one’s overall idea about who he or she is. My ten selected characteristics will allow me to win the Remarkable Race, and they are assertiveness, openness, extraversion, determination, cooperativeness, competitiveness, strength, intelligence, resilience, and optimism. The characteristics of assertiveness, extraversion, competitiveness, and strength are in accordance with pathways of gender, culture, reflected appraisal, and social comparison, respectively.
References
Arpaci, I., BaloÄźlu, M., & Kesici, Ĺž. (2018). The relationship among individual differences in individualism-collectivism, extraversion, and self-presentation. Personality and Individual Differences, 121, 89-92. Web.
Cherry, K. (2020a). Reflected appraisal process and self-concept. Verywellmind. Web.
Cherry, K. (2020b). Social comparison theory in psychology. Verywellmind. Web.
Cultural understandings of personality. (n.d.). Web.
Jarrett, C. (2016). Personality profiles appear to reveal consistent (if subtle) differences between men and women – but are they meaningful? Christian Jarrett untangles a knotty and controversial question. BBC Future. Web.
Karimi Muthuri, R. N. D., & Nyaboke Arasa, J. (2017). Gender differences in self-concept among a sample of students of the United States International University in Africa. Annals of Behavioural Science, 3(2), 1-11. Web.