The Self | Edexcel GCSE Psychology (1PS0)
The Self
- 80 questions
- 5 subtopics
- Paper 2
- Paper 2
The Self is examined in Paper 2, optional (two of five are studied).
It covers self-concept and influences on self-esteem, Erikson's identity stages and belief in free will, Rogers' and Maslow's humanistic theory, Measuring personality and trait theory and Vohs and Schooler's cheating study and Van Houtte and Jarvis's pet study.
Sample questions from The Self
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Self-concept and influences on self-esteem
What did the rouge test show about the development of the self?
Show the answer
Infants had red make-up put on their nose and were placed in front of a mirror. Most infants of about two years touched their own nose, but few younger than a year did. -
Self-concept and influences on self-esteem
What is incongruence in Rogers' theory?
Show the answer
Incongruence is a large gap between a person's self-image and their ideal self. Incongruence leads to low self-esteem and anxiety. -
Erikson's identity stages and belief in free will
What are Erikson's final three stages?
Show the answer
Intimacy versus isolation occurs in young adulthood, and generativity versus stagnation occurs in middle age. Ego integrity versus despair occurs in old age, when people look back on their lives. -
Erikson's identity stages and belief in free will
What did Baumeister (2008) argue about belief in free will?
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Baumeister argued that believing in free will helps people control their impulses and act morally. People who stop believing in free will may act more selfishly. -
Rogers' and Maslow's humanistic theory
How does the humanistic approach explain the development of self-esteem?
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Rogers argued that self-esteem develops from the positive regard a child receives from others. Unconditional positive regard leads to high self-esteem, while conditional positive regard can lower it. -
Rogers' and Maslow's humanistic theory
What does Maslow mean by self-actualisation?
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Self-actualisation is the top level of Maslow's hierarchy, where a person fulfils their potential. Maslow thought few people fully reach it. -
Measuring personality and trait theory
Why might psychologists prefer personality scales to personality types?
Show the answer
Scales show how much of a trait a person has, while types force people into a few categories. Most people fall somewhere between the extremes that types describe. -
Measuring personality and trait theory
What are secondary traits?
Show the answer
Secondary traits are less consistent characteristics that appear only in certain situations. Feeling nervous before public speaking is an example.
The 5 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Self-concept and influences on self-esteem | The self and self-concept, Lewis's existential and categorical self and the rouge test, self-image, ideal self and congruence, and temperament and experience as influences on self-esteem. | 16 |
| Erikson's identity stages and belief in free will | Erikson's eight psychosocial stages and the search for identity in adolescence, free will and determinism, and Baumeister's argument about believing in free will. | 16 |
| Rogers' and Maslow's humanistic theory | Unconditional and conditional positive regard, conditions of worth and incongruence, client-centred therapy, and Maslow's hierarchy of needs and self-actualisation. | 16 |
| Measuring personality and trait theory | Personality scales and types, Type A and Type B, self-report problems, Allport's cardinal, central and secondary traits, and Cattell's 16PF. | 16 |
| Vohs and Schooler's cheating study and Van Houtte and Jarvis's pet study | Vohs and Schooler's experiments on reading about determinism and cheating, and Van Houtte and Jarvis's study of pet ownership and children's self-esteem. | 16 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
Edexcel GCSE Psychology Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 891 questions with their answers.