Concepts

Self-concept

The organized descriptions and beliefs a person holds about themself.

Definition

Self-concept refers to the beliefs and descriptions through which a person understands who they are, including roles, qualities, and capabilities.

How to understand it

Humanistic psychology gives self-concept a prominent role, while other approaches examine it through social and cognitive processes. A self-description need not be an objective inventory of traits. It can include current beliefs, valued identities, and ideas about the person one would like to become.

For clarity, distinguish describing oneself, evaluating one’s worth, and judging capability for a specific task. These questions can overlap but do different work. Comparing descriptions across settings may also show which parts of the self are salient, without requiring the conclusion that one version is false or that the person lacks consistency.

Evidence: (Spielman et al., 2020); (Maddux and Kleiman, Self-Efficacy, n.d.); (Forsyth, the Psychology of Groups, n.d.)

Revising a description

Teaching scenario

In a fictional adult-learning group, Mara introduces themself as “a practical person who is not creative.” During a poster exercise, Mara produces several unusual layouts and begins reconsidering that description. The example concerns a belief about the self, not proof of a stable creativity score. Mara might revise the description, qualify it to particular activities, or retain it. Observing this change would require hearing Mara’s own account afterward. A class can use the scenario to distinguish evidence about a task from a broader narrative of who someone is.

Constructed for learning. This scenario is not a report of an empirical finding or a diagnosis.

Common confusion: Self-efficacy

Self-concept asks who one understands oneself to be; self-efficacy asks whether one can carry out specified actions in specified conditions.

Evidence: (Spielman et al., 2020); (Maddux and Kleiman, Self-Efficacy, n.d.); (Forsyth, the Psychology of Groups, n.d.)

Limits of the concept

  • A person’s self-description is not a complete or infallible assessment.
  • Self-concept can develop and need not be uniformly positive or negative.

Evidence: (Spielman et al., 2020); (Maddux and Kleiman, Self-Efficacy, n.d.); (Forsyth, the Psychology of Groups, n.d.)

Textbook connection

Direct coveragePsychology 2e: 11.5 Humanistic Approaches

The subsection explicitly discusses this concept.

Supplementary concepts may extend beyond this section. The source notes below identify the evidence for those details.

Related concepts

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Sources and inspection notes

Checked October 21, 2026. An inspection date is not a source publication date. Definitions and scenarios on this page are original teaching explanations.

  1. Forsyth, the psychology of groups. (n.d.). https://nobaproject.com/modules/the-psychology-of-groupsExpert-authored academic teaching module

    Identity and Membership subsection and social identity glossary checked. Inspected on 21 October 2026.

  2. Maddux and kleiman, self-efficacy. (n.d.). https://nobaproject.com/modules/self-efficacyExpert-authored academic teaching module

    Introduction and distinctions from ability and self-esteem checked. Inspected on 21 October 2026.

  3. Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/11-5-humanistic-approachesCourse textbook subsection

    Title, URL, and relevant subsection text inspected on 21 October 2026. Used for concept checking and course navigation; no textbook exercises or illustrations reproduced.