Self-Concept

Self-concept means a person's overall understanding of themselves – how a person sees and understands themselves. It is formed from several dimensions:

  • Physical self-concept: understanding of one's own body, appearance, and physical abilities

  • Psychological self-concept: understanding of one's own personality traits, feelings, values, and ways of thinking

  • Social self-concept: understanding of oneself in relation to others and in different social roles

  • Academic/professional self-concept: understanding of one's own abilities and skills in studying or work

Self-concept develops in interaction with the environment. It is influenced by:

  • Early experiences and upbringing

  • Feedback received from other people

  • Social comparisons

  • Cultural norms and expectations

  • Life experiences and significant events

Self-concept can be positive or negative, realistic or unrealistic. It functions as a kind of internal model through which we interpret our experiences and which guides our behaviour.

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Metacognition

Metacognition means "thinking about thinking", that is, the ability to examine and regulate one's own cognitive processes. It includes two central dimensions:

Metacognitive knowledge:

  • Knowledge of one's own cognitive abilities and limitations ("I know I'm good at visualising but poor at remembering numbers")

  • Understanding of different thinking tasks and their requirements

  • Knowledge of different strategies that can be used in thinking and learning

Metacognitive regulation:

  • Planning: how do I approach this task

  • Monitoring: how am I performing right now

  • Evaluation: how well did I succeed and what could I do better

  • Correction: changing strategies when necessary

Metacognition is especially important in learning, problem-solving, and decision-making. It enables:

  • Identifying sources of error in one's own thinking

  • Selecting effective learning strategies

  • Identifying one's own knowledge gaps

  • Self-regulation and conscious learning

Strong metacognitive skills help a person to be aware of when they know something and when they don't, when they understand and when they don't, and how they could improve their own understanding.

Both self-concept and metacognition are significant components of human self-awareness that enable deeper self-understanding and personal growth.