2003, Volume 1, Number 1
INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION AND SELF-CONCEPT
There I was back in school again, only this time it was college. I was very excited about being back in school but in only the second week of school the questions began to run through my mind. Am I doing the right thing? Am I ready for college? Can I handle the schoolwork? Am I smart enough? What if I fail my classes? What would my family and friends think if I fail? Besides, I already have two jobs to worry about and not to mention I've been out of high school for 20 years! And I wasn't a very good student then! My family, my job, a higher education are all very important to me. "Ok", I said to myself, "I'm here in school to get a better education so I can get a better job to support my family." Now that made sense to me. For comfort and a reassurance that I was doing the right thing, I would remind myself why I was going to school. And every now and again I would say aloud to myself, "Think positive" or "I can do it" or "I'm not stupid" or "Just do your best." or "I'll balance things out" or "Stay focused". I was talking to myself a lot! And I was beginning to think I was crazy, but according to psychologist and author Dr. David Bresler, "Having a good chat with yourself can solve your problems and banish depression" (#2). Well, maybe I wasn't crazy after all, but I was starting to doubt my academic abilities and myself. And it was starting to affect my attitude in a negative way. That scared me a little, but it also made me look deeper into myself. In my research I learned that a student's attitude about going to college, values, sense of purpose and a sense of independence have a direct influence on academic achievement (#9). Immediately I started to change my attitude. I made it a point to think positive and look at people, situations and myself with an open mind. I even began to talk to myself more with a positive attitude.This paper is not to benefit just the college student, such as myself, but for everyone. Although I may be referring to the student of all levels of academics, the purpose of this paper is to inform all of how our thoughts can and will affect our attitude; which will ultimately affect our behavior and our progress as a student and in life in general. Also, how others, including family, friends, and teachers, play a role in your success as a student. Let me begin by looking at what it means when we think about and talk to ourselves, and it's effect on us. Then I'll define and describe the self- concept or self-image/self-esteem, and what role it plays in the life of a student.
When we think about, talk with, learn about, reason with, and evaluate ourselves, we are having intrapersonal communication (#8). That's exactly what was happening to me. I was having Intrapersonal Communication and I've done it many times before, only now it had a name. Sometimes I'd do it without even knowing it. We all do it. We all engage in a nearly constant subconscious monologue or inner talk with ourselves. Sometimes we talk aloud, but self-talk is often silent thinking of which we are scarcely aware (#3). Awake or asleep you are constantly in touch with yourself. You mumble, daydream, dream, fantasize, and feel tension. These are all forms of inner speech. And everything that you do begins as "self -talk" (#4).
A process that can allow you to get in touch with your inner voice is to relax, breathe deeply for fifteen minutes, tune out everything around you, and let your mind wander. This will give you a good appreciation of what you are feeding your mind. It is very important that you keep a positive frame of mind no matter what's happening in your life, especially as a struggling student. It may keep you from going crazy!
Your self-concept is your self-appraisal. Included within it is everything you think and feel about yourself (#8). Kinch defined the self-concept as being "...that organization of qualities that the individual attributes to himself' (#5).
Self-concept is composed of two components: selfimage, or the sort of person you perceive yourself to be, and self-esteem, your feelings and attitudes about yourself, including how you like and value yourself (#8). We are not born with a self-concept but we do playa key role in building one. We create our selfconcept in many ways. And to a large extent, your environment and the people around you, including your parents, relatives, teachers, supervisors, friends and co-workers, shape your self-concept. The image that other people have of you, your experiences and self- evaluation, the expectations that you and others have of you, the roles you perform, your gender, culture, and technological messages you internalize, all playa role in developing your self-concept (#8).
The way other people perceive you does have an effect on you as a student. In a study done by Brookover, Erickson, and Joiner, they conclude: "The hypothesis that students' perceptions of the evaluations of their academic ability by others (teachers, parents, and friends) are associated with self-concepts of academic ability" (1967, p.110). Teachers' attitudes and opinions regarding his or her students have a significant influence on their success in school (#6). When teachers have positive views of students' abilities, students are likely to respond in positive ways. When educators believe that each student is a person of value, their behavior will reflect their belief (#7).
As you can see, people such as teachers playa significant role in building your self-concept. Family can play a significant role as well. Research indicates students with involved supporting parents who set reasonable reachable expectations are more likely to have more positive self-concepts and do better in school than students who's parents are not supportive and have unreasonable expectations for their child (#6). Research points out that not only is there a consistent and moderately strong relationship between self -concept and academic ability, but that these two variables are highly interactive and reciprocal (#6).
Even though it may be quiet, Intrapersonal Communication and its impact can be enormous on our self-concept. "Your behavior, your feelings, your selfesteem and even your level of stress are influenced by your inner speech." Remember, everything that you do begins as self talk. "Self talk shapes our inner attitudes, our attitudes shape our behavior and of course our behavior, what we do, shapes the results we get." "The subconscious will work for or against you. It's up to you. Tell yourself you're clumsy, can't use a computer, or aren't good with people and that is what you will probably be" (#4).
Gradually, it is becoming clear that many of the difficulties, which people experience in most areas of life, are closely connected with the way they see themselves and the world in which they live, including you as a student. Brookover (1967) did an extensive research on self-image and achievement and found that the assumption that human ability is the most important factor in achievement is questionable, and that the students' attitudes limit the level of his achievement in school (#1).
Although it has been argued by some that students first of all have to do well in school in order to have a positive self -image about their academic abilities, the position has always been taken that a positive self-image is a necessary prerequisite for doing well in school (#6).
In this paper I used myself as an example because by doing this research paper, it has helped me tremendously. It has opened my eyes to new ideas of how I can better myself. Being around positive people, keeping an open mind, thinking more positively about people and more importantly about myself. Understanding that others will influence my self-concept helps me to be wiser in choosing my friends or people I hang out with. I'm constantly trying to better my life as a husband, an entertainer, a father, a "Born again" Christian, and of course now as a student.
As I explained earlier in this paper, we all experience Intrapersonal Communication, all the time. We can't help but have "self talk". And everything we do begins with inner speech. Sometimes we don't even realize it. As for our self-concept, I explained that we don't create our self-concept on our own, but others, like teachers, friends, family, and our gender, culture, the roles we play, all playa part in developing our self -concept. It is difficult to find ways to help students do better in school without also exploring ways to help them feel better about themselves as learners. Each affects the other (#3 on reference page). But the one thing I've learned in doing this research paper is that attitude plays a big part of your success or failure in school and in life in general. And remember what I said earlier, everything begins with "self talk". And we all have a choice to think negatively or positively. Choose positive!
This essay was written for SpCom 151. The assignment was a research paper.
REFERENCES
1. The Structure and Functioning of Academic Self -Concept in Gifted and general Education students, By: McCoach, D.Betsy, Siegle, Del.Roeper Review, 02783193, Winter 2002
2. Class handout, Article in Weekly World News by Kelly Turner
3. Class handout. Ms. C Lee's Spcom 151 Personal Communication. January 2003.
4. Class handout. Berko, R., A. Wolvin, and D. Wolvin. 1995 Houghton Mifflin Co. pg.53
5. Enhancing Self Concepts in Early Childhood. Shirley C. Samuels. 1977.Pg.23
6. Self-Concept and School Achievement. William W. Purkey.1970. Pg.2 and pg.14
7. Inviting School Success. A Self-Concept Approach to Teaching and Learning. William Watson Purkey, and John M. Novak 1984. Pg.39
8. Communication Works 7th Edition. by Teri Kwal Gamble and Michael Gamble, 2002, pg.9
9. Self-Concept as a Predictor of College Freshman Academic Adjustment by: Bolter, Lyn T., College Student Journal, 01463934, June 2002, Vol. 36, Issue 2