PSY 409B – January 28, 2006

Threefold Self

Naomi Wong-outline 1

Dr. James, Leon; Dr. Nahl, Diane; Unity Model of Marriage ver. 11e, University of Hawaii, 2006, sections 2, http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/409b-g24-lecture-notes.htm

Instructions for this activity are found at:

www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/g24-oral1.htm

Instructor: Dr. Leon James

Threefold Self:

1. Affective Self- feelings and motivations
2. Cognitive Self- thinking and reasoning
3. Sensorimotor Self- touch, physical contact, sensations

• The level begins with the Sensorimotor to Cognitive and then finally Affective Self.
• Women: more aware of their own and men’s feelings and motivations
• Men: not that they don’t have feelings; they are less aware of themselves and others

• Difference in how men and women are aware of emotions

Woman	Man
Aware of emotions of their partner	Resist woman when she wants to know more about him
Motivated to prod her man to be more aware of his and her emotions	Have emotions of surprise, anger, picking fights, keeping quiet
Seeks to move towards unity model

• Another difference is how the man and woman speak to each other
• Where we learn or acquire the threefold self

Product of biology, socialization, culture, and spiritual make up from parents, other adults, peers, and media

• Stereotypes:

1. Exploitative feelings towards the “opposite sex” (affective self)
2. Sexist thoughts that stereotype the other gender (cognitive self)
3. Injurious or hostile actions and words against the partner (sensorimotor self)

My Thoughts:

Having read this section on the threefold self, I did not realize that there were three distinctions in a person. I have always thought of just the physical self and the spiritual self (the soul). It makes sense to have the mind be part of the self as a different level. Chinese people believe that they think with their hearts and not with their mind. The heart is also the soul of the person, so that is why I just thought of the spiritual level combining the soul and the mind as one. I agree with this chapter that there are differences between men and women; however, the depth of it seems so much more. When the chapter talked about men not being of their emotions, I disagreed with that because I know straight men that expresses their emotions; however, usually expressed during a relationship get together or break up. I believe that most of the characters portrayed by men and women are results of stereotypes created by society.

Links:

http://www.wavle.com/etc/DiffMenWomen.htm

This links explores the difference between a man and a woman in terms of roles, activities, motivations, problem solving, and communication. It also talks about what men have in their bathrooms and other interesting habits between men and women. There are also solutions to the simple problems in communications.

http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/columnists/scottmorris/060115.shtml

This link explains uses the biology to explain the behaviors between men and women. David Powell, Ph.D explains that men have emotions and are not clueless about their feelings. He also explains the brain concept from women, "He only has half a brain."

http://sensorimotorpsychotherapy.org/articles.html

This link is more of an article explored by the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute in how they use sensorimotor to also help with cognitive and affective levels. They work with patients’ to improve their sensorimotor skill in order accurately identify their cognitive and affective levels. This is a very effect process.

My Home Page:

http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409bs2006/wong/wong-home.htm

Class Home Page is:

http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/classhome-g24.htm