Identity Paper Instructions:
- I. NATURE vs. NURTURE
- II. VISION
- III. PAST AND FUTURE
- IV. STRENGTHS and WEAKNESSES
- V. SELF ASSESSMENT AND ADJUSTMENT
- POSITIVE COPING STATEGIES FOR STRESS
- SELF NURTURING ACTIVITIES
- ASSERTIVENESS
- MISTAKEN BELIEFS
- AFFIRMATIONS
I. NATURE vs. NURTURE
Brieifly explain the Nature vs. Nurture controversy.
A. NATURE
1. Briefly explain the Biological Perspective (genetics) (p. 18)
� What is your genetic makeup? (Start with the obvious; sex,
body size, hair/eye color)
� Are there any diseases?
� Tendencies (right/left brain)?
http://brain.web-us.com/brain/braindominance.htm
� Special abilities (athletic, artistic, etc...) that run in
your family?
2. Briefly explain the Trait Theory of Personality (p. 322)
Which of your personality traits did you inherit?
-Catell: 16 personality traits
-Eysenk: Introvert/Extrovert
-The Big Five Personality Traits
B. NURTURE
1. Neo-Freudians
Briefly explain the "Neo-Freudian" aspect of the
psychoanalytic approach.
Briefly explain the following neo-freudian psychologists
theories and apply to yourself with a specific example:
a. Carl Jung
- Define Collective Unconcious
- Define Archtypes
- Briefly explain the term Persona and give a personal
example of your persona
b. Karen Horney- Social Relationships (parent-child
relationship)
c. Afred Adler: Ineriority-Complex
2. Learning Theory
Briefly explain the Learning Approach and Behavioralism.(p.332)
Briefly explain the following psychologists theories or terms:
a. John B. Watson: Conditioning
b. B.F. Skinner: Reinforcement /Socialization
c. Albert Bandura: Social Learning Theory
List the five most significant reference groups which have helped
shape your life and influenced your personality. Which of their
attitudes have you internalized? (Reference Groups /Affiliations)
II. VISION
A. Briefly Explain the Humanist theory.
Define your morals, values and personal philosophy when answering
the following questions. (Concentrate on the intrinsic).
PART A: Carl Rogers: Briefly explain Rogers theory in terms
of: -self concept
-congruence,
-self esteem
-positive regard.
1.Define Real Self:
a. Explain Cognitive Consistency. Give two specific examples
in you life where you have exhibited /experienced cognitive
consistency.
b. Explain Cognitive Dissonance. Give two specific examples
in you life where you have exhibited /experienced cognitive
dissonance.
2. Define Ideal Self: Give three examples of what your
perfect self would look like?
3. Define Fully Functioning Individual. What are two
changes you could make toward becoming a fully functioning
individual?
PART B: Abraham Maslow: Briefly explain Maslow's Hierarchy of
Human Needs.
In separate paragraphs, explain each Maslow's five levels and
what percent of needs you have met and not met at that level.
Give specific examples for each.
a) Percent of needs met
b) Percent of needs NOT met:
III. PAST AND FUTURE
A. ACHIEVEMENTS: List your past achievements in terms of the
twelve categories listed below. Make sure to list only your
actions or behavior which have contributed to your growth in each
area. DO NOT list what someone else has done or anything
negative. Give specific examples.
1. Happy family life:
2. Intimacy:
3. Friendship:
4. Good health:
5. Peace of mind:
6. Serving others:
7. Material success:
8. Education/Career achievement:
9: Creative expression:
10. Personal growth:
11. Spiritual awareness:
12. Dedication to a social cause:
B. GOALS: For each of the following, list FOUR goals (2
intrinsic + 2 extrinsic). Give the first immediate step you can
make to achieve these goals and the subsequent steps you will
need to take in the future to be successful at reaching these
goals.
1. ONE YEAR:
1. Intrinsic:
2. Intrinsic:
3. Extrinsic:
4. Extrinsic:
2. 5-10 YEARS:
1. Intrinsic:
2. Intrinsic:
3. Extrinsic
4. Extrinsic:
3. 30TH Bday/LIFETIME:
1. Intrinsic:
2. Intrinsic:
3. Extrinsic
4. Extrinsic:
IV. STRENGTHS and WEAKNESSES
PART A: Strengths: Write a paragraph to describe your strengths
(min 5 strengths).
PART B: Weaknesses: Write a paragraph to describe your
weaknesses (min 4-5z) Weaknesses can not exceed your strengths.
PART C: Briefly explain Freud's Defense Mechanisms. Define each
one and give a specific example when you have used it. (p.326)
PART D: Psychoanalytic Self Analysis: Briefly explain the
psychoanalytic theory.
1. Freud's 5 stages of psychosexual development: Briefly
explain and give personal examples of your current personality
traits and how Freud would say they illustrate your early
childhood development
Stage 1: Oral
EX:
a. Explanation: (identify conflict; lack of resolution
leads to what personality traits)
b. Personal Application:
2. Erickson: Briefly explain Erickson's eight stages and
where you fall in each stage. For future stages (6-8), make a
prediction where you will fall and why.
Stage 1: Trust v. Mistrust:
a. Explanation: (how does a child develop trust or mistrust
b. Personal Application:
V. SELF ASSESSMENT AND ADJUSTMENT
A. ASSESMENT
1. Stability: According to Hans Eysenck's Personality
Dimensions(p.324), What percent of your top ten listed traits are
stable and unstable? Discuss the impact of unstable traits on
your mental well-being.
2. Personal Wellness: Using your Personal Wellness
questionnaire as a guide, discuss your personal state of physical
wellness (handout)
3. Stress Level: Using the stress symptom checklist and the
Social Readjustment Rating Scale (p.389) discuss your current
stress level and its impact on your mental and physical well-
being.
4. Personality Type (A,B,C): Discuss your personality type
and explain the impact it has on your mental and physical well-
being
http://psychology.about.com/library/jv/bljv_pers.htm
5. Locus of Control: Is your locus of control Internal or
External? Discuss the implications of your results.
http://www.dushkin.com/connectext/psy/ch11/survey11.mhtml.
B. ADJUSTMENT
Refer to POSITIVE COPING STRATEGIES handout to address the
following areas:
1. Physical and Lifestyle Changes
2. Emotional Strategies
a. Self Nurturing Activities: Make a list of ways to take
care of you. (Min 2 each)
-daily
-weekly
-monthly
-annual
b. Assertiveness: Identify skills you currently have and
skills you will need to develop to become more assertive
(Worksheet)
3.Cognitive Strategies
Mistaken Beliefs: List five mistaken beliefs you currently hold
and give TWO affirmations for each mistaken belief you have
listed. (Worksheet)
4. Philosophical/Spiritual Strategies
POSITIVE COPING STATEGIES FOR STRESS
Physical and Lifestyle Strategies
-Abdominal breathing and relaxation
-Low-stress diet
-Regular Exercise
-Down time(including �mental health days)
-Mini-breaks (5-10-minute periods to relax during the day)
-Time management (appropriate paving)
-Sleep hygiene
-Choosing a nontoxic environment
-Material security
Emotional Strategies
-Social support and relatedness
-Self-nurturing
-Good communication
-Assertiveness
-Recreational activities (�playtime�)
-Emotional release
-Sense of humor�ability to see things in perspective
Cognitive Strategies
-Constructive thinking ability to counter negative thinking
-Distraction ability to distract yourself from negative
preoccupations
-Task oriented (vs. reactive) approach to problems
-Accept (ability/cope with setbacks)
-Tolerence (ability to accept human weakness)
Philosophical/Spiritual Strategies
-Consistent goals or purposes to work toward
-Positive philosophy of life
-Religious / spiritual life and commitment
SELF NURTURING ACTIVITIES
Nurture Your Inner Child on a daily basis:
Inner Child:
The following list is helpful to many people who suffer from
anxiety disorders or depression. By performing at least on or two
items from the list every day, or anything else you find
pleasurable, you will grow in the important skill of becoming a
good parent to yourself. You have no nothing to lose but your
sense of insecurity and inadequacy-nothing to gain except
increased self-esteem.
1. Take a warm bath
2. Have breakfast in bed
3. Take a sauna
4. Get a massage
5. Buy yourself a rose
6. Take a bubble bath
7. Go to a pet store an play with the animals
8. Walk on a scenic path in a park
9. Visit a zoo
10. Have a manicure or pedicure
11. Stop and smell some flowers
12. Wake up early and watch the sunrise
13. Watch the sunset
14. Relax with a good book and/or soothing music
15. Go rent a funny video
16. Play your favorite music and dance to it by yourself
17. Go to bed early
18. Sleep outside under the stars
19. Take a �mental health day off� from work
20. Fix a special dinner just for yourself and eat by
candlelight
21. Go for a walk
22. Call a good friend�or several good friends
23. Go out to a fine restaurant just with yourself
24. Go to the beach
25. Take a scenic drive
26. Meditate
27. Buy new clothes
28. Browse in a book record store for as long as you want
29. Buy yourself a cuddly stuffed animal and play with it
30. Write yourself a love letter and mail it
31. Ask a special person to nurture you (feed, cuddle, and/or
read to you)
32. Buy yourself something special that you can afford
33. Go see a good film or show
34. Go to the park and feed the ducks, swing on the swings,
and so on
35. Visit a museum or another interesting place
36. Give yourself more time than you need to accomplish
whatever you�re
doing (let yourself dawdle)
37. Work on your favorite puzzle or puzzle book
38. Go into a hot tub or Jacuzzi
39. Record an affirmation tape
40. Write out an ideal scenario concerning a goal, than
visualize it
41. Read an inspirational book
42. Writ a letter to an old friend
43. Bake or cook something special
44. Go window shopping
45. Buy a meditation tape
46. Listen to a positive, motivational tape
47. Write in a special diary about your accomplishments
48. Apply fragrant lotion all over your body
49. Exercise
50. Sit and hold your favorite stuffed animal
ASSERTIVENESS
Some of the nonverbal aspects of assertiveness include:
--Looking directly at another person when addressing them.
Looking down or away conveys the message that you're not quite
sure about asking for what you want. he opposite extreme,
staring, is also unhelpful because it may put the other person on
the defensive.
--Maintaining an open rather than a closed posture. If you�re
sitting, don't cross your legs or arms. If standing, stand erect
and on both feet.
Face the person you're addressing directly rather than standing
off to the side,
--While communicating assertively, do not back off or move away
from the other person. The expression �standing your ground
applies quite literally here.
--Stay calm avoid getting overly emotional or excited. If you're
feeling angry, discharge your angry feelings somewhere else
before you attempt to be assertive. A calm but assertive request
carries much more weight with most people than an angry outburst.
Try practicing the above nonverbal skills with a friend by using
role-playing in situations that call for an assertive response.
A list of such situations can be found at the end of the section
�Assertiveness on the Spot.
Situation you have trouble with assertiveness:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Practice the above nonverbal skills by using role-playing in
situations that call for and assertive response.
TIPS for ASSERTIVENESS:
1. Take your time. If you�re the type of person who has
difficulty saying no, give yourself some time to think and
clarify what you want to say before responding to someone�s
request (for example, "I'll let you know by
the end of the week", or "I'll call you back tomorrow morning
after sleeping on it.")
2. Don't over-apologize. When you apologize to someone for
saying no, you give them the message that you're not sure that
your own needs are just as important as theirs. This opens the
door for them to put more pressure on you to comply with what
they want. In some cases they may even try to play upon your
guilt to obtain other things or to get you to make it up to them
for having said no in the first place.
3. Be specific. It's important to be very specific in stating
what you will and won't do . For example: "I'm willing to help
you move, but (because of my back) I can only carry lightweight
items; "I can take you to work, but only if you can meet me by
8:15."
4. Use assertive body language. Be sure to face the person
you're talking to squarely and maintain good eye contact. Work
on speaking in a calm but firm tone of voice. Avoid becoming
emotional.
5. Watch out for guilt. You may feel the impulse to do something
else for someone after turning down his or her request. Take
your time before offering to do so. Make sure that your offer
comes out of genuine desire rather than guilt. You'll have fully
mastered the skill of saying no to others when you reach the
point where you can do so without feeling guilty.
MISTAKEN BELIEFS
Circle any of the following beliefs that you have experienced in
the last six months:
1. I'm powerless. I�m a victim of outside circumstances.
2. Life is a struggle. Something must be wrong if life seems too
easy, pleasurable, or fun.
3. If I take a risk, I'll fail. If I fail, others will reject me.
4. I'm unimportant. My feelings and needs are unimportant.
5. I always should look good and act nice no matter how I feel.
6. If I worry enough, this problem should get better or go away.
7. I can't cope with difficult or scary situations.
8. The outside world is dangerous. There is only safety in what
is known and familiar.
Like computers, people can be "preprogrammed", and the mistaken
beliefs of childhood can become self-fulfilling prophecies.
Below are some examples of fairly common mistaken beliefs that
tend to influence many people. Following are counterstatements
which replace the negative belief with a positive one, much in
the way negative self-talk is countered by positive self-talk.
Positive statements that counter mistaken beliefs are known as
affirmations.
AFFIRMATIONS
Below are examples of affirmations you can use to counter
statements from the Mistaken Beliefs Questionaire. Use any that
feel right to you or use them as guidelines for making your own.
1. I'm responsible and in control of my life.
2. Circumstances are what they are, but I can choose my
attitude toward them.
3. I am becoming prosperous. I am creating the financial
resources I need.
4. I am setting priorities and making time for what is
important.
5. Life has is challenges and its satisfaction�I enjoy the
adventure of life. Every challenge that comes along is an
opportunity to learn and grow.
6. I accept the natural ups and downs of life.
7. I love accept myself the way I am.
8. I deserve the good things in life as much as anyone else.
9. I am open to discovering new meaning in life.
10. It's never too late to change. I am improving one step
at a time.
11. I am innately healthy, strong, and capable of fully
recovering.
12. I am committed to overcoming my condition. I am working
on recovering from my condition.
13. I can recover by taking small risks at my own pace.
14. I am looking forward to new freedom and opportunities I'll
have when I've fully recovered.
15. I am learning to love myself.
16. I am learning to be comfortable by myself.
17. If someone doesn�t return my love, I let it go and move
on.
18. I am learning to be at peace with myself when alone. I
am learning how to enjoy myself when alone.
19. I respect and believe in myself apart from others opinions.
20. I can accept and learn from constructive criticism.
21. I'm Learning to be myself around others. It's important
to take care of my own needs.
22. It's O.K. to be myself around others. I'm willing to be
myself around others.
23. I appreciate my achievements, and I�m much more than all
of them put together.
24. I am learning how to balance work and play in my life.
25.
26.
27.
