Self-Image: Understanding How We See Ourselves

Kathy Ellis
Mar 6
9 min read

Updated: Apr 18

Key Points

Self-image is how we view our traits, appearance, abilities, and social skills - it fundamentally shapes how we approach life's challenges and opportunities.

Self-image has four main components: physical (appearance and capabilities), social (how we see ourselves in relationships), cognitive (view of our intelligence and abilities), and emotional (perception of our emotional state and resilience).

Self-image differs from self-esteem - while self-image is how we see ourselves, self-esteem is the value we place on ourselves. They're distinct but interconnected, with self-image influencing self-esteem.

Leading researchers like Rosenberg, Harter, and Cooley have shown that self-image is shaped by our own perceptions, others' feedback, and social comparisons, particularly during critical developmental periods.

Building a healthy self-image involves self-acceptance and understanding that everyone has flaws, challenging negative thoughts, focusing on strengths, and maintaining supportive relationships.

Self-Image

Imagine two students, equally talented, entering a classroom. One is confident and ready to learn. The other shrinks back, convinced of their inadequacy. The difference? Self-image. Our mental picture of ourselves can be the key to unlocking our potential or holding us back.

Why not self-esteem? Sure positive or negative self-esteem can affect performance, but someone can have low self-esteem and still be confident they can study and learn. And someone can have high self-esteem but do not believe they have academic skills. Remember, self-esteem is how we value ourselves. Self-image is how we view our abilities.

Self-image is our mental picture of our physical abilities, including appearance, intelligence, emotional management, and social skills. Many things shape our self-image, including our experiences, relationships, and the messages we receive from society.

A healthy self-image is essential for our mental and emotional well-being. When we have a positive self-image, we're more likely to have confidence in our abilities and build healthy relationships. On the other hand, a negative self-image can lead to many problems, including anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. It can also make achieving our goals and living a happy and fulfilling life difficult.

In this essay, we'll explore self-image, the third and final component of the self-concept. We'll examine the theories of leading researchers, such as Morris Rosenberg, Susan Harter, and Charles Horton Cooley, who have made significant contributions to our understanding of self-image.

What is Self-Image?

Self-image is the mental picture we have of ourselves—how we see our traits, appearance, physical abilities, social skills, and cognitive strengths. Our experiences shape these subjective views, along with feedback from those around us and, of course, the media. Social media has become a significant influence on our self-image.

Ideally, our self-image is congruent with how others see us. For instance, when people don't view themselves as attractive, even when others do, their self-image is incongruent. But it's not only about appearance. It can also skew how we perceive our physical and cognitive capabilities and see ourselves as less or more able than we are.

In extreme cases, the disconnect between perceived and actual appearance can become a significant problem that could benefit from medical or clinical treatment. For example, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a mental health condition where someone perceives flaws in their appearance that others might not even notice. Although less common, it can manifest as a distorted belief that one is more attractive, thinner, muscular, etc. than one is.

BDD can cause a lot of distress and affect everyday life. BDD can be very serious, and people struggling with body dysmorphia should seek professional help.

Components of Self-Image

Cultural beauty standards, media, and personal experiences shape how we see ourselves. Here are the key components contributing to our self-image:

Physical Self-Image: Our subjective perception of our appearance, health, and physical capabilities.
Social Self-Image: How we see ourselves in social situations and relationships, including our social skills, popularity, and how well we fit in with different groups.
Cognitive Self-Image: How we view our intelligence and abilities. Our experiences, feedback from others, and our accomplishments shape it.
Emotional Self-Image: Involves how we perceive our emotional state, including our emotional stability, resilience, and ability to manage our feelings.

Self-Image vs. Self-Esteem

Self-image and self-esteem are closely related concepts but represent different aspects of how we perceive ourselves. A negative self-image can contribute to low self-esteem, leading to feelings of worthlessness. And, of course, a positive self-image can enhance self-esteem, creating confidence and a sense of value.

The key differences between the two:

Self-image refers to how individuals see themselves, including their physical appearance and abilities.
Self-esteem is the overall sense of self-worth or value a person places on themselves.

Leading Researchers and Theories

Morris Rosenberg (1922 - 1992)

Morris Rosenberg asserts that self-image consists of three key elements:

Self-perception: How we perceive or think of ourselves, including our qualities, characteristics, and abilities.
Interpreted perceptions of others: What we think other people think about us. Of course, this is subjective.
Ideal self: Represents the characteristics and qualities we strive to attain or believe we should possess.

Rosenberg's work has had a lasting impact on self-image and self-esteem studies. Researchers and clinicians have used his work as a foundation or understanding the nature of self-image and a reliable tool for its assessment.

Susan Harter (1939 – 2020)

Dr. Harter was a trailblazing psychologist in developmental psychology whose work reveals insights into how we develop and maintain our sense of self. How we see ourselves shapes nearly every aspect of our lives, from relationships to achievements.

Self-image isn't a single concept. It's complicated, and we might feel very good about certain parts of who we are while being unhappy with other aspects. For example, we might feel competent in our academic abilities but struggle with social confidence. We might excel in athletics but be insecure about our appearance.

Social comparison plays a crucial role in this developmental process. Harter's studies show that children as young as seven compare themselves to peers and use these comparisons as mirrors to understand their capabilities and worth. As children age into adolescence, the process becomes more sophisticated as they integrate many perspectives and social contexts into their self-evaluation.

Parents, teachers, and peers serve as more than just feedback providers – they help construct the framework through which we interpret our experiences. When a child receives consistent feedback in one area, like hearing they are "very good at solving puzzles," it doesn't just affect their mood momentarily; it becomes incorporated into their self-understanding.

One of Harter's most important contributions is her insight into the relationship between perceived competence and support. Her research showed that when people feel competent in areas they care about and feel supported by others, they tend to have stronger, more positive self-images. It suggests that helping kids find and grow their own passions is more important than pushing them to succeed in areas we've decided are important.

The timing of these influences matters significantly. Self-image becomes more differentiated and complex during critical developmental periods, particularly early adolescence. Adolescence is a vulnerable time of development when young people become more susceptible to social pressures and negative feedback. They also develop the capacity for more nuanced self-understanding and resilience.

Harter's research also highlights the importance of authenticity in self-image. She found that individuals who feel they can express their "true selves" in their daily lives report higher levels of self-worth and better psychological adjustment. The work of Harter and others challenges the common belief that self-esteem is built by merely accumulating achievements or receiving positive feedback. Giving someone compliments doesn't always make them feel better about themselves. In fact, it can sometimes make them feel worse. For example, if someone is unhappy with their appearance, telling them they are attractive might not be helpful. They might think that you are not being honest or that you don't understand how they feel.

These findings have practical implications for anyone interested in developing a healthy self-image. They suggest creating environments that support self-expression, provide specific and genuine feedback, and help individuals identify and develop their strengths rather than pushing them toward predetermined standards of success.

Understanding these mechanisms can help us become more conscious architects of our self-image and more effective supporters of others' development. While we can't completely control how we see ourselves, Harter's work shows we can influence this process through awareness and intentional action.

Building a healthy self-image isn't about achieving perfection or maintaining unwavering confidence but rather about developing a realistic understanding of ourselves within supportive relationships and environments.

Charles Horton Cooley (1864 - 1929)

Charles Horton Cooley believed that our self-image is like a reflection in a mirror – we see ourselves as we think others see us. We use interactions and reactions as a reflection of our value. Cooley introduced the term "looking-glass self" in 1902 in his work Human Nature and the Social Order, describing it as our reflection of how we think we appear to others.

He determined self-image has three main components:

Imagining how we appear to others: We envision how we present ourselves to others.
Imagining how others judge that appearance: We imagine how others evaluate us.
Developing feelings about ourselves: We develop feelings about ourselves based on our perception of what others think of us.

Cooley and others believed our self-image is what we think about ourselves and what we believe others think about us.

While Cooley's looking-glass-self theory provides a foundation for understanding how we develop our self-concept through perceived social feedback, I propose that individuals can also play an active role in shaping that feedback. People may present themselves in ways that elicit reactions confirming their pre-existing self-beliefs, even if those beliefs are a form of self-fulfilling prophecy or confirmation bias operating within the framework of the looking-glass self.

Practical Strategies for Developing a Healthy Self-Image

Practice Self-Compassion: Treat yourself with the kindness and understanding you would offer a friend.
Challenge Negative Thoughts: Identify and question negative self-talk and replace them with a positive note about yourself.
Focus on Your Strengths: Recognize and celebrate your unique talents and abilities.
Set Realistic Goals: Set achievable goals and celebrate even the little successes.
Surround Yourself with Supportive People: Seek relationships with people who value and support you.
Limit Social Media Exposure: Be mindful of social media's impact on what you think about yourself.
Practice Mindfulness: Increase self-awareness and acceptance through activities such as meditation, yoga, or long walks.
Seek Professional Help: If you struggle with chronic negative self-image, please consider therapy or group counseling.

Conclusion

Personal experiences, social interactions, and cultural influences shape our self-image. It is what we THINK about our appearance, physical abilities, intelligence, and our social skills. When we look in the mirror, literally and figuratively, we may not see ourselves the same way others see us because of the unique lens of our own thoughts and feelings - also known as projection.

Self-image is one of three cornerstones that make up self-concept. Self-concept is what gives us a sense of "self" and includes three key components: how you feel about yourself (self-esteem), how you see yourself (self-image), and who you want to be (ideal self.)

Self-image is a complex and ever-evolving view of our physical, social, cognitive, and emotional selves. Our experiences, interactions, thoughts, feelings, and media shape it.

The physical aspect of self-image is not just about appearance but also what we think about our physical abilities and health.

Let's be clear: it's easy to talk about improving and feeling better about our appearance and physical abilities. Self-help books on appearance and physical health line the bookstore shelves. But if it was easy to change our appearance, 'health and beauty' wouldn't be a billion-dollar industry.

There is incredible pressure, at least in the US, for women to be beautiful and men to have a "6-pack" and a head of hair. Historically, women have received most of that pressure, but men feel it now. The advertising industry spends billions to make us feel inadequate, and societal expectations add to this illusion that we can all be pretty, big-breasted, thin, handsome, buff, and tall with a full head of hair. In recent years, society's expectations have shifted toward acceptance and inclusion. Still, moving away from the 'Hollywood standard' of what's attractive will take a long time.

These unrealistic standards have created a lot of stress and pain for countless people. So many of us have spent thousands on creams, exercise equipment, medication, medical procedures, etc. Our insecurities fund the 450 billion dollar beauty industry--and that industry feeds our insecurities.

Self-acceptance is a good goal. We need to stop stressing over standards we can't reach and spend that energy taking care of ourselves the best we can. Getting exercise, eating healthy (or at least having some veggies with that burger and fries), getting good sleep, and more will add to our overall health and improve self-esteem, which, in turn, can boost our self-image.

In other words, do your best.

Developing a realistic self-image is not about achieving perfection or ignoring our flaws. It is about accepting ourselves for who we are, flaws and all. It is about recognizing our strengths and celebrating our accomplishments. It is also about being kind to ourselves.

Be patient. Developing a healthy self-image takes effort. We need to stop comparing ourselves to others, especially the false images in advertising and on social media, shift our ideals, create more realistic expectations for ourselves, and have some compassion.

Remember, you are not alone. Everyone struggles with self-image from time to time. If you are struggling, there are many resources available to help you. Talk to a trusted friend or family member, or seek professional help. Don't struggle in silence.

The BDD Foundation

https://bddfoundation.org/information/

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What is Self-Image in Psychology? How Do We Improve it?

22 Dec 2018 by Courtney E. Ackerman, MA.

Scientifically reviewed by Jo Nash, Ph.D.

https://positivepsychology.com/self-image/

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The relationship between mental representations of self and social evaluation: Examining the validity and usefulness of visual proxies of self-image

Jinwon Kim, Kibum Moon, Sojeong Kim, Hackjin Kim, Young-gun Ko

*Correspondence: Young-gun Ko, ✉ elip@korea.ac.kr

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.937905/full