Reflecting on Your Learning
1. Before reading the article, I used to think that personality is influenced solely by external
factors such as different upbringings and cultures. After reading the article, I now think that
genetics also plays a hand in shaping a person’s personality. In my case, I’ve always been
organized and have always had a to-do list to track my tasks for the day, may it be for
academics or for personal errands. Similarly, my mother also has this level of organization as
she keeps multiple calendar planners and already has one for the year 2026. This is mentioned
in the “Biological Origins of the Self and Identity” as explained by Bouchard & Loehlin
(2001), suggesting that this trait is partly influenced by genetics, in addition to the habits and
values that our environment reinforces.
2. Before reading the article, I used to think that self-enhancement by always trying to see the
“self and identity” in a positive light is beneficial since it helps us to maximize our strengths.
After reading the article, I now think that seeking constant self-enhancement can be harmful
to our personal well-being and social relationships as well. I’ve experienced this in group
projects where I tried too hard to prove I was capable, which made others feel like their ideas
weren’t valued, affecting our team dynamic. I realized that by avoiding acknowledging my
flaws, I prevent myself from accepting constructive feedback which can strain my personal
relationships. This was explained in the article about “Motivational Properties of the Self”
under the concept of the self-enhancement motive. It was explained by Swann & Read (1981)
that it is more of a self-confirmation rather than self-enhancement.
3. Before reading the article, I used to think that rewards like money, grades, or praise always
increase motivation to do something. I believed that the more external incentives I received,
the more I would enjoy and want to keep doing the activity which helped increase my
motivation. After reading the article, I now think that extrinsic rewards can actually reduce
intrinsic motivation such as curiosity and enjoyment. For example, I used to always reward
myself with treats or purchases and say “Deserve ko ‘to.” While it feels good in the moment, I
realized that this habit can make the reward the focus rather than the activity itself and reduce
natural enjoyment. It was referred to in the article as the “overjustification effect” discussed in
the “Intraphysic Origins of the Self and Identity.”
Clarifying Uncertainties
1. The article states that 40–60% of personality variance in the Big Five is attributed to genetics,
but it remains unclear to me how researchers separate genetic influence from environmental
factors in real-world settings.
2. Another idea for clarification, it was stated that culture influences a person’s identity due to
differences between Eastern and Western perspectives, especially in using self-enhancement
or self-improvement. It’s unclear to me how specific traits can be tied to a certain region if we
are multidimensional, and how these traits interact or influence one another.
3. Lastly, the article mentioned that people spend only about 8% of their thoughts reflecting on
themselves. It’s unclear to me how such limited self-reflection affects our ability to
understand and change our identity over time.
Posing Questions
1. When you change yourself to achieve a goal, does that version still reflect your true self? And
does the past or the present identity represent your authentic identity?
2. To what extent can personality traits remain stable if social roles, expectations, and
environments are constantly changing?
3. How reliable are self-reports in capturing accurate self-knowledge, and if they are limited,
what other methods exist to assess the self, especially considering that different people may
perceive the same individual in different ways?
