Experience Design Factors

Self-Concept

FactorPeopleCore Level

People's collected beliefs about themselves.

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Photo: Sally Kiknadze

People have a sense of who they are—their identity. “Self-concept” sums up the beliefs that people hold about themselves (Fiske and Taylor, 2017). Depending on the situation, a person’s concept of themselves can change. A person may perceive themselves as experts and exude confidence when making drawings of buildings, but may also perceive themselves as failures when doing math problems.

A person’s self-concept develops and shifts over time through experience. Self-concept steers a person’s thoughts and actions. A person’s self-concept can make them more likely to try things they have never tried, and can also cause them to think they are not worthy or able to try those same things. People who believe they are adventurous will be more likely to take risks and be bold. People who see themselves as creative, inventive, and a world-changer, even though others may think the person is peculiar because they have wild ideas.

How people identify their gender is part of their self-concept. Some people can be more or less masculine, feminine, neither, or something else. Though many societies define people as male or female, some people may identify their gender as different from their sex based on their self-concept and how they feel. A person’s visual appearance is not always a clear indicator of how they perceive their gender—how they “feel” inside, and this can contribute to the pronouns a person chooses to use that express how they prefer to express their gender.

Designers make objects that people use. Sometimes, those products, services, and systems are not quickly adopted because people perceive that the item is too hard to use or is not for people “like them.” When designers consider self-concept as an experience-level factor, they endeavor to design outcomes that align with a person’s inner view of themselves.

Examples of Self-Concept

Personality-related:

  • Introvert
  • Optimist
  • Resilient
  • Nurturing

Role-related:

  • Parent
  • Professional (doctor, teacher, etc.)
  • Caregiver
  • Leader

Value-based:

  • Environmentalist
  • Humanitarian
  • Spiritual person
  • Independent thinker

Cultural/heritage-related:

  • Bicultural
  • Indigenous identity
  • Cultural traditionalist
  • Global citizen

Gender-related:

  • Transgender
  • Cisgender
  • Non-Binary
  • Gender fluid

Achievement/ability-related:

  • Academic achiever
  • Problem solver
  • Athletic
  • Creative thinker

Researching Self-Concept

Self-concept is a core-level factor, so it can be very difficult to research. It is easy to jump to conclusions about people. Avoid making assumptions. Because self-concepts can be viewed differently in some cultures, especially those that espouse binary gender identities, researching self-concept, including gender identity, can require special care. Still, when researching self-concept, examine how people talk about themselves and their place in relation to others. Select research methods carefully to allow participants to share openly.

Questions to Ask

  • What does this person believe about themselves?
  • What kind of value does this person think they add to others? To their community?
  • How does this person’s self-concept align with others’ expectations?
  • How does this person define their gender?

Look For

  • The words they use
  • How a person shares their gender identification by using pronouns
  • Endeavors they attempt
  • The groups they belong to, like clubs, religious organizations, or advocacy groups
  • Self-deprecating language
  • The way a person dresses (be careful; what a person wears is not always a clear indication of their self-concept)

Keywords

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Sources

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➜Scenes ➜People ➜People: Self ➜Self-Concept
Updated: April 6, 2025 9:55 am
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