TOŻSAMOŚĆ A WOLNOŚĆ PSYCHOLOGICZNE WYJAŚNIENIE MECHANIZMU SAMOSTANOWIENIA
IDENTITY AND FREEDOM: PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATION OF THE MECHANISMS OF SELF-DETERMINATION

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the article is to explain the phenomenon of identity, i.e., to determine the foundation of the unity and temporal stability of the self. The theoretical part of the paper presents a model of a personal subject. The model comprises four qualitatively different kinds of mental products. A lived experience of effi cacy is refl ected in the image of the person, i.e., of the self, included in the individual’s image of reality. The experience of refl ecting is accompanied by the sense of both the continuity of the self in time (identity) and the unity of the self. Although the human will is affected by numerous motives, its acts, being free actions of the person, are expressions of self-determination. To justify the claim that identity plays a fundamental role in the individual’s life and professional development, the authors, in the empirical part of the article, present results of their research on secondary school children. The formation of a mature selfimage is a psychological process specifi c to adolescence. This period is also characterized by the emergence of identity issues due to discrepancies between a self-image formed in childhood and self-images of mature men and women pursuing their life vocations and professional careers.

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