Meaning & use
self-orientation
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountabletechnical
The way a person understands their own identity, values, and place in the world, especially in relation to others.
Grammar: Usually uncountable: 'a strong self-orientation', not 'self-orientations'.
Patterns
- a strong self-orientation
- develop self-orientation
Adolescence is a key period for developing self-orientation.
The therapy aims to strengthen self-orientation in young adults who feel lost.
Her self-orientation shifted after she moved abroad and lived alone for a year.
noununcountabletechnical
A tendency to focus on your own needs, interests, or goals rather than on other people or the group.
Grammar: Also uncountable; context usually makes clear whether the focus is identity or selfishness.
Patterns
- a culture of self-orientation
- encourage self-orientation
Modern consumer culture is often accused of encouraging self-orientation.
The team struggled because of the manager's extreme self-orientation.
Teachers worried that remote learning increased self-orientation among students.
Common combinations
- a strong sense of self-orientation
- After the workshop, she had a stronger sense of self-orientation.
- develop self-orientation
- Children develop self-orientation through play and friendships.
- cultural self-orientation
- The study compared cultural self-orientation in Japan and the United States.
- lack of self-orientation
- His lack of self-orientation made it hard for him to choose a career.
Synonyms and how they differ
- self-identity
- Self-identity focuses on who you are, while self-orientation also includes how you position yourself relative to others.
- self-focus
- Self-focus is more informal and often mildly critical; it stresses attention on yourself rather than a developed sense of identity.
- individualism
- Individualism describes a cultural value placed on personal independence, a broader idea than a single person's self-orientation.
Opposites
Word family
- self-oriented adjective
- Focused mainly on your own needs or interests.
- orientation noun
- A general word for direction, training, or a person's basic attitudes.
- reorientation noun
- The process of changing your direction, beliefs, or focus.
Commonly confused: self-orientation or sexual orientation?
self-orientation vs sexual orientation
Sexual orientation is about romantic or sexual attraction. Self-orientation is about identity and personal focus, so the two are not interchangeable.
Practice
In psychology, what does 'self-orientation' mainly refer to?
Choose one answer.
'Self-orientation' in psychology means how someone understands their identity and values in relation to others. Option B describes the inner ear's balance system, option C is literal direction, and option D is a business plan, none of which match the term.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “self-orientation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.