Self-esteem

Development psychologists

Self-esteem is for human development

Personality psychologists

Self-esteem is examined for individual differences in the trait levels

Social psychologists

Studied behaviours that promote and maintain self-esteem

High self esteem

Good, capable, worthy of respect and love

Low self esteem

useless, inept, unworthy of respect and love

Self esteem as a sociometer

Leary and colleagues argue that self esteem provides us with important information about our inclusionary status

Inclusionary status

the degree to which other people value us and want to include and accept us

the need to belong

social inclusion and acceptance is vital for survival

Self esteem as a sociometer - low self esteem

Indicates we need to change something about ourselves

state self esteem

monitors current relational context (where inclusion or exclusion is felt immediately)

trait self esteem

assess the degree to which one is the sort of person who generally will be valued by desirable groups and relationship partners

Negative effect or low state self esteem

1. alert possibility of social rejection/exclusion

2. motivate action toward social inclusion

Restoring self-esteem/belonging

More likely to conform to new group opinion even when judgement is incorrect

Trait self esteem - global or chronic level

Stable - doesn’t change

Stability of self-esteem - Trzesniewski et al.

Self-esteem stability was low during childhood, increased throughout adolescence and young adulthood and declined during midlife and old age

Predictors of trait self-esteem

experience, internal measure, anticipation of interpersonal outcomes

Orth 2018

Quality of home environment in

low self esteem impacts

depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and victimization

People who experience low self esteem

become acutely attuned to the degree to which they are being accepted to reject, and have greater need for social approval, fear negative rejection, social anxious and rejection sensitive

Anthony et al 2006

Individuals with LSE prefer social groups that guarantee acceptance

Self fulfilling prophecy - Cameron et al 2010

Observes rate individuals with LSE as less likeable, leading to the outcome that LSE individuals were trying to stop from happening