self-esteem 2

Self-esteem

A person's overall evaluation of their own worth.

Rosenberg self-esteem scale

A widely used measure of global self-esteem.

Politics of self-esteem

Claim that high self-esteem solves social problems, though lacking strong evidence.

Smelser's critique

Common-sense beliefs about self-esteem must be tested scientifically.

James' formula for self-esteem

Self-esteem equals success divided by pretensions.

Self-discrepancy theory

Differences between actual, ideal, and ought selves.

Higgins (1987)

Actual-ideal discrepancies linked to depression; actual-ought to anxiety.

Domain-specific self-esteem

Self-evaluations in specific domains such as appearance or academics.

State vs trait self-esteem

State is momentary; trait is stable over time.

Implicit self-esteem

Automatic self-evaluations measured indirectly.

Implicit self-esteem limitation

Measures show poor convergent validity.

Benefits of self-esteem

Associated with mental health, wellbeing, and life outcomes.

Trzesniewski et al. (2006)

Low adolescent self-esteem predicts poorer adult outcomes.

Orth et al. (2008)

Low self-esteem predicts depression, not vice versa.

Self-esteem as anxiety buffer

High self-esteem reduces anxiety under threat.

Greenberg et al. (1992)

Boosted self-esteem reduced anxiety after mortality or pain threats.

Terror Management Theory

Self-esteem buffers anxiety about mortality.

Pyszczynski et al. (1997)

Self-esteem derived from living up to cultural worldviews.

Sociometer hypothesis

Self-esteem monitors social acceptance and belonging.

Leary & Baumeister (2000)

Self-esteem motivates behaviours that maintain inclusion.

Origins of self-esteem

Domain-specific evaluations weighted by importance.

Harter (1993)

Important domains correlate strongly with global self-esteem.

Cultural moderation

Culture shapes which domains matter for self-esteem.

Heritability of self-esteem

Genetic influence around 30-50%.

Self-enhancement processes

Biases such as self-serving attributions and comparisons.

Positive illusions

Tendency toward unrealistically positive self-views.

Taylor & Brown (1988)

Positive illusions linked to happiness and motivation.

Critique of positive illusions

Illusions may have short-term benefits and long-term costs.

Dark side of self-esteem

High but unstable self-esteem linked to aggression.

Baumeister et al. (1996)

Aggression linked to threatened high self-esteem.

Narcissism

Inflated, fragile self-esteem with entitlement and hostility.

Bushman & Baumeister (1998)

Narcissists aggress when ego is threatened.

Optimal self-esteem

Stable, secure, non-contingent self-worth.

Overall conclusion

Self-esteem has benefits, but quality and stability matter.