Self 2 Self Esteem

Self 2 Self Esteem

1. motivations for self-knowledge?

   • self assessment
     • motivation to seek new info
     • Peripheral rather than central traits
   • Self Verification
     • motivation to seek out new info to confirm existing
     • central rather than peripheral
   • Self enhancement
     • motivation to create n promote favorable self-image
     • positive regardless of centrality
     • self-enhancing triad
       • overestimate good points
       • overestimate control over events
       • unrealistically optimistic
     • some bias is ok

2. self esteem

   • feelings and evaluations of ones self
     • relatively stable can be context dependent
   • based to some extent on parenting styles
     • authoritative
       • demanding warm supportive
     • authoritarian
       • demanding cold nonresponsive
     • permissive
       • non demanding responsive

3. can help overcome a fear of death?

   • Greenberg, 1992, Terror management theory
     • High self-esteem was correlated with less anxiety and lower physiological arousal after watching a video about death

4. affects our perception of social acceptance

   • high self-esteem were more likely to feel greater inclusion in general and specific social situations

5. usually moderate to high

   • study done of US students
     • Low self esteem
       • dampen good feelings
       • risk factor for depression
       • sensitive towards rejection
     • high self esteem
       • more accurate self knowledge
       • self enhancement orientation
       • make more of an effort to feel good
   • antidotal evidence low self-esteem = violence
     • Baumeister, Smart, & Boden (1996)
       • reviewed literature to date no evidence for link . But, found evidence that high self-esteem was correlated with violence, especially under threat
         • narcisistic individualExtremely high self-esteem (but fragile) + Self-esteem threat = AGGRESSION