Self-Esteem

Question 1

What is global self-esteem?

Answer 1

an average tone of self-feeling which is independent of the objective reasons we may have for satisfaction and discontent

Question 2

What is James’s formula for self-esteem?

Answer 2

successes/pretentions

Question 3

What are Higgins (1987) domains of the self?

Answer 3

actual self; what you currently are
ideal self; how you aspire to be
ought self; how you should be (morals/society)

Question 4

What can be caused by an actual-ought discrepancy?

Answer 4

Strauman et al. (1993)
more anxious responses
higher cortisol levels
lower natural killer cell activity

Question 5

What can be caused by an actual-ideal discrepancy?

Answer 5

Strauman et al. (1993)
more dysphoric responses
lower natural killer cell activity

Question 6

What do people with high self-esteem do?

Answer 6

associate positive words with the self more quickly
associate negative words with the self more slowly
greater liking of letters in their name
greater liking of numbers in their birthday

Question 7

What is the traditional view of high self-esteem?

Answer 7

positive view of the self as worthwhile and valuable
liking oneself and accepting weaknesses
feeling secure about the self

Question 8

What is the alternative view of high self-esteem?

Answer 8

promoting the self as better than others

denying threats to positive self image

Question 9

What is the traditional view of low self-esteem?

Answer 9

negative view of the self as worthless
self-loathing and insecurity
psychological and behavioural problems

Question 10

What is the best predictor of global self-esteem?

Answer 10

Harter (1999); physical appearance

Question 11

What are some factors that predict global self-esteem?

Answer 11

physical appearance, athletic competence, social acceptance mediated by peer support
scholastic competence, behavioural conduct mediated by parental support
domain-specific evaluations moderated by personal importance

Question 12

What are some self-enhancing strategies?

Answer 12

self-serving bias
upward/downward comparisons
better than average effects
basking in reflected glory
prejudice
self-promotion
self-protection

Question 13

How are self-enhancers viewed compared to non-self-enhancers?

Answer 13

self-enhancers; fluctuating moods, guileful, deceitful, distrustful, condescending, self-pitying, hostile
non-self-enhancers; cheerful, forthright, dependable, interesting liked, sympathetic

Question 14

What is the difference between Asian and American self-enhancement?

Answer 14

Asians tend to show more self-criticism and lower self esteem than Americans

Question 15

How is self-esteem socially constructed?

Answer 15

depending on the social value of particular domains and social comparison standards

Question 16

Which study supports the cultural aspect of self-enhancement?

Answer 16

Japanese undergraduates tended to make self-effacing attributions rather than self-serving biases

Question 17

What did Cai et al.’s (2011) study about modesty in Chinese culture show?

Answer 17

1 & 2; self-rated modesty in China negatively correlated with explicit self-esteem and positively correlated with implicit self-esteem in China and the US
3; after describing themselves modestly, Chinese participants showed increased implicit self-esteem, and after describing themselves immodestly, showed decreased implicit self-esteem

Question 18

What is the influence of genes/environment on self-esteem?

Answer 18

genetic influences are substantial
shared environment has minimal effect
non-shared environment shows the largest effect
genetic predispositions in particular domains e.g. appearance

Question 19

How can self-esteem act as an anxiety buffer?

Answer 19

Greenberg et al (1992)
participants who received a positive self-esteem manipulation were subsequently less anxious after a threat manipulation than those in the neutral condition

Question 20

What is terror management theory?

Answer 20

Pyszczynski (1997)
people are aware of their own mortality, anxiety buffer avoids the terror of death
understanding one’s place in the world, attaining a sense of personal value and self-esteem act as the buffer

Question 21

What are some negative outcomes of low self-esteem?

Answer 21

Trzesniewski et al. (2006)
poorer mental and physical health
worse job prospects
criminal behaviour
depression

Question 22

What can reminders of morality lead to?

Answer 22

Pyszczynski (1997)
increased self-esteem strivings
defence of one’s cultural world-view

Question 23

How can self-esteem affect terror management?

Answer 23

high self-esteem reduces the effects of morality reminders

high self-esteem reduces death-thought accessibility

Question 24

What is dysphoria?

Answer 24

a profound state of generalised life dissatisfaction

Question 25

What is sociometer theory?

Answer 25

Leary & Baumeister (2000)
self-esteem is a function of social relationships
monitors interpersonal relationship quality
motivates behaviour to maintain a minimum level of acceptance

Question 26

What evidence is there for sociometer theory?

Answer 26

state self-esteem fluctuates with inclusion and exclusion
trait self-esteem correlates with perceived appreciation and devaluation
public events affect self-esteem more than private ones
self-esteem dimensions reflect attributes relevant to being valued as a social partner

Question 27

What are positive illusions?

Answer 27

Taylor & Brown (1988)
unrealistically positive views of the self
exaggerated perceptions of personal control
unrealistic optimism

Question 28

Who doesn’t experience positive illusions?

Answer 28

depressed patients and people with low self-esteem

Question 29

What can positive illusions promote?

Answer 29

happiness/contentment
ability to care for others
creativity/productivity

Question 30

What are some critiques of positive illusions theory?

Answer 30

Colvin & Bock (1994)
research tests limited groups of uni students
illusions are being determined by subjective researchers
are depressives more accurate or more negative?

Question 31

How did Taylor and Brown defend their theory?

Answer 31

not all illusions are good
illusions are not better than reality
illusions are not a cure for illness
illusions are not necessary for mental health
the human mind can detect reality

Question 32

How does self-esteem relate to aggression?

Answer 32

Kernis et al. (1989)
self-esteem stability moderates the relationship
high hostility relates to unstable, high self-esteem
low hostility relates to stable, high self-esteem

Question 33

What evidence is there that self-esteem can influence violent behaviour?

Answer 33

violent people frequently have favourable views of themselves
violence is intended to show superiority
violence can follow a threat to self-esteem

Question 34

What is narcissism?

Answer 34

extreme/ultra-high levels of self-esteem
unstable high self-esteem
strong motive for self-aggrandisement
disregard to others
sensitivity to ego-threats

Question 35

How does narcissism relate to aggression?

Answer 35

Bushman & Baumeister (1998)
experiment; pro-choice/pro-life essays
manipulation; positive/negative feedback
measurement; aggressive use of noise gun
more aggression from;
males than females
participants with higher narcissism scores
participants who received an ego-threat (negative feedback)

Question 36

How do Baumeister et al. (2000) disprove the low self-esteem theory?

Answer 36

there is no substantial evidence
individuals with low self-esteem often submit to influence, are shy and risk/loss averse
aggression is usually associated with resisting or rejecting external influence

Question 37

What is threatened-egotism theory?

Answer 37

aggression is used as a means of defending a highly favourable view of the self