Self-esteem

Question 1

6 common behaviours low-SE people?

Answer 1

1. Not asserting self
2. Avoid challenges, possible ego-threats
3. Pleasing others
4. Perfectionism/high achievement
5. Not trying because success seems unrealistic
6. Withdrawing from intimacy

Question 2

Information processing biases of low-SE people?

Answer 2

1. Selective processing –remember failures, forget successes
2. Black and white thinking –perfect or terrible; successful or loser

Question 3

Common triggers for low-SE people?

Answer 3

1. Situations of evaluation/judgement

2. Situations of ego threat

Question 4

Common assumptions/rules of low-SE people?

Answer 4

1. If I assert myself, will be rejected
2. If I try and fail, it will prove that I’m worthless
3. If I don’t please others, I’ll be rejected
4. If I don’t do things perfectly, my worthlessness will be revealed
5. There’s no point trying because I’ll fail anyway
6. If I’m truly known I will not be loved
7. I must always do the right thing

Question 5

People with low self-esteem hold ___-______, ____, ______ beliefs about themselves and the kind of person they are.

Answer 5

People with low self-esteem hold deep-seated, basic, negative beliefs about themselves and the kind of person they are.

Question 6

What two kind of thought is it important to distinguish in when evaluating self-beliefs?

Answer 6

Facts and opinions

Question 7

Five factors that can lead to self-esteem problems

Answer 7

1. Punishment, neglect, abuse
2. Difficulty meeting parents’ standards (“You could have done better”; teasing)
3. Difficulty meeting peer group standards (teasing)
4. Not fitting in at home/school
5. Family different from others
6. Absence of positives (low warmth; only basic needs met)

Question 8

What’s the cost of living up to low-SE rules and assumptions?

Answer 8

You put yourself under a lot of pressure, and can exhaust yourself trying to meet your own standards.

Question 9

Does low SE always develop in childhood?

Answer 9

No, it can also develop later in life if encounter bullying, abusive relationships etc.

Question 10

Why do we develop rules and assumptions?

Answer 10

To protect us from our negative core belief and its emotional consequences.

Question 11

Why is the behaviour generated by our rules and assumptions unhelpful?

Answer 11

Because it keeps our core belief intact, and low SE lies dormant. So you remain vulnerable.

Question 12

How does information processing maintain low self-esteem?

Answer 12

We interpret things in a way that is consistent with our beliefs. As a result, we tend to remember only things that happen in our lives that are consistent with low self-esteem.

Question 13

Noisy neighbours as example of biased information processing?

Answer 13

If you’re told upon moving into a flat that the neighbours are noisy –pay attention only when they’re noisy, remember this information, and this confirms belief. Same with belief that you’re a failure –only pay attention to failures.

Question 14

How can belief that you’re a failure obscure the middle ground?

Answer 14

You discount anything that is not failure as irrelevant, thus excluding any space between failure and success.

Question 15

In what way does biased information process make core beliefs self-fulfilling?

Answer 15

You only attend to information consistent with that belief, and interpret events in line with this belief. So you keep gathering evidence to support the belief.

Question 16

How do rules and behaviours maintain negative core beliefs?

Answer 16

They are designed to protect you from consequences of negative core belief, and so don’t allow you to test whether this belief is true.

Question 17

Why does developing protective rules and assumptions put you at high risk of emotional distress?

Answer 17

Because these rules are often unrealistic, extreme and inflexible, so it’s very hard to live without breaking them.

Question 18

What are the two common responses to risky situations which activate negative core beliefs?

Answer 18

Biased expectations –things will turn out badly

Negative self-evaluation–self-criticism

Question 19

Three types of anxious behaviour common when negative core beliefs are activated?

Answer 19

Avoidance –e.g., putting things off
Safety precautions –e.g., overpreparing
Escape –e.g., quitting

Question 20

How does taking safety precautions maintain the negative core belief?

Answer 20

You don’t find out what would happen without these behaviours, and feel like everything was a ‘close call’.

Question 21

How does anxiety perpetuate negative core beliefs?

Answer 21

Because anxiety creates threat expectancies which can be taken as evidence that the negative core belief is accurate –or else why would I be this anxious?

Question 22

Biased expectations involve: _________ the likelihood that something bad will happen and how bad
the __________ will be, as well as _________ your ability to cope.

Answer 22

Biased expectations involve: overestimating the likelihood that something bad will happen and how bad
the consequences will be, as well as underestimating your ability to cope.

Question 23

What are three aspects of negative self-evaluation?

Answer 23

1. Chastising self for not meeting standards –e.g., you should or shouldn’t have done this or that.
2. Derogatory self-labels –e.g., pathetic, useless, idiot
3. Overgeneralisations –everything is ruined, I always do this.

Question 24

4 unhelpful behaviours that tend to be elicited by negative self-evaluation?

Answer 24

1. Withdrawal or isolation
2. Overcompensation
3. Neglecting things (opportunities, responsibilities, self-care)
4. Being passive rather than assertive with others

Question 25

Argument against belief that negative self-evaluation is motivating, protects against complacency etc.

Answer 25

If this were true, we would do this to our loved ones. Instead we show compassion –which is more effective.

Question 26

Why does focusing on positive self-beliefs result in a more realistic mindset ?

Answer 26

Because people with Low SE tend to focus almost exclusively on negative qualities, and things that confirm negative belief.

Question 27

What’s a tendency of low SE people when listing positive qualities?

Answer 27

Minimising positive qualities

Question 28

What needs to be done after you create a list of positive qualities?

Answer 28

Get patient to read and re-read

Question 29

What effect does negative self-evaluation tend to have on behaviour?

Answer 29

Avoiding enjoyable activities because not deserving

Engage in few activities for self

Question 30

If low-SE results in low engagement in enjoyable activity, what intervention can help?

Answer 30

Monitoring – keeping track of pleasure and achievement from each activity in day

Activity scheduling –scheduling pleasurable, fulfilling activities

Question 31

How can pleasant activity scheduling counteract low SE?

Answer 31

By getting patient to act in line with belief that they are deserving of fun

Question 32

Example of a healthy rule?

Answer 32

Don’t drive if you’ve had too much to drink.

Question 33

What are some characteristics of healthy rules

Answer 33

• Grounded in evidence
• Flexible enough to apply to different contexts
• Helpful to the individual, enhance functioning

Question 34

Compare healthy and unhealthy versions of a rule

Answer 34

I must be the best at all costs

I should try my best in the domains that are important to me

Question 35

What are some problems with a rule about always being the best?

Answer 35

It’s not flexible–there are domains in which being the best isn’t important.

It’s categorical –it doesn’t take into account the costs of following the rule.

It’s unrealistic –you can’t always be the best.

It’s self-defeating –it sets you up to feel anxious about failure, which is likely, and feel shame when it happens.

Question 36

How can a rule about not asking people for help, or else you’ll be laughed at, keep low SE locked in place?

Answer 36

The rule prevents you from challenging the belief that people will laugh at you, which flows out of the negative core belief that you are somehow undeserving of help, laughable, etc.

Question 37

Four ways to elicit rules from patient?

Answer 37

1. Ask about their expectations and standards of themselves across domains: work, school, relationships, socialising.
2. Negative emotion –when do they feel the most anxiety and self-doubt? What behaviours make me feel ashamed?
3. Self-criticism –In what situations do you put self or others down? What might happen if relax standards?
4. Direct messages –what were you told should and should not do? For what was I punished, praised?

Question 38

How to get at negative core belief?

Answer 38

1. Downward arrowing anxiety –if negative outcome, what mean about you?
2. Common themes in negative self-evaluations
3. What makes it hard to treat yourself kindly?
4. When rules broken, what does it mean about you?

Question 39

What’s an example of a reasonable core belief around competence?

Answer 39

I am great at many things, average at others things, and weaker in some areas like anyone else.

Question 40

What are the 5 steps involved in developing a new core belief?

Answer 40

1. Develop a new understanding of the evidence on which you based your old beliefs.
2. Develop a new balanced core belief.
3. Identify evidence from the past and present that support this new belief.
4. Identify what evidence you need to look out for in future to support this new belief.
5. Behave and experiment in ways that confirm your new core belief.