Psychology · Ch 2 — Self and Personality
Self-esteem
Self-esteem
Self-esteem is the value judgment we place on ourselves. It is not simply knowing who you are, but how you feel about who you are — whether you see yourself as worthy, capable, and good. This judgment of one’s own worth is what psychologists call self-esteem.
People differ in their levels of self-esteem. Some have high self-esteem, meaning they generally view themselves positively and feel competent. Others have low self-esteem, meaning they tend to doubt their own worth and abilities.
How self-esteem is measured
To assess a person’s self-esteem, psychologists present a series of statements and ask the person to indicate how true each statement is for them. For example, a child might be asked to rate statements such as:
- “I am good at homework.”
- “I am the one usually chosen for the games.”
- “I am highly liked by my peers.”
If the child reports these statements as true, their self-esteem is considered high. If they say “no” or disagree, their self-esteem is likely low.
The four areas of self-esteem in childhood
Research shows that by the age of 6 to 7 years, children have already formed self-esteem in at least four distinct areas:
- Academic competence — how good they feel about their schoolwork and learning.
- Social competence — how well they feel they get along with others and are liked.
- Physical/athletic competence — how capable they feel in sports and physical activities.
- Physical appearance — how they feel about the way they look.
These separate self-evaluations become more refined and detailed as the child grows older.
From separate evaluations to an overall sense of self-esteem
Our ability to think of ourselves in terms of stable, lasting traits allows us to combine these separate judgments into a single, general psychological image of ourselves. This overall picture is known as the overall sense of self-esteem.
Self-esteem and everyday behaviour
Self-esteem has a strong and consistent relationship with how people behave in daily life.
- Children with high academic self-esteem perform better in school than those with low academic self-esteem.
- Children with high social self-esteem are more liked by their peers than those with low social self-esteem.
- Children with low self-esteem in all areas are often found to display anxiety, depression, and increasing antisocial behaviour.
How parenting affects self-esteem
The development of self-esteem is strongly influenced by the family environment. …