EVALUATION COMPONENT OF THE SELF-ESTEEM 1 Definition of

EVALUATION COMPONENT OF THE SELF-ESTEEM 1. Definition of self-esteem 2. Self-esteem and reactions to criticism and failure 3. Self-esteem and coping with negative events 4. Protecting versus Enhancing the Self.

Self-esteem is the sum of your positive and negative reactions to all aspects of your self-concept Do you generally like yourself? Do you feel you are a good person? Do you feel others respect you? Do you feel you are a basically fair person? Do you take pride in what you have done, in who you are, and in who you would like to become?

Self-esteem 100 90 good 80 70 60 50 40 30 bad bad 20 10 0 Conclusion: 1) We have a mixed reaction to ourselves; 2) We have to take the bad with the good 3) We understand we have strengths and weaknesses.

Development of Self-Esteem Children identify standards and expectations for behavior and live up to them (mastering this they feel proud!) 2) Children begin to engage in social comparison: if they are doing better than others they feel proud! 3) Adolescents develop a set of internal standards – important for their self-concept Summary: Behavior inconsistent with these internal standards decrease in self-esteem; consistent increase on self-esteem. 1)

Global Self-esteem a sum of several individual areas of self-evaluations performance appearance social Conclusion: although these areas should be assessed separately people with higher self-esteem in one area also tend to measure high in other areas.

SELF-ESTEEM AND FAILURE. (evaluation: homework, tests, performance reports, competitive games) Research findings suggest: Low self-esteem persons High self-esteem persons Give up Show renewed effort Failure feedback is consistent with Failure is not consistent with their self-concept and confirms their existing self-concept, so they do not views that they fail more than accept it (accident or mistake) succeed. They fear failure and avoid it. They fear not succeeding

SELF-ESTEEM AND COPING WITH NEGATIVE EVENTS Unpleasant event can happen to everyone. How do high self-esteem persons overcome the disappointments, losses and failures that are normal part of being a human? The best strategy: focusing on other areas of life in which things are going well. Example: research psychologist was refused to publish an article. But, I am still a good teacher, a good faculty member, a good spouse and parent.

Self-Complexity low ( I am nothing without her!) high ( a failure in one aspect can’t affect other aspect)

Protecting or Enhancing the Self? Example: You are offered a new challenging job. Low self-esteem persons High self-esteem persons Motivated to protect their self-concept by avoiding failure Motivated to enhance their self-concept with success

Defensive pessimism. A strategy in which a person facing a challenge, such as an upcoming test, expects to do poorly. Characteristics of defensive pessimists: 1) Motivated by fear of failure 2) Use their worry and pessimism in a constructive way 3) Motivate themselves to work on the thing they are pessimistic about 4) Work through ways to keep that worst outcome from happening 5) Negativity of defensive pessimists annoy others.

Self-handicapping A process in which a person deliberately does the things that increase the probability that he will fail. Example: a student uses his pessimistic attitude towards the upcoming exam and doesn’t prepare. Not studying provides a handicap, an excuse to fail. By this he increases the chance to fail. When he fails, he says he wasn’t prepared simply, but not that he is unintelligent.