Role of Self-Esteem in Perceptions of Ability and Effort

Abstract

According to Heider (1958), ability and effort are viewed as inversely related. However, indirect evidence suggests that some persons (i.e., those who are confident in their abilities) view effort as an indication of high ability. The present experiment was designed to test this issue more fully and to address whether this is due to a failure to employ rules of inference, or due to an assumption that those "who try hard are smart. "Participants were presented with a scenario in which a target expended effort, withdrew effort intentionally, or withdrew effort unintentionally (i.e., an unforeseen occurrence prevented effort expenditure) in preparation for an examination. Subjects were then told that the target had performed well or poorly on the examination. Findings indicated that when a target performed poorly, high-esteem persons viewed a target who expended effort as higher in ability than one who intentionally withdrew effort. However, they also viewed a target who withdrew effort unintentionally as more able than one who withdrew effort intentionally. Low-esteem subjects did not make this discrimination. This suggests that high-esteem persons believe that those who expend effort possess high ability. The implications of these results for strategic effort withdrawal and self-handicapping among low-esteem persons, and for self-presentation generally, are discussed.