Construct Of Self-esteem Research Articles

Self-esteem in the elderly

Self-esteem is an important aspect of the adaptive processes at all stages of life, but especially in older adults. It is linked to the quality of adaptation, well-being, life satisfaction and health. Self-esteem is not related to chronological age, but to the people's quality of social integration and adaptive capacities to cope with life events, including physical and cognitive decline. Thus the aging process does not necessarily results in self-esteem decrease, regardless of the decline in many areas of mental activity. Measures of the self-esteem and interpretation of the pertaining results vary according to various theoretical models. However, the sociocognitive strategies at play for maintaining a high level of self-esteem should be stressed. Social psychology has shown the importance of the Others in such a regulation through group belonging, or psychological processes such as social comparison or causal attribution. Such a perspective underlines the importance of social and institutional environment for the regulation of a positive self-value and hence the interest of taking into account the self-esteem construct while taking with older adults.

Dimensionality and Norms of the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale in a German General Population Sample

This study analyzed the dimensionality of the German version of Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem scale (RSES) in a nationally representative population sample of 4,988 subjects (46.4% males; aged 14–92 years). Using confirmatory factor analysis, one- and two-dimensional models were tested. Results suggest that the RSES is a two-dimensional scale comprising the highly correlated components positive and negative self-evaluation, which constitute a unitary construct of global self-esteem at the second-order level. In order to obtain a more conclusive solution, an item response theory (IRT) analysis (partial credit model) was conducted. Results lend support to a one-dimensional view of the RSES. Furthermore, psychometric properties and norm values based on the representative sample are reported. Analyses revealed extremely high response probabilities for all items, as a consequence of which self-esteem cannot be differentiated at the upper end of the range.

Yes, cavalier attitudes can have pernicious consequences.

Yes, cavalier attitudes can have pernicious consequences.

The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale as a Measure of Self-Esteem for the Noninstitutionalized Elderly

The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) demonstrates sound psychometric properties but has not been analyzed by item response theory (IRT). We used the Rasch model to determine the item-level psychometrics of the RSES in 986 noninstitutionalized elderly. The instrument showed appropriate item fit statistics and person separation index, but had limitations in the number and spread of items, unidimensionality, the logical progression of difficulty among the items, negative statements included in the rating scale, and the contextual relevance of items underlying the self-esteem construct. Based on clinical and cost implications, we offered suggestions to improve the RSES as a clinically meaningful measure of self-esteem in this population.

Reporting Tendencies Underlie Discrepancies Between Implicit and Explicit Measures of Self-Esteem

The assumption that implicit measures assess associations that are not accessible to consciousness abounds in current social cognition research. In the present report, we question this assumption, focusing on the construct of implicit self-esteem as a case in point. Although researchers often argue that implicitly measured self-esteem is unconscious, we provide evidence that it is not, and that discrepancies between implicit and explicit measures of self-esteem are the result of reporting tendencies. Study 1 demonstrated that individuals for whom explicitly measured self-esteem is relatively high and implicitly measured self-esteem is relatively low admit to overpresenting themselves. In Study 2, implicit and explicit measures of self-esteem were related when subjects were urged to avoid over- or underpresenting themselves when responding to the explicit measures. We discuss the critical distinction between awareness of one's attitudes and awareness of their influence.

L’activité physique et sportive et l’estime de soi chez les adolescents handicapés : le cas de la pathologie du pied bot

People with a disability are often perceived by the “non disabled” as a disadvantaged minority and are the subjects of generalisations and stereotypes. These stigmatisations reinforce the feeling of incapacity and differences on the physical and psychological plans. Moreover the body perception plays an important role in the construction of self-esteem. Sports programs of (re)adaptation are employed in order to help physically disabled people. But beyond this work of self-awareness on the purely functional plan, sport and/or leisure activities could be a support for a better psychosocial integration of these persons, thanks to a more positive perception of their self-value and image. We have thus examined the concept of self-esteem through the practice of a physical activity in a sample of young people suffering from a congenital foot malformation: idiopathic clubfoot, knowing that self esteem is a major preoccupation during adolescence. The population consisted of two groups of disabled adolescents treated at the American Memorial Hospital (Reims, France): Group 1, non sport group, N = 9; M age = 12.44 years old; S.D. = 1.51, sex ratio 4G/5B; and Group 2, sport group, N = 10, M age = 12.30 years old; S.D. = 1.33, sex ratio 4G/6B. The French translation of the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale and of the Physical Self-Perception Profile were given to each participant after an individual explanation of the protocol. The results of the study show that adolescents practicing a physical activity have higher self-esteem and better self-perception than the adolescents who do not practice any sport. Moreover, it has already been shown that a low self-esteem is associated with depressive troubles. These relationships are really important especially for people who suffer from a physical deficiency. Thus, the practice of a physical activity could be a way to enhance self-esteem and self-perception, and may have a positive effect on depressive disorders.

The relationship between personality preferences, self-esteem and emotional competence

The relationship between leaders’ personality preferences, self-esteem and emotional competence is the focus of this article. A study was conducted to analyse the responses of a sample of 107 South African leaders in the manufacturing industry to measures of the three constructs. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Culturefree Self-esteem Inventories for Adults (CFSEI-AD), and the 360° Emotional Competency Profiler (ECP) were administered. Positive relationships were found between the three constructs. The self-esteem construct appeared to be a more reliable predictor of emotional competence than the MBTI personality preferences. The findings of the study make an important contribution to the expanding body of knowledge concerned with the evaluation of personality variables that influence the effectiveness of leaders.

The Power of Others to Shape Our Identity: Body Image, Physical Abilities, and Body Weight

Other people can profoundly influence individuals' feelings about their own body and physical abilities—important dimensions of personal identity and key factors related to lifestyle and body weight. Atotal of 103 adults shared narratives related to physical activity and body image. In relation to the influence of other people, some participants felt strengthened (e.g., praised, supported), and many participants reported damaging experiences (e.g., embarrassment, ridicule). The constructs of self-esteem and sedimentation of experience helped guide interpretation of participants' stories. From a public health perspective, individuals need to feel competent to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle, and they need to feel worthy of living it. Recommendations are offered to help people engender these feelings in other individuals.

What lies beneath: Parenting style and implicit self-esteem

The current studies extend previous research on self-esteem by examining one of the likely origins of implicit self-esteem. Three studies showed that young adult children who reported that their parents were more nurturing reported higher implicit self-esteem compared with those whose parents were less nurturing. Studies 2 and 3 added a measure of overprotectiveness and revealed that children who reported that their parents were overprotective also reported lower implicit self-esteem. Moreover, Study 3 revealed that mothers’ independent reports of their early interactions with their children were also related to children’s level of implicit self-esteem. In all three studies, these findings remained reliable when we controlled statistically for participants’ explicit self-esteem. These findings contribute to a growing body of literature validating the construct of implicit self-esteem.

Should we raise pupils' self-esteem?

This article argues that the teacher is not well served by relying on the construct of self-esteem. Although an important idea in psychological health, self-esteem is not of direct importance to the teacher. More useful constructs would be those of self-concept and self-efficacy; both of which can be related directly to academic achievement.

Self-competence and self-liking in the prediction of change in bulimic symptoms.

To examine the relationship of self-competence and self-liking (two distinct dimensions of self-esteem) to bulimic symptoms. Two separate longitudinal studies were conducted on undergraduate women from two universities (Study 1, N=129; Study 2, N=406). Measures of self-competence, self-liking, and bulimic symptoms were administered on two occasions, separated by several weeks. Self-competence demonstrated a stronger relationship than self-liking to change in bulimic symptoms over time. These findings have significant theoretic implications for the construct of self-esteem and implications for risk for and treatment of bulimia.

Self-esteem scores among deaf college students: an examination of gender and parents' hearing status and signing ability.

Overall, research studies of self-esteem and deafness yield inconsistent findings. Some studies indicate a higher incidence of low self-esteem among deaf individuals than among hearing individuals (Bat-Chava, 1994; Mulcahy, 1998; Schlesinger, 2000). Other findings suggest that one must examine this complex phenomenon more closely to understand how deafness influences self-concept and self-esteem (Bat-Chava, 2000; Emerton, 1998; Foster, 1998; Munoz-Baell & Ruiz, 2000; Stone, 1998). This study asked whether self-esteem scores are significantly different among deaf college students compared across groups based on gender and parents' hearing status and signing ability. The construct of self-esteem was measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, administered using an American Sign Language-translated videotape. Results revealed that gender, age, and the interaction of parent by gender were nonsignificant. However, respondents who had at least one deaf parent and signed scored significantly higher than those with hearing parents who could not sign and those with hearing parents who could sign. Overall, self-esteem scores for all respondents were high. Implications for further study are discussed.

Exploring self‐esteem of Hong Kong Chinese adults cardiac diseases

Low self‐esteem appears to be both a vulnerability factor for cardiac diseases and a result of cardiac diseases. Thus enhancing self‐esteem might facilitate recovery and/or help to prevent recurrence. Since some evidence suggests that self‐esteem might even serve as an important gauge of cardiac rehabilitation, it is therefore important to know more of the construct of self‐esteem to enable the planning of a more promising rehabilitation process. This paper explores the source and basis of the self‐esteem of Hong Kong Chinese with cardiac diseases. One hundred and fifty‐two adults with cardiac diseases and 146 adults not suffering from any major illness participated in this study. The Adult Source of Self‐Esteem Inventory (ASSEI) (Elovson & Fleming, 1989), open‐ended questions on self‐evaluation, and interviewing were the major procedures used to identify the sources and basis of the self‐esteem of persons with and without cardiac diseases. The subjects' important life aspects were identified through interpreting their responses to open‐ended questions and interviews. Moreover, a structured questionnaire on their subjective perceptions of importance and satisfaction in different life areas was used to identify the relationships between discrete self‐concept variables. Factor analysis of their responses to the 20 ASSEI items revealed four factors, namely, Interpersonal Relationship, Personal Quality, Physical Self, and Personal Achievement. We also examined and compared the means and ranks of the ASSEI items as indicated by the subjects. Content analysis of open‐ended questions further confirmed the self‐esteem domains of persons with cardiac diseases. The discrepancy of ideal‐actual physical abilities was found to be more prominent in the cardiac group. It was also found that family is an important entity to Chinese individuals with cardiac diseases. Implications of the findings to rehabilitation of persons with cardiac diseases were also discussed.

Relation of Social Support and Self-Esteem to Problem Behavior:

Relations of social support and self-esteem to problem behavior were investigated among 347 young adolescents. Using structural equation modeling, three models were evaluated: a mediational model in which social support is related indirectly to problem behavior via intervening effects on self-esteem, a mediated and direct effects model in which social support has a direct relation to problem behavior in addition to an indirect linkage via self-esteem, and a direct effects model in which the relation of social support to problem behavior is not mediated by self-esteem because of the lack of an independent effect of esteem on problem behavior. The best fitting model was the mediated and direct effects model. In general, social support and self-esteem predicted less involvement in problem behavior. However, after taking into account variance shared with a general self-esteem construct, unique variance in peer self-esteem predicted greater problem behavior.

The Implications for Student Self‐esteem of Ordinary Differences in Schools: The cases of Malta and England

AbstractThis article explores self‐esteem and its relationship with achievement and difference. It is written as an ongoing narrative between the two authors, who through their autobiographical conversations try to come to terms with the effects of ordinary (i.e. unexceptional, non‐deviant) differences on self‐esteem. Through a critical analysis of their own experiences as students, teachers, researchers and academics, the authors try to explore how differences are discursively constructed and how they might be reconstructed. The article is in three parts. It starts with an analytic enquiry of the construction of individual self‐esteem. The authors argue that current orthodoxy about self‐esteem is oversimplified because it focuses on an individual's response to personal achievement and to face‐to‐face social relationships. It is argued that the story must be much more complex and include issues of social justice. The second part uses qualitative data from Malta and England and autobiographical data in order to explore the relationship between self‐esteem and the achievements and aspirations of students. The third and final part uses these results to construct a concept of ‘ordinary difference’ which celebrates individual and socio‐political differences rather than tries to standardise them.

O rap e o funk na socialização da juventude

O texto se propõe a discutir a importância dos grupos musicais juvenis nos processos de socialização vivenciados por jovens pobres na periferia de Belo Horizonte, problematizando o peso e o significado de ser membro de um grupo musical no conjunto da vida de cada um. Tem como foco os integrantes de três grupos de rap e três duplas de funk, procurando analisar as suas experiências culturais e o sentido que tais práticas adquirem no conjunto dos processos sociais que os constituem como sujeitos. Significa compreender como eles elaboram as suas vivências em torno do estilo, e os significados que atribuem a elas, no contexto social onde se inserem como jovens pobres. A discussão aponta que os jovens rappers e funkeiros encontram poucos espaços nas instituições do mundo adulto para construir referências e valores por meio dos quais possam se construir como sujeitos. Os estilos rap e funk assumem uma centralidade na vida desses jovens por intermédio das formas de sociabilidade que constroem, da música que criam, e dos eventos culturais que promovem. Esses estilos possibilitaram e vem possibilitando a esses jovens práticas, relações e símbolos por meio dos quais criam espaços próprios, significando uma referência na elaboração e vivência da sua condição juvenil, além de proporcionar a construção de uma auto-estima e identidades positivas.

Self-Esteem in Children with Facial Paralysis: A Review of Measures

Research in surgery has traditionally focused on quantitative results, sometimes ignoring the qualitative impact on patients. The purpose of the present review was to identify appropriate measurement tools to assess the psychosocial domains of children undergoing corrective surgery for facial paralysis. More specifically, the construct of self-esteem was explored. The outcome of the present investigation is the recommendation for Harter-based assessment tools for research purposes and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale for clinical use. Using these tools will allow health care professionals to assess the psychosocial issues that are important to children with facial differences and to conduct research on the psychosocial impact of corrective surgery.

Effectiveness of a Colonia Educational Intervention

Assessment of the effectiveness of community-based health promotion programs is an essential component of accountability for both providers and funding agencies. The purpose of this study was to compare, in a colonia setting, the effects of an educational intervention for 7- to 12-year-old Hispanic children. The constructs of self-esteem and health locus of control were used as indices to compare differences between intervention participants and nonparticipants. Discriminate analysis revealed that powerful others’ locus of control, self-esteem, chance locus of control, and age distinguished intervention participants from nonparticipants. Results showed that the intervention positively affected self-esteem and influenced acceptance of responsibility for one’s own health.

Equivalencies regarding the measurement and constructs of self-esteem and major life events in an Asian/Pacific islander sample.

Construct, scalar, and functional measurement equivalencies of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and Major Life Events checklist (MLE) and the constructs assessed were investigated across groups differentiated on Hawaiian/part-Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian (e.g., Caucasian, Filipino, Hispanic, Japanese, and mixed/2 or more) ethnicity and gender. Initial results from maximum likelihood factoring with promax rotation showed that RSES negatively worded Item 5 loaded with the positively worded Items 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7 on 1 of 2 factors for Hawaiian/part-Hawaiian female participants. Similarly, negatively worded Item 8 and the same positively worded items comprised 1 of 2 factors for non-Hawaiian male participants. For the other 2 Ethnicity x Gender groups, factors were respectively comprised of the 5 positively and 5 negatively worded RSES items. Construct equivalence or simple (2-factor) structure underlying the RSES was indicated across the 4 groups after Items 5 and 8 were excluded from a subsequent factoring procedure. Simple structure showed that Factor 1 comprised the positively worded Items 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7, and the remaining negatively worded Items 3, 9, and 10 loaded on Factor 2. Scalar equivalence of the self-esteem and major life events measures was supported by the statistical nonsignificance of the Major Life Events x Ethnicity x Gender interaction effect in multiple regression models. The consistency in the absolute size and direction of the intercorrelations between overall self-esteem, self-esteem Factors 1 and 2, and major life events variables indicated the functional equivalence of respective measures and constructs assessed. Measurement equivalency findings concerning the RSES and MLE, the constructs measured, and their utility versus caution against their use in multiethnic studies were discussed.

Equivalencies regarding the measurement and constructs of self-esteem and major life events in Asian/Pacific Islander sample.

Equivalencies regarding the measurement and constructs of self-esteem and major life events in Asian/Pacific Islander sample.