Lower Levels Of Self-esteem Research Articles

Unraveling the net of self-esteem, stress, and coping skills in the era of internet addiction

Introduction: Internet is one of the most popular forms of media, but heavy use may result in negative effects like decreased self-esteem. New and unexpected life changes in medical students cause increased perception of stress leading to internet addiction as a way of coping. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of internet addiction in medical students, to assess the level of perceived stress and self-esteem in them, and to obtain the correlation between internet addiction with perceived stress as well as self-esteem. Various coping strategies implemented by students using internet were found. Methodology: A cross-sectional study with 200 students recruited by stratified random sample technique was undertaken. After taking informed consent, participants were assessed on Young's internet Addiction Test (YIAT-20), Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale-10, and Brief COPE Scale. Two groups were made using YIAT-20, those having internet addiction and those without, the two being compared. Results and Discussion: Mean age of medical students was 19.16 years (±1.45). Meantime of internet usage was 107.15 min (±67.99) per student per day. The prevalence of internet addiction was 18%. The group of students that had internet addiction showed high perceived stress (P = 0.001) and low self-esteem (P < 0.0001). Internet use had a positive correlation with perceived stress (r = 0.2866) and a negative correlation with self-esteem (r = −0.2918). Students with internet addiction used more emotion-based coping skills rather than task-oriented coping skills (P = 0.0032). Conclusions and Implications: Medical students having internet addiction were found to have higher levels of perceived stress, lower levels of self-esteem and predominantly emotion-based coping skills when compared to students having average internet use who have task-oriented coping skills.

Percipirana samostigmatizacija pacijenata hospitaliziranih u Klinici za psihijatriju KBC-a Rijeka

The aim of this paper was to examine the self-stigmatizing attitudes of the examinees from the group of mentally ill patients and determine their level of self-esteem and self-efficacy while comparing their results with those of examinees from the control group from the general population. 176 participants were included in this research and divided into two groups. The first group (74 subjects) consisted of patients hospitalized at the Psychiatric Department of the Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka and the second, control group (102 subjects) was selected from a sample of the general population. The respondents were given a questionnaire that consisted of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the General Self- Efficacy Scale, while psychiatric patients were also given the questionnaire for assessing self-stigmatization which was designed for the purpose of this research. The first group (psychiatric patients) has statistically significantly lower levels of self-esteem and self-efficacy than the examinees from the general population. Our results show statistically significant negative correlation between the degree of self-esteem and self-efficacy in relation to perceived self-stigmatization. Those participants with lower levels of self-esteem and self-efficacy have more self-stigmatizing attitudes. These attitudes reflect the stereotypes about people with mental illness present in society and subsequently the acceptance and application of those stereotypes by the psychiatric patients, which are the preconditions for self-stigma. Self-stigmatization has farreaching consequences on the quality of life, life functionality, and the social interaction of affected individuals.

Disentangling the Relationship Between Self-Esteem and Problematic Alcohol Use Among College Students: Evidence From a Cluster Analytic Approach.

Investigation of the relationship between self-esteem and alcohol use among college students has yielded discrepant results. We hypothesized that these discrepancies could originate from a potential heterogeneity of self-esteem patterns among young adult with an alcohol use disorder (AUD). A community sample of 343 college students was recruited and categorized with or without AUD using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test cut-offs. College students were compared on the dimensions of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (CSEI) as well as mood, impulsiveness, alcohol- and other substance-related measures, including drinking motives. A cluster analysis conducted among college students with AUD highlighted two subgroups characterized by contrasting patterns on the CSEI: one group with a high level of self-esteem and low levels of anxiety and depression symptoms and one group with a low level of self-esteem and high levels of impulsiveness, mood symptoms and drinking to cope motives. Findings caution against assuming that AUD is associated with low self-esteem, as reported in previous studies. These results rather emphasize a heterogeneity of self-esteem in college students, showing that high self-esteem was also related to AUD. Implications of these results are major for prevention purposes and clinical practice.

FEATURES OF VALUE-MOTIVATIONAL SPHERE OF LAW ENFORCERS IN THE PERIOD OF THE CRISISOF PROFESSIONAL FORMATION

The purpose of the article is to highlight the results of the theoretical and empirical study of the peculiarities of manifestation of the value-motivational sphere of law enforcers in the period of the crisis of professional formation. To achieve the goal, a theoretical analysis of scientific literature was carried out, which showed that the crisis of professional formation of law enforcers of early adulthood is a psychological phenomenon that arises in a situation where the person does not have enough means to effectively overcome the difficulties of professional development, caused by violations of the process of adaptation, needs, inconsistency between the desirable and actual reality. Empirical study was conducted by the valid psychodiagnostic methods "Diagnosis of motivators of social and psychological activity of personality" by D. McClelland, "Self-actualization test" ofYu. Aleshina, L. Gozman and methods of mathematical statistics: t-criterion of the Student, U-criterion of Mann Whitney. The study was attended by employees of the Main Directorate of the National Police of Ukraine in Kyiv, consisting of 139 people. An empirical study showed that the level of manifestation of the crisis of professional formation among law enforcers aged 23-28 years is average (in 47.22% of persons) and high (36.11% of persons); among law enforcers aged 35-43 years, the low level of the crisis of professional formation prevails (61,20%), which indicates the formation of adaptive mechanisms of personality. The peculiarities of the value-motivational sphere include: the existence of an overreliant need for achieving success and belonging to the group; time orientation difficulties; idealistic ideas about human nature; flexibility of behavior; increased level of contact and sensitivity; developed cognitive needs; low level of self-esteem, self-acceptance and support.

Personal peer victimization and ethnic peer victimization: Findings on their co-occurrence, predictors, and outcomes from a latent profile analysis

BackgroundFindings on whether immigrant students suffer from higher levels of peer victimization have been inconsistent, perhaps due to a blend of measures for personal and ethnic peer victimization. ObjectiveIn this study, we investigated personal and ethnic peer victimization using latent profile analyses. The profiles were related to various predictor and outcome variables. Participants and SettingThe sample consisted of N = 4367 German elementary school students attending grades 3 and 4. MethodsThe students responded to eight items addressing personal peer victimization and one item addressing ethnic peer victimization. ResultsThe findings indicated a three-profile solution. In Profile 1, students experienced a combination of personal and ethnic peer victimization; Profile 2 contained students without any victimization experiences; in Profile 3, students experienced personal peer victimization only. Relative to native German-speaking students, non-native German-speaking students had a higher chance to be classified in Profile 1 compared to Profiles 2 and 3. Both profiles of peer victimization (i.e., Profiles 1 and 3) were associated with negative outcomes including higher levels of different types of anxiety and depression, and lower levels of self-esteem and peer self-concept. ConclusionsStudent subgroups of different patterns of peer victimization were found, whereby ethnic peer victimization was blended with personal peer victimization in one subgroup, and personal peer victimization was experienced in a pure form in another subgroup. The two victimization subgroups did not differ with regard to outcomes, but were differentially predicted by students’ native language.

Cognitive behavioural responses to envy: development of a new measure.

Envy is depicted as motivating destructive desires and actions intended to spoil or destroy that which is envied. To develop a new valid and reliable measure of malicious envy (C-BRES), which included items representing the cognitive, emotional and behavioural responses empirically associated with this emotion. A total of 203 adults completed the new 22-item cognitive and behavioural responses to envy scale (C-BRES). Exploratory factor analysis was carried out to test for reliability and internal consistency of the C-BRES. Evidence towards the concurrent construct validity (convergent and discriminant) of the C-BRES was assessed through correlations with the Dispositional envy scale and other measures of psychosocial outcomes empirically linked to envy. Factor analysis for categorical data identified five dimensions of envy, namely: injustice, hostility, malicious action tendencies, malicious feelings and behavioural responses. The reliability indices of the five factors and the total scale were satisfactory (>0.85). Evidence towards the concurrent construct validity (convergent and discriminant) of the C-BRES is reported. In particular, envy was associated with higher levels of depression, psychoticism, neuroticism, anger and lower levels of self-esteem and quality of life. All findings support the psychometric adequacy of the C-BRES.

Dysfunctional coping is related to impaired skin‐related quality of life and psychological distress in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 with major skin involvement

Low skin-related quality of life (QoL) is usually associated with low levels of self-confidence and self-esteem and with high levels of anxiety and depression symptoms. The way patients cope with a physical disease impacts significantly on their psychosocial adjustment to the disorder and on their emotional functioning. To explore how coping strategies, skin-related QoL, psychological distress and self-esteem interact in a sample of individuals with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Seventy-two adult patients with NF1 completed the following questionnaires: Coping Orientation to Problem Experiences (COPE), Skindex-29, Padua Skin-Related QoL questionnaire (PSRQ), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-X2 form (STAI-X2), Depression Questionnaire (DQ) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). The k-modes algorithm was used to identify clusters of patients based on four variables: sex, NF1 severity, number and distribution of cutaneous neurofibromas. Individuals in different clusters were compared with regard to their scores; correlations between scores were analysed within each cluster. Two main clusters were identified: individuals in Cluster 1 had a larger number and more widespread distribution of neurofibromas compared with Cluster 2. Patients in Cluster 1 scored higher only on several PSRQ and Skindex-29 scales. Among patients in Cluster 1, the COPE 'avoidance strategies' scale was significantly correlated with the PSRQ 'physical distress and impairments' scale, the Skindex-29 'physical symptoms' and 'functioning' scales, the STAI-X2, the DQ and the RSES. Patients with major skin involvement have reduced skin-related QoL. Among them, current findings tentatively suggest that the higher the use of dysfunctional coping, the more impaired are QoL, psychological distress and self-esteem. What's already known about this topic? Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) can affect the quality of life (QoL) in adolescent and adult patients. Low skin-related QoL is usually associated with low levels of self-confidence and self-esteem and with high levels of anxiety and depression symptoms. Questionnaires evaluating skin-related QoL, anxiety, depression, self-esteem and coping are available. What does this study add? Patients with a large number and a widespread distribution of cutaneous neurofibromas have reduced skin-related QoL compared with patients with minor skin involvement. The newly developed Padua Skin-Related QoL questionnaire allows the simultaneous evaluation of discomfort and comfort skin-related QoL dimensions in patients with NF1. Among patients with major skin involvement, the higher the use of dysfunctional coping, the more impaired are skin-related QoL, psychological distress and self-esteem. Our data suggest that patients with NF1 with major skin involvement who endorse dysfunctional beliefs about their own coping abilities might benefit from psychological counselling and coping skills treatments aiming to both improve perceived self-efficacy and learn more adaptive coping strategies.

Investigating the Relationship between Sense of Classroom Community and Interpersonal Sensitivity

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between sense of classroom community and interpersonal sensitivity in high school students. The research population was composed of 409 students from an Anatolian high school located in Ümraniye county of Istanbul city. The sample consisted of 208 females and 201 male students and the mean age was 15.37. The data were obtained by using the Classroom Community Index and Interpersonal Sensitivity Scale. The descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient and path analysis were used in the analysis of the data. There were significant and negative correlations among high school students' sense of classroom community and interpersonal worry and dependency, unassertive interpersonal behavior and low self-esteem levels which are the subscales of the interpersonal sensitivity. Results of the path analysis indicated that interpersonal sensitivity had a significant, negative predictive role on sense of classroom community. This analysis also stated that the fit indices for the proposed structural model were good (χ2/df = 1.61, SRMR = 0.01, GFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.039, CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.98).

Violence Exposure and Self-esteem of School Going Adolescents in a Metropolitan City: A Preliminary Study

Background: Violence exposure in light of peer victimization and witnessing peer victimization is a common phenomenon in schools across the globe. The present study conceptualizes exposure at three personal levels: a) as a victim, b) as a witness, and c) as a perpetrator. Method & Materials: A semi-structured interview schedule and Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale were used as study tools. Results: The findings of the study show that the entire sample had experienced violence in one form or the other in school and had witnessed the same as well. Few of the adolescents had committed violence to take revenge and settle the score for being bullied. Victimization and witnessing violence in school triggered feelings like hurt, helplessness, sadness, and anger, whereas on committing violent acts feelings of joy, fun, content and satisfaction in adolescents. Twenty per cent of adolescents had low levels of self-esteem and had average levels of self-esteem. The results showcase the reasons for bullying for fun, to hurt, to oppress or dominate others, due to personal grievances, jealousy, and growing less tolerance. Conclusion: Violence exposure to adolescents at school needs intervention. Keywords: Adolescents, violence exposure, bullying, self-esteem

Hubungan Self-Esteem terhadap Level Kecemasan pada Mahasiswa Pogram Studi Pendidikan Agama Kristen [The Connection Between Self-esteem and the Anxiety Level in Christian Religious Studies Students

&lt;p class="abstracttextDILIGENTIA"&gt;Levels of anxiety and self-esteem often affect students’ lives, even causing students to fail, unable to fulfil the academic requirements of lectures, and undergo the entire educational process. As a matter of fact, in general, students are not aware of this reality. Therefore, this study aims to find whether there is a relationship between the level of self-esteem and anxiety levels in Christian Religion Education students at UPH. In order to find the relationship between self-esteem and anxiety levels, this research is conducted in quantitative methods and the type of research is correlational. The sample is collecting between January and June 2019. As the results, students who classified as low self-esteem is 55% meanwhile 54% of students who have high levels of anxiety. The correlation between the two is -0.6. The negative correlation results indicate that the lower level of self-esteem will make the level of anxiety higher. The results of this study can be used to determine interventions, either through coaching, personal counselling, or through group therapy.&lt;/p&gt;

The role of personality in retirement adjustment: Longitudinal evidence for the effects on life satisfaction.

Research on retirement suggests that personality can influence the adjustment process, but the mechanisms involved remain still largely unknown. In the present study, we investigate direct and indirect associations between the Big Five personality traits and life satisfaction over the retirement transition. Indirect effects were evaluated through the role of personality for levels and changes in self-esteem, autonomy, social support, self-rated physical health, self-rated cognitive ability, and financial satisfaction. Our sample consisted of 796 older adults (age 60-66) and four annual measurement waves from the longitudinal population-based HEalth, Ageing, and Retirement Transitions in Sweden (HEARTS)study, including individuals retiring during the study period. Results from multivariate latent growth curve analysis revealed multiple indirect associations between personality and life satisfaction. Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness were positively related to life satisfaction through higher levels of self-esteem, autonomy, and social support. Neuroticism was negatively associated with life satisfaction through lower levels of self-esteem and lower levels and negative changes in autonomy and social support. Our findings suggest that retirees with higher levels of Neuroticism are more vulnerable in the transition process and they are also more likely to experience adjustment problems resulting from negative changes in key resources.

Effectiveness of Motivational Therapy on Enhancing Self-esteem, to maintain Absti-nence among Alcohol Dependent Patients in Sri Sai Foundation psychiatric hospital, Tamaka, Kolar.

Background:Motivational therapy is very important among alcohol dependent patients to increase the self-esteem to bring the changes in the level of confidence, positive health, problem solving abilities, maintaining abstinence from the alcohol.1 Hence the researcher felt the need to improve the self-esteem level of alcohol dependent patients to maintain abstinence from alcohol in selected de-addiction centres, kolar. Objective: To find out the effectiveness of motivational therapy on enhancing self-esteem to maintain absti-nence among alcohol dependent patients. Materials and Methods: An evaluative approach with Pre experimental one group pre-test, post-test design was adopted. Rosenberg self-esteem scale was used to collect the data. The main study was conducted at Sri Sai Foundation and Life Care Centre Kolar with the sample size of 80 alcohol dependent patients, by using Non- probability, convenient sampling technique and the collected data were analyzed and interpreted by using de-scriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The findings of the study revealed that 100% (80) of alcohol dependent patients had low self-esteem level before Motivational therapy. Whereas after Motivational therapy 100% (80) of the alcohol dependent pa-tients had reached to normal self-esteem level. Further study revealed that after Motivational therapy mean scores of self-esteem level i.e 18.75 with SD of 2.14 was higher than before Motivational therapy mean score i.e 9.51with SD of 1.58 .The obtained t value 32.2 was greater than the table value (1.960) at 0.05 level of signifi-cance which indicates that Motivational therapy was effective on enhancing self-esteem levels of alcohol de-pendent patients. Conclusion: The self-esteem level of alcohol dependent patients was low before Motivational therapy whereas after Motivational therapy all the patients had reached to normal self-esteem level. Hence Motivational therapy is effective in improving self-esteem level of alcohol dependent patients. Key words- Effectiveness, Motivational therapy, Self-esteem, Abstinence, Alcohol Dependent patients

PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF STUDENTS TOLERANCE OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Article deals with the problem of the student’s attitudes towards the academic and the psychological factors associated with it.The fact of the heterogeneity of students within the university and the academic groups by the indicators of tolerance to academic dishonesty was revealed, this suggests that significant influence on the manifestations of academic integrity has not only external (social and organizational) factors but also psychological individual factors. Understanding these internal factors of tolerance for academic opens the way to use not only administrative methods in the struggle for academic integrity of students but also the psychological and pedagogical methods.The author’s questionnaire “Tolerance to Academic Dishonesty” was used for the first time; it allowed determining the tolerance of students towards the separate key indicators of academic and as a result, to assess their general level of the tolerance to academic as high, middle or low. Empirically, the hypothesis about the existence of a link between the self-esteem, the aspirations level and the tolerance to academic of the students was tested and confirmed. The students with a low level of aspiration and self-esteem are more likely to be more tolerance to dishonesty.

An analysis of the correlation between marital adjustment test and self-esteem and depression in Chinese infertile women

To investigate the status of marital adjustment test and self-esteem and depression in the Chinese infertile women and to explore the mediating effect of self-esteem on the relationship between marital adjustment test and depression. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 244 Chinese infertile women from February 2019 to April 2019 in our reproductive center. All included women had voluntarily participated in this self-evaluation and the informed consents were obtained from all participants. This study was conducted at the Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya (Changsha, China). The 244 Chinese infertile women who had completed 4 questionnaires were recruited by simple random sampling. The questionnaires included (a)General information (made by the author), (b) Locke-Wallace marital adjustment Test(MAT), (c) Self-Esteem Scale (SES) and (d) Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Pearson's correlation was used to investigate the relationship. Structural equation model (SEM) was constructed by AMOS 22.0. The mean scores of these Chinese infertile women were 101.42 ± 20.76, 28.24 ± 4.96 and 17.82 ± 10.47 based on MAT, SES and CES-D, respectively. The total mean score of CES-D was found to have a significant negative correlation with the score of SES (r=-0.609, p＜0.01) and MAT (r=-0.548, p＜0.01). While the total mean score of MAT was found to have a significant positive correlation with the score of SES (r=0.441, p＜0.01).SEM indicated that marital adjustment test had significant direct effects on self-esteem (β= 0.44，P＜0.01) and depression (β= -0.35，P＜0.01); self-esteem had a significant direct effect on marital adjustment test (β= -0.46，P＜0.01)．Furthermore, self-esteem partial mediated the relationship between marital adjustment test and depression. The depression level of infertile women was higher, and was negatively correlated with marital adjustment test and self-esteem. The mediating role of self-esteem may provide a potential mechanism for exploring the relationship between marital adjustment test and depression. These results suggested that medical staff should pay attention to the patients’ depression, especially to the infertile women with marital disorders and low level of self-esteem. And then, humanistic care which helps the patients to vent their inner depression in a variety of ways could be implemented during treatment. In addition, we should actively carry out health education for infertile women and their families, so that they could have an enhanced understanding of reproductive knowledge, and gradually improved psychosociality and coping ability to deal with various problems arising in the course of treatment.

Internalizing Problems of Youth Involved in Bullying via Different Participant Role Combinations and Gender

The purpose of the current study was to identify how defending behaviors in bullying overlap with bullying behaviors and victimization experiences using an empirical approach. Furthermore, an additional goal was to examine internalizing problems associated with these bullying role behaviors. Data on students’ defending and bullying behaviors, victimization experiences, anxiety, depression, and self-esteem were collected from 700 sixth- through eighth-grade students using the Bully Participant Behaviors Questionnaire, the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders–Child Version, the Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results of a latent profile analysis identified the following roles: defenders, bully–victim–defenders, and students who had low involvement in bullying, victimization, and defending. Results documented significant differences in internalizing problems among the roles. Specifically, bully–victim–defenders reported higher levels of depression and anxiety and lower levels of self-esteem than did defenders and students who had low involvement with bullying scenarios.

Prospective associations between trauma, placement disruption, and ethnic-racial identity among newly emancipated foster youth

IntroductionEthnic-racial identity (ERI) is an important developmental process for ethnic-racial minority youth. However, little is known about how adverse life experiences may be related to ERI development. Thus, the current study evaluated prospective associations of emancipated foster youth's histories of childhood maltreatment and foster placement disruption with ERI centrality and ERI private regard, as well as the adaptive implications of ERI. MethodParticipants were 144 emancipated foster youth (69.4% female) from ethnic-racial minority backgrounds (27.8% Black, 32.6% Latinx, 39.6% multiracial) who participated in a longitudinal study of youth's adaptation to aging out of the US child welfare system. Youth reported on their childhood maltreatment severity and child welfare placement history at wave 1 (Mage_w1 = 19.62, SD = 1.11), and on their ERI centrality, ERI private regard, and socioemotional adjustment (i.e., social support, self-esteem, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction) five years later (Mage_w2 = 24.15). ResultsPath analyses revealed that childhood maltreatment severity and placement disruption were associated with lower ERI private regard, but not ERI centrality. Moreover, private regard was associated with better socioemotional adjustment (i.e., higher levels of self-esteem and social support), whereas centrality was related to poorer adjustment (i.e., lower levels of self-esteem and life satisfaction, and higher rates of anxiety and depressive symptoms), and these relations varied by ethnicity-race. ConclusionsThe current findings suggest that efforts to promote positive feelings toward one's ethnic-racial group membership can support ethnic-racial minority foster youth's capacity to negotiate developmental challenges in and beyond the child welfare system.

Self-harm in young people with perinatal HIV and HIV negative young people in England: cross sectional analysis

BackgroundSelf-harm in adolescents is of growing concern internationally but limited evidence exists on the prevalence of self-harm in those living with HIV, who may be at higher risk of poor mental health outcomes. Therefore our aim was to determine the prevalence and predictors of self-harm among young people with perinatally-acquired HIV (PHIV) and HIV negative (with sibling or mother living with HIV) young people living in England.Methods303 PHIV and 100 HIV negative young people (aged 12–23 years) participating in the Adolescents and Adults Living with Perinatal HIV cohort study completed an anonymous self-harm questionnaire, as well as a number of standardised mental-health assessments. Logistic regression investigated predictors of self-harm.ResultsThe median age was 16.7 years in both groups, and 40.9% of the PHIV and 31.0% of the HIV negative groups were male. In total 13.9% (56/403) reported having ever self-harmed, with no difference by HIV status (p = 0.089). Multivariable predictors of self-harm were female sex (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 5.3, (95% confidence interval 1.9, 14.1), p = 0.001), lower self-esteem (AOR 0.9 (0.8, 0.9) per 1 point increase, p < 0.001) and having ever used alcohol (AOR 3.8 (1.8, 7.8), p < 0.001). Self-esteem z-scores for both PHIV and HIV negative participants were 1.9 standard deviations below the mean for population norms.ConclusionsSelf-harm is common among PHIV and HIV negative adolescents in England. Reassuringly however, they do not appear to be at an increased risk compared to the general adolescent population (15–19% lifetime prevalence). The low level of self-esteem (compared to available normative data) in both groups is worrying and warrants further attention.

Inauthentic self-presentation on facebook as a function of vulnerable narcissism and lower self-esteem

This study was the first to delineate the role of grandiose narcissism and vulnerable narcissism, in addition to self-esteem and self-monitoring, in predicting authentic self-presentation on Facebook. Facebook users (N = 155) answered questions about their personality as well as the persona they present on Facebook, and Euclidean distances quantified the congruence between the two personas. Self-monitoring (ability to modify self-presentation) was included as a control variable in regression analysis. As hypothesised, grandiose narcissism predicted more congruent presentation between the true self and the Facebook self, while vulnerable narcissism predicted a greater difference between the two personas. In contrast to predictions, self-esteem was not associated with congruence between the two selves; however, a follow-up moderation analysis revealed a significant self-esteem—vulnerable narcissism interaction. Specifically, for individuals with average and low levels of self-esteem, there is more incongruence between the true self and the Facebook self as a function of increased vulnerable narcissism. Given the psychological benefits associated with authentic self-presentation on Facebook, these findings inform understanding of the negative affective processes of vulnerable narcissists and their self-presentation on this popular social networking medium.

Children’s Self-Esteem and Problematic Smartphone Use: The Moderating Effect of Family Rituals

As the age at which children start to use smartphones has been drastically lowered, children’s inability to make rational decisions may pose greater risk for their problematic smartphone use than it does for adults. This study was intended to investigate the moderating effect of weekend family rituals on the relationship between children’s low self-esteem and their problematic smartphone use. Participants of this study included 274 fifth and sixth graders (128 male and 146 female students) in five elementary schools located in Seoul and Incheon, South Korea. Multiple hierarchical regression and PROCESS 3.2 for SPSS were employed in the study. Results indicated that children’s self-esteem was negatively associated with their problematic smartphone use and that the relationship between their self-esteem and their problematic smartphone use was moderated by their weekend family rituals. The results indicate that spending weekends with their family members on a regular basis reduces the risk of children’s problematic smartphone use even at their low levels of self-esteem. This study emphasizes the importance of building healthy weekend family rituals as ways for children to connect with their family members and gain a sense of belonging and acceptance.

Perceived decision-making styles among individuals with obsessive-compulsive and hoarding disorders

Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and hoarding disorder (HD) struggle with decision-making. One potentially important aspect of decision-making that has yet to be studied in relation to OCD and HD is decision-making style, a trait-like pattern of responding that is relatively stable across a variety of decision-making situations. The aim of the present study was to investigate the extent to which people with OCD and/or HD report specific decision-making styles and low levels of decisional self-esteem. Participants who self-identified as having OCD (n = 30), HD (n = 19), both OCD and HD (n = 33), or neither (n = 78) completed a measure of how they make important decisions, as well as symptom measures. Compared to controls, individuals with OCD and/or HD perceived themselves to be less confident and respected decision-makers, avoid decision-making and brood about making bad decisions more, and rely less on intuition when making decisions. Compared to those with HD, individuals with OCD reported being more anxious and dependent on others and less spontaneous when making decisions. Future research should examine whether these decision-making styles lead to maladaptive decision-making outcomes, their role vis-à-vis the maintenance of symptoms, and the mechanisms for these tendencies.