PSYCH 2C03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: Standard Deviation
11 Feb 2019
School
Department
Course
Professor
Social Psychology
November 13, 2017
Self-Esteem
What is Self-Esteem?
• Rosenberg’s SE Scale
o High self-esteem
▪ On the whole, I am satisfied with myself
▪ I feel that I have a number of good qualities
▪ I am able to do things as well as most other people
▪ I take a positive attitude toward myself
o Low self-esteem
▪ At times, I think I am no good at all
▪ I feel I do not have much to be proud of
▪ I certainly feel useless at times
▪ All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a failure
• Overall assessment of yourself
Self-Esteem is Important
• Impacts our lives
• Caveat before we begin
o Independent/individualist vs interdependent/collectivist selves
▪ Western Cultures Independent/individualist
▪ Non-Western interdependent/collectivist
The Cross-Cultural Self
• Individual “self”
o Individualists define themselves in terms of personal traits
o Give priority to own goals
o Answers to “who I am”
▪ “I am outgoing, smart, funny, etc.”
• Collectivist “self”
o Collectivists define themselves in terms of relationships with other people
o Give priority to group goals
o Answers to “who I am”
▪ “I am a father, Buddhist, Japanese, etc.”
Self-Esteem is important
• Individualist Cultures
o Three sources of evidence
▪ (1). Most people have high SE
▪ (2). Most people engage in cognitive biases to enhance or maintain their
SE
▪ (3). Most people will do whatever it takes to maintain their positive SE
