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¶ … bad about yourself! Self-Esteem may not be all it has been reputed to be!
Baumeister, Roy & Jennifer D. Campbell, Jochim I. Kurger and Kathleen D. Vohs. (20 December 2004) "Exploding the Self-Esteem Myth." Scientific American. Article retrievable in full text on the World Wide Web at http://www.sciam.com/print_version.cfm?articleID=000CB565-F330-11BE-AD0683414B7F0000
According to the popular science periodical Scientific American, a number of long-standing scientific studies on the correlation between high or low self-esteem and positive or negative forms of social behaviors shows that there is little indication that low self-esteem is at the root of individual and societal problems and dysfunctions. This flies in the face of a 1989 study whose results appeared in a volume entitled The Social Importance of Self-Esteem. This previous, influential study stated that "many, if not most, of the major problems plaguing society have...
(Baumeister et.al, 2004, p.1)
The authors of the study stressed that they were mindful to avoid the assumption that a correlation between self-esteem and some desired behavior establishes causality, in contrast to studies of the past. For example, high self-esteem may seem to bring about certain positive outcomes, such as vocational success. But correlations between self-esteem and success may mean simply that a positive self-image is a result of success or good behavior. (Baumeister et.al, 2004, p.2) In fact, in…
The authors of the study stressed that they were mindful to avoid the assumption that a correlation between self-esteem and some desired behavior establishes causality, in contrast to studies of the past. For example, high self-esteem may seem to bring about certain positive outcomes, such as vocational success. But correlations between self-esteem and success may mean simply that a positive self-image is a result of success or good behavior. (Baumeister et.al, 2004, p.2) In fact, in a literature review by the authors, self-esteem and high self-perception could not show that a link between good self-image leads to occupational success in terms of causality, and even hinted artificially boosting self-esteem may lower subsequent performance. In terms of relationships, the only positive correlation was that individuals with high self-esteem were more likely to leave relationships they found unfulfilling or did not reinforce their perceptions of themselves as competent. (Baumeister et.al, 2004, p.3)
Even correlations between low esteem and drug use are inconclusive. Of course, on all of these measures "people with a healthy sense of self-respect" may be "lumped with those feigning higher self-esteem." Thus it is not surprising the results of studies of self-esteem investigations may always produce "weak or contradictory findings." (Baumeister et.al, 2004, p.4) The only statistically significant correlation found by the researchers was that "and high self-esteem emerged as the strongest factor in overall life satisfaction," but again it is "even possible that happiness, in the sense of a temperament or disposition to feel good, induces high self-esteem." (Baumeister et.al, 2004, p.5)
"We have found," write the authors little evidence to indicate that "indiscriminately promoting self-esteem in today's children or adults, just for being themselves, offers society any compensatory benefits beyond the seductive pleasure it brings to those engaged in the exercise." (Baumeister et.al, 2004, p.5) Yes, students enjoy self-esteem building exercises, but they do not necessarily benefit in the concrete, measurable terms that were once claimed for such programs, and an overall fostering of competence, rather than high self-esteem in the abstract may be equally as effective as the promotion of the value in the first place.
it's made me who I am, the reason is I have had to work so much harder. I would take it again, gladly. It has taught me to take good and bad, and to change the bad into good. It gives you a sense of motivation, fight for yourself, it gives you that perseverance to carry on. I have succeeded and am still succeeding" (Klompas & Ross, 2004, p.
" Young children are more likely to benefit from tasks and activities that offer a real challenge than from those that are merely frivolous or fun." (Katz) Children can help prepare meals, care for pets, and do other projects that are productive. The child will be able to translate that the parent trusts him or her with a truly important task -- not just a make-believe one -- into
Internalizing the views of others results in a failure to take risks, like the hypothetical case of 'Myrtle' who refused to learn how to drive because she believed what her children told her, that she knew nothing about cars (Sherfield 36). Don't rely solely on others for self-assessments suggests Sherfield. What is 'realistic' may differ for both authors. For Brown, realistic may be more in the sense of measurable outcomes,
Deliberate self-harm (DSH) or self-injurious behavior (SIB) involves intentional self-poisoning or injury, irrespective of the apparent purpose of the act. (Vela, Harris and Wright, 1983) Self-mutilation is also used interchangeably with self-mutilation, though self-mutilation is one aspect of DSH. Approximately 1% of the United States population uses physical self-injury as a way of dealing with overwhelming feelings or situations, often using it to speak when no words will come. There
Pissarro took a special interest in his attempts at painting, emphasizing that he should 'look for the nature that suits your temperament', and in 1876 Gauguin had a landscape in the style of Pissarro accepted at the Salon. In the meantime Pissarro had introduced him to Cezanne, for whose works he conceived a great respect-so much so that the older man began to fear that he would steal his
The following quotation, in which the author discusses how one of her patients was so adept at disassociating from painful situations that her appendix nearly ruptures, exemplifies this argument. "I don't want to die because I can't feel anything. I don't want to end up dead because I can't feel what's going on in my body…" This quotation from Stout's patient Julia indicates how hazardous it can be to