Such inferences about causality are possible when the subjects are examined at two different times, as was the case in 1986 when Sheila M. Pottebaum, Timothy Z. Keith and Stewart W. Ehly, all then at the University of Iowa, tested more than 23,000 high school students, first in the 10th and again in the 12th grade. They found that self-esteem in 10th grade is only weakly predictive of academic achievement in 12th grade. Academic achievement in 10th grade correlates with self-esteem in 12th grade only trivially better. Such results, which are now available from multiple studies, certainly do not indicate that raising self-esteem offers students much benefit. Some findings even suggest that artificially boosting self-esteem may lower subsequent performance.
Even if raising self-esteem does not foster academic progress, might it serve some purpose later, say, on the job? Apparently not. Studies of possible links between workers' self-regard and job performance echo what has been found with schoolwork: the simple search for correlations yields some suggestive results, but these do not show whether a good self-image leads to occupational success, or vice versa. In any case, the link is not particularly strong.
The failure to contribute significantly at school or at the office would be easily offset if a heightened sense of self-worth helped someone to get along better with others. Having a good self-image might make someone more likable insofar as people prefer to associate with confident, positive individuals and generally avoid those who suffer from self-doubts and insecurities.
People who regard themselves highly generally state that they are popular and rate their friendships as being of superior quality to those described by people with low self-esteem, who report more negative interactions and less social support. But as Julia Bishop and Heidi M. Inderbitzen-Nolan of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln showed in 1995, these assertions do not reflect reality. The investigators asked 542 ninth-grade students to nominate their most-liked and least-liked peers, and the resulting rankings displayed no correlation whatsoever with self-esteem scores.
A few other methodologically sound studies have found that the same is true for adults. In one of these investigations, conducted in the late 1980s, Duane P. Buhrmester, now at the University of Texas at Dallas, and three colleagues reported that college students with high levels of self-regard claimed to be substantially better at initiating relationships, better at disclosing things about themselves, better at asserting themselves in response to objectionable behaviors by others, better at providing emotional support and better even at managing interpersonal conflicts. Their roommates' ratings, however, told a different story. For four of the five interpersonal skills surveyed, the correlation with self-esteem dropped to near zero. The only one that remained statistically significant was with the subjects' ability to initiate new social contacts and friendships. This does seem to be one sphere in which confidence indeed matters: people who think that they are desirable and attractive should be adept at striking up conversations with strangers, whereas those with low self-esteem presumably shy away from initiating such contacts, fearing rejection.
Gee, bully's have an inflated belief of self worth?? no way man.Bully for You
For decades, psychologists believed that low self-esteem was an important cause of aggression. One of us (Baumeister) challenged that notion in 1996, when he reviewed assorted studies and concluded that perpetrators of aggression generally hold favorable and perhaps even inflated views of themselves.
Take the bullying that goes on among children, a common form of aggression. Dan Olweus of the University of Bergen was one of the first to dispute the notion that under their tough exteriors, bullies suffer from insecurities and self-doubts. Although Olweus did not measure self-esteem directly, he showed that bullies reported less anxiety and were more sure of themselves than other children. Apparently the same applies to violent adults, as Baumeister discussed in these pages a few years ago [see "More to Explore," below].
After coming to the conclusion that high self-esteem does not lessen a tendency toward violence, that it does not deter adolescents from turning to alcohol, tobacco, drugs and sex, and that it fails to improve academic or job performance, we got a boost when we looked into how self-esteem relates to happiness. The consistent finding is that people with high self-esteem are significantly happier than others. They are also less likely to be depressed.
So we can certainly understand how an injection of self-esteem might be valuable to the individual. But imagine if a heightened sense of self-worth prompted some people to demand preferential treatment or to exploit their fellows. Such tendencies would entail considerable social costs. And we have found little 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.
What then should we do? Should parents, teachers and therapists seek to boost self-esteem wherever possible? In the course of our literature review, we found some indications that self-esteem is a helpful attribute. It improves persistence in the face of failure. And individuals with high self-esteem sometimes perform better in groups than do those with low self-esteem. Also, a poor self-image is a risk factor for certain eating disorders, especially bulimia--a connection one of us (Vohs) and her colleagues documented in 1999. Other effects are harder to demonstrate with objective evidence, although we are inclined to accept the subjective evidence that self-esteem goes hand in hand with happiness.
So we can certainly understand how an injection of self-esteem might be valuable to the individual. But imagine if a heightened sense of self-worth prompted some people to demand preferential treatment or to exploit their fellows. Such tendencies would entail considerable social costs. And we have found little 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.
Simply because you hate the concept of promoting self-esteem doesn't mean that it is worthless. Note that I am actually quoting your own article. You selectively picked out areas that supported your opinion but didn't grasp that the article is claiming that "indiscriminately" promoting self-esteem is not the cure all for everything. Fair enough. But they do recognize benefits.
By the way, there are some theorists such as from Albert Ellis that sees self-esteem as a poor concept to promote mental health because it relies upon the person having success. Thus when you're successful, you feel stronger esteem for yourself, while you end up with lower self-esteem which can actually promote more failures. He felt that in place of promoting self-esteem, a better concept is a belief of self-acceptance. What this should do is help stabilize your feelings and assist a person to come back quicker from failures.
By the way, the area at the conclusion discussed that self-esteem was aligned with happiness. Any chance that you dislike people having a healthy dose of self-esteem because you don't want them to be happy?
Simply because you hate the concept of promoting self-esteem doesn't mean that it is worthless.
He felt that in place of promoting self-esteem, a better concept is a belief of self-acceptance. What this should do is help stabilize your feelings and assist a person to come back quicker from failures.
By the way, the area at the conclusion discussed that self-esteem was aligned with happiness. Any chance that you dislike people having a healthy dose of self-esteem because you don't want them to be happy?
It’s not that promoting it is worthless, it just doesn’t work.
Care to actually tell me how you know that self-esteem does not work. My source is actually the same one used in the OP that saw both good and bad in the concept of self-esteem. Simply saying "it doesn't work" is not what the article says.
Any chance you want to discuss my issue with the false self-esteem bs or do you just want to make assumptions that you created in your own mind?
I have no problem with people being happy, or having earned self-esteem. Falsely telling a child they are "Special" just because they are, or giving all the kids a "trophy" so no one "feels bad about themselves". It's all poppycock nonsense that denies children the chance to learn how to deal with failure.
Is this to me?
I have no opinion as of yet, I'm still reading.
Take the bullying that goes on among children, a common form of aggression. Dan Olweus of the University of Bergen was one of the first to dispute the notion that under their tough exteriors, bullies suffer from insecurities and self-doubts. Although Olweus did not measure self-esteem directly, he showed that bullies reported less anxiety and were more sure of themselves than other children. Apparently the same applies to violent adults, as Baumeister discussed in these pages a few years ago.
I finally found this thing, been searching for it for a long while to tackle some on here's notion that propping up self esteem in children is good. It's NOT. It's a bunch of mularky.
Gee, bully's have an inflated belief of self worth?? no way man.
Exploding the Self-Esteem Myth
I finally found this thing, been searching for it for a long while to tackle some on here's notion that propping up self esteem in children is good. It's NOT. It's a bunch of mularky.
Any chance you want to discuss my issue with the false self-esteem bs or do you just want to make assumptions that you created in your own mind?
I have no problem with people being happy, or having earned self-esteem. Falsely telling a child they are "Special" just because they are, or giving all the kids a "trophy" so no one "feels bad about themselves". It's all poppycock nonsense that denies children the chance to learn how to deal with failure.
Care to actually tell me how you know that self-esteem does not work. My source is actually the same one used in the OP that saw both good and bad in the concept of self-esteem. Simply saying "it doesn't work" is not what the article says.
Promoting self-esteem doesn't give one self-esteem. If I were your parent, I could tell you how wonderful you are on a daily basis, but that wouldn't mean anything to you personally until you felt you deserved my praise. It's not the concept that is in error- it's the belief that you can give someone else a high level of self-esteem, when you can't.
Dont mistake what I am saying. A child should be raised in a loving home with parents who give him opportunities to grow personally and develop his own sense of self and sense of worth, it's just that telling him how great he is doesn't make him feel great.
I really don't know what you mean by saying "promoting" self-esteem is bad.
I was going to read the whole article but realized the the website that it's posted on is overtly biased. WE'RE DOING IT FOR THE CHILDREN . . . and such sites posting anything in length makes me question if they've altered the info. So I found an alternative non-biased source here
well, you go ahead and raise your children like that. i'll pass.
I am, even without your permission. Besides, what's wrong with teaching children how to deal with failure???
--from MrViccho's articleIt (higher self-esteem) improves persistence in the face of failure.
I am, even without your permission. Besides, what's wrong with teaching children how to deal with failure???
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