Self Esteem Impacts

Running Head : Self-esteem

Self-Esteem and its Impact to One 's Life

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Self-esteem and its Impacts to One 's Life

Personality trait has long been the subject of many research studies But perhaps , the most discussed personality trait that has generated a considerable amount of theoretical and empirical research is the of self-esteem . This seeks to further examine the nature of self-esteem through new conceptualizations of its properties and dimensions , and to explore how these new ideas in self-esteem research impact on a specific

area of psychological well-being - an individual 's vulnerability to depression

First , self-esteem 's definition is examined . According to Rosenberg (1965 , self-esteem is the evaluation which the individual makes and customarily maintains with regard to himself it expresses an attitude of approval or disapproval (p . 5 . Most researchers who investigate self-esteem utilize this definition as a starting point for their own definition of self-esteem . Coopersmith (1967 ) states that self-esteem is the component of the self-concept that refers to .one 's feelings of self-worth . Holland and Andre (1994 ) explains that self-esteem is how an individual perceive the value or sense of worth about their selves As it is , self-esteem can be best defined as an individual 's feelings of self-worth or self-regard

While it is necessary to define self-esteem , it is equally important to acknowledge the motivational aspect of self-esteem (especially this investigation deals with depression . Gecas (1991 ) maintains that because an individual has a self-concept , he will be motivated to maintain and enhance it , to conceive of it as efficacious and consequential , and to experience it as meaningful and real (p . 174 Gecas further explains that one way a person can do this is through the self-esteem motive . The self-esteem motive refers to a person 's desire to view one 's self favourably and behave in such a way that will maintain or enhance a favorable view of one 's self . In short self-esteem can be motivational . Motivation is that which gives direction to action and intensity and persistence to the directed action . Taking these two definitions into account , it can be said that a person 's level of self-esteem dictates what types of behaviour that particular person may engage in

With this motivational aspect of self-esteem develops a debate that has long been the interest of many researches . There has been a long standing debate on the impact of self-esteem to an individual 's psychological well-being , especially his vulnerability to depression According to Whitley (1983 , self-esteem is related to psychological well-being both empirically and theoretically that is , high self-esteem is seen by clinicians to be a healthy and desirably characteristic and that many literatures has examined the connection of self-esteem to depression , anxiety , poor general adjustment , and self-referral to mental health professionals

One position in this debate sees self-esteem as a powerful influence on individual health and stability . Research in depression provides an example of evidence for a hypothesized protective factor of high self-esteem against the development of symptomatology . Although Beck...