Literature review of self-worth

Current, we have a group project,
Our group is focusing on adolescent's self-worth. Our group has been looking at a variety of literature related to adolecents' self-worth. A study conducted by Quarterly et al. (2006), adolescent' sperceptions of social support in relationships with mothers, close friends, and romatic partners and their contributions to individual adolescent self-worth and interpersonal competence.

Less is known about links between social support and adolescent wellbeing. Global self-worth is one measure of well-being: contemporary conceptualizations of self-esteem emphasize a distinctive array of perceived competencies in a variety of domains. Adolescents queried about different domains of interpersonal competence indicated that support from parents is associated with global self-worth that support from friends is associated with perceived friendship competence and social acceptance, and that support from romantic partners is associated with perceived romantic competence (Connolly & Konarski, 1994).

Global self-worth (M α = .84) provides an assessment of overall self-esteem (e.g., "Some teenagers are disappointed with themselves BUT other teenagers are pretty pleased with themselves"). Social acceptance (M α = .84) provides an assessment of competence in the peer group (e.g., "Some teens are popular with others their age BUT other teens are not very popular"). Friendship competence (M α = .76) provides an assessment of capabilities in friendships (e.g., "Some teens are able to make really close friends BUT other teens find it hard to make really close friends"). Romantic competence (M α = .74) provides an assessment of capabilities in romantic relationships (e.g., "Some teens feel that people their age will be romantically attracted to them BUT other teens feel worry about whether people their age will be attracted to them").

In a study conducted by Sargent J. T. et al., (2006), the relationship between contingencies of self–worth and vulnerability to depressive symptoms was investigated in a longitudinal sample of 629 freshmen over the first semester of college. Higher levels of external contingencies of self–worth, in a composite measure of four external contingencies of self–worth (approval from others, appearance, competition, academics), predicted increases in depressive symptoms over the first semester of college, even controlling for initial level of depressive symptoms, social desirability, gender, and race. Internal contingencies of self–worth (God’s love, virtue) were not associated with the level of depressive symptoms. We conclude that external contingencies of self–worth may contribute to vulnerability to depressive symptoms.

In another study conducted by Sanchez & Crocker (2005), the study examined the relationship between investment in gender ideals and well-being and the role of external contingencies of self-worth in a longitudinal survey of 677 college freshmen. The study proposed a model of how investment in gender ideals affects external contingencies and the consequences for self-esteem, depression, and symptoms of disordered eating. The study found that the negative relationship between investment in gender ideals and wellbeing is mediated through externally contingent self-worth. The model showed a good fit for the overall sample. Comparative model testing revealed a good fit for men and women as well as White Americans, Asian Americans, and African Americans.

The research examined effects of receiving negative interpersonal feedback on state self-esteem, affect, and goal pursuit as a function of trait self-esteem and contingencies of self-worth. Two same-sex participants interacted with each other and then received negative feedback. Participants then reported their state self esteem, affect, and self-presentation goals—how they wanted to be perceived by others at the moment. Among participants who received negative feedback, those who more strongly based their self-worth on others’ approval experienced lower state self-esteem, positive effect, and greater negative affect than those whose self-worth was less contingent on others’ approval. Participants with low self-esteem showed greater desire to appear physically attractive to others the more they based self worth on others’ approval and received negative feedback. In contrast, participants with high self-esteem showed greater desire to appear warm/caring/kind the more they based self-worth on others’ approval and received negative feedback.

Through the literature search of contingencies of self-worth,  William James (1890) argued over a century ago that people derive self-esteem from succeeding in certain domains and not others. According to the contingencies of self worth model (Crocker & Wolfe, 2001), people differ in their bases of self-esteem, which are shaped by their beliefs about what they think they need to be or do to be a person of worth. Crocker and colleagues (2003b) identified seven domains in which people may derive their self-worth: Virtue, God’s love, family support, academic competence, physical attractiveness, competition, and gaining others’ approval. The more a person bases self-worth in a domain, the more he or she may be vulnerable to experiencing negative effects of self-threat in that domain. For example, research has shown that the more students base their self-worth on academics, the more likely they are to experience lower state self-esteem and greater negative affect and self evaluative thoughts when they perform poorly on academics tasks, receive lower than- expected grades, or are rejected from graduate schools