The Costly Pursuit of Self-Esteem
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4853373 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jennifer Crocker (0000-0002-6590-4647, University of Michigan), Lora E Park (0000-0002-2779-3034, University of Michigan) |
| Year | 2004 |
| Volume | 130 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 392-414 |
| Publication date | 2004-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Psychological Bulletin (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-2909 • E-ISSN: 1939-1455 |
| Publisher | American Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1037/0033-2909.130.3.392 |
| PMID | 15122925 |
| OpenAlex | W2139936398 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 367 |
| References cited | 259 |
Researchers have recently questioned the benefits associated with having high self-esteem. The authors propose that the importance of self-esteem lies more in how people strive for it rather than whether it is high or low. They argue that in domains in which their self-worth is invested, people adopt the goal to validate their abilities and qualities, and hence their self-worth. When people have self-validation goals, they react to threats in these domains in ways that undermine learning; relatedness; autonomy and self-regulation; and over time, mental and physical health. The short-term emotional benefits of pursuing self-esteem are often outweighed by long-term costs. Previous research on self-esteem is reinterpreted in terms of self-esteem striving. Cultural roots of the pursuit of self-esteem are considered. Finally, the alternatives to pursuing self-esteem, and ways of avoiding its costs, are discussed
Autonomy · Goal pursuit · Self · Self worth · Self-esteem · Cultural Differences and Values · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology
Travel to the Same or Competing Destination
Self-concept clarity and self-esteem
Contingencies of self-worth across adulthood
Emotional Intelligence in Organizations
The pursuit of happiness can be lonely
Cultural validation of the Self‐Compassion Scale and the Subjective Happiness Scale and the influence of gender on self‐compassion and subjective happiness in a Sri Lankan undergraduate population
Decoding Babel
Academic stress and positive affect
Human dignity, self-worth, and humiliation
Globalization and the Identity Remix Among U rban Adolescents in I ndia
Self-esteem and body image in females
Atas do IX Simpósio Nacional de Investigação em Psicologia
Object of desire or object of distress? Psychosocial functioning among securely and insecurely attached Indian young adults
Self-concept and self-esteem
Collective narcissism and in-group satisfaction predict different reactions to the past transgressions of the in-group
Defining Self-Esteem as a Relationship between Competence and Worthiness
Disentangling the intergroup sensitivity effect
Trait entitlement
A meta-analytic review of achievement goal measures
Held in contempt
How sweet it is to be loved by you
Collective narcissism moderates the effect of in-group image threat on intergroup hostility
A cultural task analysis of implicit independence
The multifinality constraints effect
Cherish yourself
Are you happy for me? How sharing positive events with others provides personal and interpersonal benefits
Relationship-contingent self-esteem and the ups and downs of romantic relationships
Securing the future
Affirmed yet unaware
Do people’s world views matter? The why and how
And the winner is . . . ? Forecasting the outcome of others’ competitive efforts
Creating and undermining social support in communal relationships
Does self-threat promote social connection? The role of self-esteem and contingencies of self-worth
Where Is the Evidence for Pancultural Self-Enhancement? A Reply to Sedikides, Gaertner, and Toguchi (2003)
Collective narcissism and its social consequences
Reactive approach motivation (RAM) for religion
When Need Fulfillment Motivates
Paths to Intimate Relationship Quality From Parent-Adolescent Relations and Mental Health
Performing under challenge
Identity, Collective Action and Inaction
Mothers Under Pressure
Adolescents’ body image trajectories
Evaluative pressure in mothers
Do people's self-views matter? Self-concept and self-esteem in everyday life
Does Why You Want Partnership Shape What You Want? A Self-Determination Perspective on Singles’ Relationship Goals
Culture, Son Preference, and Beliefs About Masculinity
Experimental Existential Psychology
High Self-Esteem
Motivation
Cultural Psychology
Self and Identity
Self-Esteem
Rebels or Star Fleet? Investigating Rivalry in Sport and Star Wars/Star Trek Fandom
Introduction of a Hierarchy of Out-Group Derogation
Dialogical Self Theory
Does it pay to be smart, attractive, or confident (or all three)? Relationships among general mental ability, physical attractiveness, core self-evaluations, and income.
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
The Compensatory Consumer Behavior Model
Adaptation to sexual orientation stigma
On the psychology of passion
Examining the factor structure of the Self-Compassion Scale in 20 diverse samples
Identified versus introjected approach and introjected avoidance motivations in school and in sports
The intrapsychics of gender
Empowering or Oppressing? Development and Exploration of the Enjoyment of Sexualization Scale
Self-esteem and subjective well-being revisited
Is Self-Esteem a Cause or Consequence of Social Support? A 4-Year Longitudinal Study
Why Are Chinese Mothers More Controlling Than American Mothers? “My Child Is My Report Card”
Evaluating the Dimensionality of Self-Determination Theory’s Relative Autonomy Continuum
Self‐Compassion, Self‐Esteem, and Well‐Being
When Death is Good for Life
On Passion for Life Activities
Self-Compassion
Self-Compassion
Mortality Salience Increases Adherence to Salient Norms and Values
Doing Gender in the Bedroom
The Optimum Level of Well-Being
In Search of East Asian Self-Enhancement
Where Do My Emotions Belong? A Study of Immigrants’ Emotional Acculturation
Untangling the Links between Narcissism and Self‐esteem
Loving yourself abundantly
On Being Rejected
Ten Surprising Facts About Stressful Life Events and Disease Risk
Whistle While You Work
An organizational approach to undoing gender
Mindfulness
On the meaning of work
The Meaning Maintenance Model
Sexual Orientation Identity and Romantic Relationship Quality in Same-Sex Couples
Contingencies of Self-Worth
Grandiose Narcissism Versus Vulnerable Narcissism in Threatening Situations
Ostracism, Self-Esteem, and Job Performance
Superficial ingroup love? Collective narcissism predicts ingroup image defense, outgroup prejudice, and lower ingroup loyalty
Motivational and Emotional Aspects of the Self
A Pilot Study and Randomized Controlled Trial of the Mindful Self‐Compassion Program
Psychometric Properties of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
A Motivated Action Theory Account of Goal Orientation.
The Regulation of Personal Security
Sweets, Sex, or Self-Esteem? Comparing the Value of Self-Esteem Boosts With Other Pleasant Rewards
Critical Thinking as a Predictor of Self-Esteem of University Students
Age Identity and Subjective Well-Being
The Social importance of self-esteem
Self-Esteem
Handbook of Social Psychology
Advances In Experimental Social Psychology
The principles of psychology.
On the Self-Regulation of Behavior
Anger and Aggression
The nature and function of self-esteem
Hopes Dashed and Dreams Fulfilled
Giving in to Feel Good
Age and Birth Cohort Differences in Self-Esteem
Automatic Activation of Stereotypes
Evaluations of Self and Others
Altruism and Prosocial Behavior
Is there a universal need for positive self-regard?
Psychological Well-Being in Adult Life
Approach and Avoidance Motivation
Target Article
Goal Theory, Motivation, and School Achievement
Self-presentation can be hazardous to your health
Dependency and self-criticism
Self-Regulatory Failure
Action, Emotion, and Personality
A Terror Management Theory of Social Behavior
The Self-Worth Theory of Achievement Motivation
Relation of threatened egotism to violence and aggression
Longitudinal Study of Procrastination, Performance, Stress, and Health
Interpersonal Functions of the Self-Esteem Motive
Contingencies of self-worth.
Suicide as escape from self.
Human Autonomy
Approach and avoidance motivation and achievement goals
Self-Esteem and Self-Serving Biases in Reactions to Positive and Negative Events
Avoiding the demonstration of lack of ability
A self-awareness model of the causes and effects of alcohol consumption.
Promotion and Prevention
Toward a Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model of Social Behavior
Pleasure as a sign you can attend to something else
Narcissism, Self-Knowledge Organization, and Emotional Reactivity
Battling Doubt by Avoiding Practice
Self-Esteem, Narcissism, and Aggression
The Mismeasure of Love
On the Confluence of Self-Esteem Maintenance Mechanisms
Narcissism and Self-Evaluation Maintenance
Responses to Social Exclusion
Daily Well-Being
Unraveling the Paradoxes of Narcissism
A hot/cool-system analysis of delay of gratification
Why Do We Need What We Need? A Terror Management Perspective on the Roots of Human Social Motivation
Does High Self-Esteem Cause Better Performance, Interpersonal Success, Happiness, or Healthier Lifestyles?
The Causes and Consequences of a Need for Self-Esteem
A cognitive-affective system theory of personality
Self-discrepancy
Motivation reconsidered
The Psychology of Self-Affirmation
Prosocial Motivation
Attachment and Loss. Vol. 1. Attachment
Emotional Autonomy versus Detachment
Public Self and Private Self
What do people think they're doing? Action identification and human behavior
Ingroup Bias and Self-Esteem
Accepting Threatening Information
Spousal caregivers of dementia victims
Acute psychological stressors and short-term immune changes
Negative behavior during marital conflict is associated with immunological down-regulation
Self‐Presentational Motivations and Personality Differences in Self‐Esteem
A Motivational Perspective on Risky Behaviors
Generalization, Adverse Events, and Development of Depressive Symptoms
Facilitating Internalization
Sperry's leap
Rejection sensitivity and male violence in romantic relationships
Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being
Rethinking individualism and collectivism
Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being
Contingencies of Self-Worth
Self and Interpersonal Correlates of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory
A meta-analytic review of research on hostility and physical health
The Effects of Weight and Achievement Messages on the Self-Esteem of Women
Compensatory self-inflation
Beyond the Looking-Glass Self
Comment [from Thomas J. Scheff and Professor Emeritus]
Memory for Information about Others
Terror management and the vicissitudes of sports fan affiliation
Associative and competitive indirect self-enhancement in close relationships moderated by trait self-esteem
Efficacious Action and Social Approval as Interacting Dimensions of Self-Esteem
The Costs of Seeking Self–Esteem
Self-consciousness, self-esteem, and success-failure as determinants of alcohol consumption in male social drinkers
Prejudice as self-image maintenance
The cultural construction of self-enhancement
Integrating cognitive and motivational factors in depression
A hierarchical model of approach and avoidance achievement motivation
From chump to champ
A comparison of self-esteem lability and low trait self-esteem as vulnerability factors for depression
Models of the self and other
Social skills and the stress-protective role of social support
Support seeking and support giving within couples in an anxiety-provoking situation
When ego threats lead to self-regulation failure
Being accepted for who we are
Predicting adolescent cognitive and self-regulatory competencies from preschool delay of gratification
Effects of Self-Esteem on Vulnerability-Denying Defensive Distortions
| Unique citing works | 367 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 16,68 |
| Citation span | 2004 - 2026 (23) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | Yes |
| Citation types | Neutral: 322 |