The cost of lower self-esteem

Testing a self- and social-bonds model of health

Bibliographic Data

ID6202822
AuthorsDanu Anthony Stinson (0000-0003-1492-7133, University of Waterloo), Christine Logel (0000-0002-8676-9528, University of Waterloo), Mark P Zanna (University of Waterloo), John G Holmes (University of Waterloo), Jessica J Cameron (0000-0002-8676-0945, University of Manitoba), Joanne V Wood (0009-0007-3270-6592, University of Waterloo), J Spencer (0000-0002-1732-5261, University of Waterloo), Steven J Spencer
Year2008
Volume94
Issue3
Pages412-428
Publication date2008-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Personality and Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-3514 • E-ISSN: 1939-1315
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/0022-3514.94.3.412
PMID18284290
OpenAlexW2089889047
LanguageEN
Citations received56
References cited41

The authors draw upon social, personality, and health psychology to propose and test a self-and-social-bonds model of health. The model contends that lower self-esteem predicts health problems and that poor-quality social bonds explain this association. In Study 1, lower self-esteem prospectively predicted reports of health problems 2 months later, and this association was explained by subjective reports of poor social bonds. Study 2 replicated the results of Study 1 but used a longitudinal design with 6 waves of data collection, assessed self-reports of concrete health-related behaviors (i.e., number of visits to the doctor and classes missed due to illness), and measured both subjective and objective indicators of quality of social bonds (i.e., interpersonal stress and number of friends). In addition, Study 2 showed that poor-quality social bonds predicted acute drops in self-esteem over time, which in turn predicted acute decreases in quality of social bonds and, consequently, acute increases in health problems. In both studies, alternative explanations to the model were tested

Association (psychology) · Bond · Developmental psychology · Interpersonal communication · Interpersonal relationship · Personality · Psychotherapist · Quality (philosophy) · Self-esteem · Clinical Psychology · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Optimism, Hope, and Well-being · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Social Psychology

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