Psychologists and self help practitioners both agree that self-esteem is a relevant component in a persons behaviour and should be taken into account when assessing their well being. Within Psychology its precise relation to the well being of an individual has shifted along with trends within psychology itself regarding the subject. Social cognition is an example of a psychological theory that incorporates self esteem within its definition. It involves the persons interpretation of themselves as individuals and in their interactions with others along with there social environment. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) is a self-report scale developed by Rosenberg a psychologist who supported the social cognition theory. This self-report is a reflective test to assess a persons level of self-esteem (graded high or low) and is still applied in some cases when assessing a persons well being.
In Comparison Self-help approaches also support the belief
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In psychology the theory that self-esteem is relational argues that it is driven by different selves. These are comprised of the material, social and spiritual selves as well as the pure ego. Self-esteem is influenced by these factors in that people are connected to others and effected by how the individual believes they are perceived by them so their relationships on a social level for example. This theory also considers self-esteem as motivational meaning it is a factor in what drives an individual to achieve certain life goals. A further theory with relevance when comparing the two definitions regarding approaches to self-esteem is the previously mentioned humanistic approach favoured by Maslow. This is a more person-centered method of assessment and counselling. This suggests the individual is in control of the self and encourages them to see things in a grounded and accepting
The question of whether self- esteem has significance with real world- consequences is a valid concern. Ulrich Orth and Richard W. Robins provide the answer, with evidence contributed by researched studies, in their article The Development of Self- Esteem that self- esteem, in fact, does influence societal significance. With the determination on self- esteem trajectory from adolescence to old age, self- esteem stability, and the relationship between levels of self-esteem and predictions of success and failure, one can conclude that self- esteem influences life outcomes; moreover, people can participate to involvements focused at positively influencing the development of self- esteem.
Various concepts of the self are present in many social psychological topics. Research studies related to self-identity, self-concept, self-esteem and other core social constructs regarding self are abundant, and there is plenty of evidence suggesting the self can be described and compared to a plethora of social motives that are researched and reviewed throughout social psychology. However, for counseling psychologists, how do we make sense and make use of the phenomena learned through social psychological research to help our work in the practice of counseling? It is important to take what the field of psychology has learned from science and apply it to psychological practice in order to make full use of the quality of information that has been gathered over the years. The following is a discussion of the self in social psychology, and the implications of this core psychological construct on the practice of counseling.
In its most basic form, personality is what defines a person through their “…expression of emotions, relationship building, and their individual patterns of behavior…” (CITE). Two of the most prolific theories on the formation of personality were developed by neurologist Sigmund Freud and psychologist Carl Rogers. Both Freud and Rogers worked in psychotherapy, the area of therapy, which “…focuses on fostering a positive mental well-being…” (CITE). These men based their general theories of personality on their experiences with patients, however their conclusions are worlds apart. Rogers is recognized for his approach to therapy where the “…client…” has a more direct role in the process (CITE). Whereas Freud is best known for his work on the unconscious mind.
The concept of self-esteem was first discovered by the philosopher and psychologist, William James. James is well known for his brilliant formula for self-esteem, which states that self-esteem is equated to one’s successes divided by pretensions, or one’s expectations of success. This
Self-esteem is an important component of human growth. Abraham Maslow's psychological theory argues for a hierarchy of needs composed of a pyramid of five levels. "Beyond the details of air, water, food, and sex, he laid out five broader layers: physiological needs, needs for safety and security, needs for love and belonging, needs for esteem, and the need to actualize the self, in that order. " (Boeree)
After reviewing both studies it can be concluded that an individual’s self-esteem changes based on their relationship status, ethnicity, personality characteristics and a possible effect on gender. Individuals that have high self-esteem are usually individuals that are outgoing, energetic and easy going. Those individuals have a lot of friends and are sociable. Adolescence self –esteem can be based on how popular they are in school those adolescences that are popular will have a higher self-esteem opposed to the adolescence that are more reserved, and that do not have many friends. Individual’s self- esteem can change during their twenties and sometimes into their thirties and beyond.
Maslow’s idea that people with high self-esteem have greater self-worth and self-confidence could be studied through an experiment. Have researchers bring in a subject, talk about all the positive aspects they possess, then give them a survey asking about how they feel. Have another subject come in and discuss all the negative aspects about them. Follow up with the same survey and compare results.
older people imagine clear to a greater degree by their social roles. (Kuhn, 1960). The need for self-esteem plays an important role in psychologist Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which depicts self-esteem as one of the basic human motivations. Maslow suggested that people need both esteem from other people as well as inner self-respect. Both of these needs must be fulfilled in order for an individual to grow as a person and achieve self-actualization.
Two proponents most noted for humanistic approaches to personality are Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. Both the Person-Centered Theory (Rogers) and the Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow) considered that humans ' true nature was good and that each has the potential for growth. A comparison of the two approaches demonstrates a compatibility between theory and practice. Furthermore, each approach focuses on individual choices and rejects the theory that biology will determine human potential.
Carl Rogers, one of the most influential psychologists in the 20th century, stated that [self-worth can be viewed as a gauge from high to low. There are times in one’s life where they are capable of handling the ba...
In conclusion, Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers came with their own theories which are Maslow’s theory of self-actualization and Person-centred theory respectively, of which they explained the humanistic perspective according to their own view. These theories describes the needs of which people should have and to also know their personality structures.
In the Tripartite Model there are three processes to develop self-esteem: being, becoming and acquiring (Weiss 22). In the being stage, the individual is taught to see themselves as an essence of the universe, part of humanity or an aspect of nature. The self-esteem arrived at through the ‘being’ stage is innate to humankind. The individual is taught the value of existence as they build self-esteem based upon their sense of being and living in the world (Weiss 22). The second stage, becoming, focuses on the development of qualities that are intrinsic to the individual and relates primarily to the development of one’s inner core (Weiss 22). The individual is taught to value themselves based upon their unique qualities and abilities. In the final stage, acquiring, the individual learns to value all of the other features that contribute to their self-esteem such as skills, accomplishments, positions, worldly goods, and appearance. The Tripartite Model seeks to build a full and complex sense of self-esteem for the individual as the model focuses on teaching the individual to have a more balanced self-esteem that is not solely based on their skills and
At one point in life, at a young age or as a resident in an elderly home, the question of who am I will arise. It is a convoluted mesh of thoughts and feelings that a person will go through before coming up with an answer. Some people may even experience cognitive dissonance in trying to explain different stages of life, while others will be comfortable in responding instantaneously with minimal cognition. In going through this process and drawing up the ‘who am I’ and individual is further confronted with others people’s perception. Where does this lead, when presented with other’s opinion, and what is it based it on? Response from outside sources is mainly based on perspective concerning an individual’s personality.
2. Description in detail of the Humanistic theories by Rogers (person-centred) and Maslow (self-actualization) and the evaluation of both theories.
Self-actualization is an idea originating from the Humanistic psychological theory and particularly created by Abraham Maslow. The humanistic school of thought in psychology is the third force in psychology that attempts to regain the self, supporting that individuals do have free will and has the power to change for the better. Humanistic psychology was developed as a response to psychoanalysis and behaviorism focusing on individuality, personal growth and the concept of self-actualization. While early schools of thought were mostly concentrated on abnormal human behavior, humanistic psychology is different because of its emphasis on helping individuals achieve and fulfill their potential. The two main contributors to this school of thought