1. Psychology 3260: Personality & Social Development
Don Hartmann
Spring 2007
Lecture 17b: Social Cognition: Self Esteem

2. Overview of Social Cognition Lecture—Self-Esteem
Overlap with text: Pp
Lecture:
Introduction
Harter’s assessment
Developmental changes in self-esteem
Correlates of self-esteem
Improving self-esteem
Next: Lecture #17c: Social Cognition--Identity

3. Supplementary References
Cicchetti, D., & Beeghly, M. (Eds.). The self in transition: Infancy to childhood. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Harter, S. (1999). The construction of the self: A developmental perspective. New York: Guilford.

5. Additional Self-Related Acquisitions (2)
Self‑esteem‑‑affectively tinged self evaluations (Susan Harter, 1999)
Harter’s method assessment

6. How Harter Measures Self-Esteem
Scholastic Really true Sort of true Really true Sort of true
for me for me for me for me
Some kids have BUT Other kids almost
trouble figuring out always can figure
the answers at out the answers
Social Acc. Really true Sort of true Really true Sort of true
Some kids find BUT Other kids find
it hard to make it easy to make
friends friends

7. Self-Esteem (Harter, 1999)
Very young elementary school children have inflated sense of self-worth; perhaps reflects desires rather than genuine self-appraisals
Older elementary school children have increasingly differentiated, accurate, and relatively stable sense of self in
peer,
academic,
behavioral,
athletic, and
physically‑ related senses of self—all of which contribute to an overall sense of self worth

8. More on Self-Esteem
Young adults have still more differentiated sense of self—the social arena is split into subdomains as is the academic
Consistency: dips at around teen years--more so for girls—and declines in old age. Temporal stability increases with age.

10. Other Aspects of Global Self-Esteem
The highest correlate of global self-esteem is physical attractiveness (r≈.65)
Children who are raised by sensitive, nurturing parents have higher self esteem than those raised by other kinds of parents
In reflecting on the determinants of their self esteem, young adults frequently mention experiences with friends and romantic partners.

11. Enhancing Self-Esteem
encouragement to value areas of existing competence
identifying areas of importance to the self
acquisition of skills in areas deemed important—including coping skills
emotional support and social approval from others

12. Summary of Social Cognition Lecture
Introduction
Harter’s assessment
Developmental changes in self-esteem
Correlates of self-esteem
Improving self-esteem
Next: Lecture #17c: Social Cognition--Identity
Go in Peace