title: The costly pursuit of self-esteem.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. jcrocker@umich.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crocker
authors.forename: Lora E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D003469:Culture; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D009042:Motivation; D012649:Self Concept; D012919:Social Behavior; D012938:Social Perception; D013995:Time