Internal and External influences on the self and self esteem Flashcards
The internal influence on self and self esteem
Temperament is the biological aspect of a person and is different for each person and relates to emotions and controlling oneself. Some temperaments have been linked to high or low self-esteem and it can affect self-concept. For example, someone with a low self-esteem and shy temperament can become introverted and more likely to become depressed. Types of temperament related to self-esteem includes effortful control, negative emotions and persistence
Effortful control
Refers to self- regulation and making decisions about what to attend and prioritise. Robins found that a child who can self-regulate does better in life as they can interact well with others, so higher self-esteem may go with a temperament that includes self-regulation. However, a relationship was found between a low self-esteem and depression/aggression in both boys and girls
Negative emotions
Robins found that another aspect of temperament is a tendency to have negative feelings. Someone with negative feelings is more likely to have anxiety, giving them low self-esteem.
Persistence
How task orientated someone is can be another aspect of temperament. There is some evidence from Windle that persistence goes hand in hand with a high self-esteem
The external influence on self and self esteem
Our external experiences influence our sense of self-esteem. These experiences include the influence of parents and how others see us. Experiences can alter our self-efficacy, factors affecting self-image and the perception of others
Self-efficacy
We can have high self-efficacy related to one type of goal and low self-efficacy regarding another and this can depend on the reaction of others to us. Self-efficacy comes from our experiences and interactions with the world, and we decide our self-efficacy depending on the situation we are in.
Factors affecting self-image
Michael Argyle suggested that a positive self-image comes from praise and attention and a negative self-image comes from criticism. We also compare ourselves with others and if we compare ourselves with others that have done better or worse than us, it can affect our self-image positively or negatively. We can improve our self-image if we see ourselves having a worthwhile social role, but the opposite can also be the case.
Perception of others
How others perceive us can change, which can affect our self- esteem. For example, if someone unexpectedly does well in a maths test, they can be seen as good at maths which can positively affect their self-esteem.
Temperament
The nature that someone is born with, which affects their behaviour
Introvert
Someone tending to be shy and avoid social interactions
Effortful control meaning
Using reasoned effort to control actions and thoughts
Self-efficacy meaning
The strength of our belief that we can achieve a certain task
