Internal and external influences on the self and self-esteem

Question 1

Internal and external influences on the self and self-esteem

Answer 1

1. Our self and self-esteem can be influenced by internal factors, which are features of us a individuals
2. They are also influenced by external factors, which come from outside us - such as situation or experience

Question 2

internal factors

Answer 2

about the individual, such as their character

Question 3

external factors

Answer 3

about what is outside of the individual; a situation

Question 4

Internal influence on the self and self esteem: temperament

Answer 4

1. Kati Heinonen et al. (2002) found that children judged by their mothers to have different temperaments at 12 years old reported that they had low self-esteem at the age of 18
2. This is evidence of a link between our innate (inborn) temperament and our later self-esteem
3. Types of temperament that seem to relate to self-esteem include effortful control, which is a tendency to ward negative emotions and persistence (maintaining effort)

Question 5

Temperament

Answer 5

1. Temperament is the nature someone is born with, which affects their behaviour.
2. Temperament can affect self-concept
3. e.g. someone with low self-esteem who has a sjy temperament might become more of an introvert and so more likely to fall into depression
4. Biological aspect of a person
5. Different for each individual and relates to emotions and controlling oneself

Question 6

effortful control

Answer 6

1. using reasoned effort to control actions and thoughts
2. An aspect of temperament that refers to self-regulation
3. Making decisions about what to attend to and what to prioritise
4. e.g. paying attention in class when there are distractions
5. A child who can self-regulate does better in their life because they interact well with others, so higher self-esteem might go with a temperament that includes self-regulation

Question 7

introvert

Answer 7

someone tending to be shy and not likely to seek social interaction

Question 8

Evidence for effortful control

Answer 8

1. Richard Robins et al. (2010) showed that young adolescents who had high self-esteem also had high levels of effortful control
2. They found a relationship between low self-esteem and both depression and aggression
3. This was the case for both boys and girls

Question 9

Negative emotions

Answer 9

1. Robin et al. (2010) also found that another aspect of temperament is a tendency to have negative feelings
2. Someone with negative feelings is more likely to suffer from anxiety, giving them low self-esteem

Question 10

Persistence

Answer 10

1. how task-oriented someone is
2. another aspect of temperament
3. Windle et al. (1986) found that persistence goes hand-in-hand with high self-esteem.
4. The same can be said for not being distracted, which is another temperament trait

Question 11

Aspects of temperament

Answer 11

1. effortful control
2. negative emotions
3. persistence

Question 12

External influence on the self and self esteem: experience

Answer 12

1. Our experiences influence our sense of self and self-esteem.
2. These experiences include the influence of parents and how others see us

Question 13

Self efficacy

Answer 13

1. the strength of our belief/how strongly we believe that we can achieve a certain task
2. we can have high self-efficacy related to one type of goal and low self-efficacy regarding another
3. comes from our experiences and interactions with the world
4. It is decided depending on the situation we are in, which underlines the external aspect and the role os experience

Question 14

Factors affecting self-image

Answer 14

1. Michael Argyle (2008) suggested that an important influence on self-esteem comes from the reactions of others
2. A positive self-image comes from praise and attention, and a negative self-image comes from criticism
3. We compares ourselves with others and if they are better, our self-image is negative
4. On the other hand, our self-image is positive if those we compare with have not done as well as us
5. Experiences int he world give us an understanding of what is acceptable in our society, including how we see the different social roles
6. It can be improve our self-image if we see ourselves as having a worthwhile social role, but the opposite can also be the case

Question 15

Perceptions of other

Answer 15

1. How others perceive us can change, which affects our self-esteem
2. e.g. is someone unexpectedly does well in a maths test, they are seen as good at math and their self-image is improved. Negative examples can also occur

Question 16

Evidence of the effect of perceptions of others on self-esteems

Answer 16

1. Rina Bajaj (2008) discussed the effects of the London bombings of 2005 on young Asian men in London
2. She found that the young men had the same internal beliefs as before, but the way others perceived them had changed
3. This seemed to affect their identity and their sense of self
4. It is well documented that bullying in school can have a serious negative effect on someone’s self-esteem