Abstract
In this chapter, we examine the role of self-esteem in complex self- regulation. Although high self-esteem generally is associated with superior self-regulation (Bandura, 1989; Taylor, 1989), we present evidence indicating that high self-esteem may interfere with self-regulation when self-esteem is threatened. We propose that an optimal level of self- esteem is important for successfully making and living up to commitments.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bagozzi, R. P. & Heatherton, T. F. (1991). Further evidence on the psychometric properties of the State Self-Esteem Scale. Unpublished manuscript. University of Michigan.
Bandura, A. (1989). Human agency in social cognitive theory. American Psychologist, 44, 1175–1184.
Baumeister, R. F. (1982). Self-esteem, self-presentation, and future interaction: A dilemma of reputation. Journal of Personality, 50, 29–45.
Baumeister, R. F. (1984). Choking under pressure: Self-consciousness and paradoxical effects of incentives on skillful performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 610–620.
Baumeister, R. F. (1989). The optimal margin of illusion.Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 8, 176–189.
Baumeister, R. F., Heatherton, T. F., & Tice, D. M. (1993). When ego threats lead to self- regulation failure: The negative consequences of high self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 141–156.
Baumeister, R. F., & Scher, S. J. (1988). Self-defeating behavior patterns among normal individuals: Review and analysis of common self-destructive tendencies.Psychological Bulletin, 104, 3–22.
Baumeister, R. F., & Tice, D. M. (1985). Self-esteem and responses to success and failure: Subsequent performance and intrinsic motivation. Journal of Personality, 53, 450–467.
Baumeister, R. F., Tice, D. M., & Hutton, D. G. (1989). Self-presentational motivations and personality differences in self-esteem. Journal of Personality, 57, 547–579.
Baumgardner, A. H. (1991). To know oneself is to like oneself: Self-certainty and self-affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 1062–1072.
Baumgardner, A. H., Kaufman, C. M., & Levy, P. E. (1989). Regulating affect interper- sonally: When low self-esteem leads to greater enhancement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56, 907–921.
Beck, A. T. (1967). Depression: Clinical, experimental and theoretical aspects. New York: Harper & Row.
Brockner, J. (1979). The effects of self-esteem, success-failure, and self-consciousness on task performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 1732–1741.
Brockner, J. (1983). Low self-esteem and behavioral plasticity: Some implications. In L. Wheeler & P. Shaver (Eds.), Review of personality and social psychology (Vol. 4, pp. 237–271). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Campbell, J. D. (1990). Self-esteem and clarity of self-concept. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 538–549.
Campbell, J. D. & Fairey, P. J. (1985). Effects of self-esteem, hypothetical explanations, and verbalizations on future performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48, 1097–1111.
Carver, C. S., & Scheier, M. F. (1981). Attention and self-regulation: A control theory approach to human behavior. New York: Springer-Verlag.
Ciliska, D. (1990). Beyond dieting psychoeducational interventions for chronically obese women: A non-dieting approach. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Cohen, L., van den Bout, J., van Vliet, T, & Kramer, W. (1989). Attributional asymmetries in relation to dysphoria and self-esteem. Personality and Individual Differences, 10, 1055–1061.
Coopersmith, S. (1967). The antecedents of self-esteem. San Francisco: Freeman.
Crocker, J., Thompson, L. L., McGraw, K. M., & Ingerman, C. (1987). Downward comparisons, prejudice, and evaluation of others: Effects of self-esteem and threat. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 907–916.
Htch, G. (1970). Effects of self-esteem, perceived performance, and choice on causal attributions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 16, 311–315.
Greenwald, A. G. (1980). The totalitarian ego: Fabrication and revision of personal history. American Psychologist, 35, 603–618.
Greenwald, A. G., & Breckler, S. J. (1985). To whom is the self presented? In B. Schlenker (Ed.),The self and social life (pp. 126–145). New York: McCraw-Hill.
Heatherton, T. F., & Baumeister, R. F. (1991). Binge eating as escape from self-awareness. Psychological Bulletin, 110, 86–108.
Heatherton, T. F., Herman, C. P., & Polivy, J. (1991). Effects of physical threat and ego threat on eating behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 138–143.
Heatherton, T. F., & Polivy, J. (1991). Development and validation of a scale for measuring state self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 895–910.
Heatherton, T. F., & Polivy, J. (1992). Chronic dieting and eating disorders: A spiral model. In J. H. Crowther, S. E. Hobfall, M. A. P. Stevens, & D. L. Tennenbaum (Eds.), The etiology of bulimia: The individual and familial context (pp. 133–155). Washington, DC: Hemisphere.
Herman, C. P., & Polivy, J. (1980). Restrained eating. In A. Stunkard (Ed.),Eating and its disorders (pp. 141–156). Philadelphia: Saunders.
Ickes, W., & Layden, M. A. (1978). Attributional styles. In J. Harvey (Ed.), New directions in attribution research (Vol. 2, pp. 119–152). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Janis, I. L., & Field, P. B. (1959). Sex differences and factors related to persuasibility. In C. I. Hovland & I. L. Janis (Eds.), Personality and persuasibility (pp. 55–68). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Janoff-Bulman, R., & Brickman, R. (1982). Expectations and what people leam from failure. In N. T. Féather (Ed.), Expectations and actions: Expectancy-value models in psychology (pp. 207–237). Hillsdale, NJ: Uwrence Erlbaum.
Jones, E. E., Rhodewalt, F., Berglas, S., & Skelton, J. A. (1981). Effect of strategic self presentation in subsequent self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41, 407–421.
Josephs, R. A. (1990). The threat of risky decision making to self-esteem. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Michigan.
Kemis, M. H., Brockner, J., & Frankel, B. S. (1989). Self-esteem and reactions to failure: The mediating role of overgeneralization. Journal of Persormlity, 57, 707–714.
Kirschenbaum, D. S., Tomarken, A. J., & Humphrey, L. L. (1985). Affect and adult self- regulation. Journal of Personality and Social liychology, 48, 509–523.
Kuiper, N. (1978). Depression and causal attributions for success and failure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36, 236–246.
Langer, E. (1975). The illusion of control. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32, 311–328.
Mayo, L. G. (1978). The correlates of success in a behavioral weight reduction program. Dissertations Abstracts International, 38, 78 3897.
McFarlin, D. B. (1985). Persistence in the face of failure: The impact of self-esteem and contingency information. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 11, 153–163.
McFarlin, D. B., & Blascovich, J. (1981). Effects of self-esteem and performance on future affective preferences and cognitive expectations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 40, 521–531.
McFarlin, D. B., Baumeister, R. F., & Blascovich, J. (1984). On knowing when to quit: Task failure, self-esteem, advice, and nonproductive persistence. Journal of Personality, 52, 138–155.
Perez, R. C. (1973). The effect of experimentally-induced failure, self-esteem, and sex on cognitive differentiation. Journal Abnormal Psychology, 81, 74–79.
Polivy, J., Heatherton, T. F., & Herman, C. P. (1988). Self-esteem, restraint, and eating behavior. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 97, 354–356.
Pyszczynski, T., & Greenberg, J. (1983). Determinants of reduction in intended effort as a strategy for coping with anticipated failure. Journal of Research in Personality, 17, 412- 422.
Raskin, R., Novacek, J., & Hogan, R. (1991). Narcissism, self-esteem, and defensive self- enhancement. Journal of Personality, 59, 19–38.
Rizley, R. (1978). Depression and distortion in the attribution of causality. Journal of Personality and Abnormal Psychology, 87, 32–48.
Rodin, J., Elias, M., Silberstein, L. R., & Wagner, A. (1988). Combined behavioral and pharmacologic treatment for obesity: Predictors of successful weight maintenance. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 399–404.
Sandelands, L. E., Brockner, J., & Glynn, M. A. (1988). If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again: Effects of persistence-performance contingencies, ego involvement, and self- esteem on task persistence.Journal of Applied Psychology, 73, 208–216.
Scheier, M. F., & Carver, C. S. (1988). A model of behavioral self-regulation: Translating intention into action. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 21, 303–346.
Schlenker, B. R., Weigold, M. F., & Hallam, J. R. (1990). Self-serving attributions in social context: Effects of self-esteem and social pressure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 855–863.
Schneider, D. J., & Turkat, D. (1975). Self-presentation following success and failure: Defensive self-esteem models. Journal of Personality, 43, 127–135.
Shrauger, J., & Sorman, P. (1977). Self-evaluations, initial success and failure, and improvement as determinants of persistence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 45, 784–795.
Steele, C. M. (1988). The psychology of self-affirmation: Sustaining the integrity of the self. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 21, pp. 261–302) New York: Academic Press.
Taylor, S. E. (1989). Positive illusions: Creative self-deception and the healthy mind. New York: Basic Books.
Taylor, S. E., & Brown, J. D. (1988). Illusion and well-being: A social psychological perspective on mental health. Psychological Bulletin, 103, 193–210.
Tennen, H., & Herzberger, S. (1987). Depression, self-esteem, and the absence of self- protective attributional biases.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 72–80.
Tice, D. M. (1991). Esteem protection or enhancement? Self-handicapping motives and attributions differ by trait self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 711–725.
Wahl, C. (1956). Some antecedent factors in the family histories of 109 alcoholics. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 17, 643–654.
White, J. (1982). Rejection. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Zautra, A. J., Guenther, R. T, & Chartier, G. M. (1985). Attributions for real and hypothetical events: Their relation to self-esteem and depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 94, 530–540.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1993 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Heatherton, T.F., Ambady, N. (1993). Self-Esteem, Self-Prediction, and Living up to Commitments. In: Baumeister, R.F. (eds) Self-Esteem. The Plenum Series in Social / Clinical Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8956-9_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8956-9_7
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-8958-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-8956-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive