Is high self-esteem beneficial? Revisiting a classic question.
University of Bern · University of California, Davis
Abstract
Debates about the benefits of self-esteem have persisted for decades, both in the scientific literature and in the popular press. Although many researchers and lay people have argued that high self-esteem helps individuals adapt to and succeed in a variety of life domains, there is widespread skepticism about this claim. The present article takes a new look at the voluminous body of research (including several meta-analyses) examining the consequences of self-esteem for several important life domains: relationships, school, work, mental health, physical health, and antisocial behavior. Overall, the findings suggest that self-esteem is beneficial in all these domains, and that these benefits hold across age,…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 54.56
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 54
Authors
2Topics & keywords
- Psychology
- Self-esteem
- Generalizability theory
- Psychological intervention
- Social psychology
- Developmental psychology
- Mindset
- Gender equality