Subject: 
        [evol-psych] Re: The Trouble With Self-Esteem
   Date: 
        Sun, 24 Feb 2002 00:47:45 -0000
   From: 
        "Walter Foddis" 
     To: 
        [email protected]




I agree with Héctor Pauchard-Hafemann that if we want to discuss 
self-esteem we need to be on the same conceptual page. Otherwise, we 
might be talking about apples and oranges. In this case, I see the 
apple as being "defensive" self-esteem and the orange is "secure" or 
"genuine" self-esteem. 

What I see as the real trouble with self-esteem is the issue of 
measurement. So the teasing apart of defensive from genuine 
self-esteem has been difficult with how self-esteem has been measured 
tradtionally, namely, using the questionnaire format. Fortunately, 
things are changing on this methodological front.

Before describing more about these new methods of measurement, I have 
to mention something that perplexes me: Why does Baumeister maintain 
the position that "high" self-esteem necessarily leads to aggressive 
or hostile behavior? In my reading of him, he seems to equate 
narcissism with high self-esteem and this despite his ~own~ research 
that suggests there is no link between self-esteem and aggression 
(Bushman & Baumeister, 1998).

>From the days of Karen Horney, theorists have attempted to articulate 
the differences between genuine and defensive self-esteem. For many 
years, it seemed only clinicians bought into this theory. However, 
improvements in the measure of self-esteem have been providing 
empirical support for this difference. That is, there is burgeoning 
research demonstrating that we ~can~ tease apart genuine from 
defensive self-esteem. 

For instance, there is research demonstrating that scoring high on 
narcissism and self-esteem scale leads to defensive behavior,
behavior 
which those scoring low on a narcissism scale, yet high on a 
self-esteem scale do not exhibit.

There is also research showing that those who score high on 
self-esteem self-report measure and high on either a scale of
socially 
desireable responding (Lobel & Teiber, 1994) or self-deceptive 
enhancement (Johnson, Vincent, Ross, 1997) tend to be more defensive.

Next, there is research indicating that those scoring high on a 
self-report, but low on an implicit measure of self-esteem are 
also defensive and score higher on a narcissism scale (Jordan, 
Spencer, & Zanna, 2001).

Kernis & his colleagues (1993) have also published extensively on the 
differences between stable and unstable self-esteem. For instance, 
those who have high, yet very unstable day-to-day self-esteem are 
prone to defensiveness when evaluated negatively.

My unpublished research (Foddis, Vander Veen, & Silverthorn, 2001) 
suggests that those who use insecure sources to base to their 
self-esteem (e.g., mood, approval from others, social comparisons), 
yet who score high on a self-esteem self-report scale, are prone not 
only to defensiveness when criticized, but also to feeling less
worthy 
of love, much like a low self-esteem person. 

I posted on this topic some months ago, so for those who are 
interested in more detail on self-esteem measurement and my two cents 
on it, please see:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evolutionary-psychology/message/15619
(Subject: Re: [evol-psych] Study Reveals Self-Esteem Inflation Among 
U.S. Kids)

Given all this, the proposed evolutionary argument that "high" 
self-esteem is part-and-parcel of aggressive behavior does not fit 
with this research. Sure, being confident and assertive is a social 
advantage, but that is very different from aggressive and hostile. I 
think we can differentiate between "aggressive" and "assertive" 
behavior based on these research findings. That is, the research 
suggests that aggressive behavior is more related to defensive 
self-esteem (with narcissism being an extreme form of defensive 
self-esteem) and assertive behavior to be more associated with secure 
or genuinely high self-esteem.

Thoughts?

Walter Foddis

References

Bushman, B.J. & Baumeister, R.F. (1998). Threatened egotism, 
narcissism, self-esteem, and direct displaced aggression: Does 
self-love or self-hate lead to violence? Journal of Personality and 
Social Psychology, 75, 219-229.

Foddis, W.F., Vander Veen, S., & Silverthorn, N. (2001, June). 
Sentence completion and self-esteem: Initial validation of an 
instrument and a theory. Paper presentation at the Canadian 
Psychological Association Annual Convention, Laval Unversity, 
Ste-Foye, Quebec.

Johnson, E. A., Vincent, N., & Ross, L. (1997) Self-deception versus 
self-esteem in buffering the negative effects of failure. Journal of 
Research in Personality, 31, 385-405.

Jordan, C., Spencer, S., & Zanna, M. (2001). "I love me...I love me 
not": Implicit self-esteem, explicit self-esteem, and 
defensiveness.(Chapter article pending publication).
NOTE: Ask me if you would like a copy of this article.--

Kernis, M., (1993). The roles of stability and level of self-esteem
in psychological functioning. In R. Baumeister, (Ed.), Self-esteem: 
The puzzle of low self-regard. (pp. 167-182). New York: Plenum.

Kernis, M.H., Cornell, D.P., Sun, C.R., Berry, A., & Harlow, T. 
(1993). There's more to self-esteem than whether it is high or low: 
The importance of stability of self-esteem. Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology, 65, 1190-1204. 

Lobel, T. E., & Teiber, A. (1994). Effects of self-esteem and need
for approval on affective and cognitive reactions: Defensive and true 
self-esteem. Personality and Individual Differences, 16, 315-321.

Smalley, R. L., & Stake, J. E. (1996). Evaluating sources of 
ego-threatening feedback: Self-esteem and Narcissism Effect. Journal 
of Research in Personality, 30, 483-495.