Self Esteem Essay Example for Free

Self Esteem Essay People who base their own self-worth on what others think and not on their value as human beings might pay a mental and physical price, according to research by Jennifer Crocker, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Michigans Institute for Social Research. Crocker, who has worked on a series of self-esteem studies, found in her latest research that college students who based their self-worth on external sourcesincluding appearance, approval from others and even their academic performancereported more stress, anger, academic problems, relationship conflicts, and had higher levels of drug and alcohol use and symptoms of eating disorders. For the study, Crocker surveyed more than 600 college freshmen three times during the yearbefore they left for college and at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Overall, students were found to have a high level of self-esteem. When students were asked about what they base their self-worth on, more than 80 percent said academic competence, 77 percent said their familys support, 66 percent said doing better than others, and 65 percent70 percent of which were womensaid their appearance. College students who based their self-worth on academic performance did not receive higher grades despite being highly motivated and studying more hours each week than students who did not rate academic performance as important to their self-esteem, Crocker found. Students who based their self-worth on academic outcomes also were more likely to report conflicts with professors and greater stress. They feel motivated to do well in academics, but having their self-worth on the line doesnt help their performance, Crocker says. She speculates that students who base their self-worth on academic performance might become anxious and distracted and threatened by feelings of failure, and, as such, their anxiety might then interfere with their memory. Students who based their self-esteem on internal sourcessuch as being a virtuous person or adhering to moral standardswere found to receive higher grades and less likely to use alcohol and drugs or to develop eating disorders. We really think that if people could adopt goals not focused on their own self-esteem but on something larger than their selfsuch as what they can create or contribute to othersthan they would be less susceptible to some of the negative effects of pursuing self-esteem, Crocker says. Its about having a goal that is bigger than the self.