Contingencies of self-worth

Feeling valued: the interplay of assistive technology and identity

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to explore the impact of AT in identity for students with disabilities in higher education and if/how this changes over time.

METHODS

Using a longitudinal qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with students with disabilities (n = 13) in higher education in Ireland on two occasions during an academic year. A trajectory approach to longitudinal analysis was employed. This involved the use of matrices and identification of a through line for the study, which connects participant change over time.

RESULTS

The through line identified was feeling valued, which was central in the negotiation of identity over time across three themes: feelings of autonomy and competence; claiming disability; and feeling like you belong as a student. AT impacted experiences across the three themes which subsequently promoted or undermined students' sense of value. Reciprocally, feeling valued influenced use and perceptions of AT. Factors specific to a higher education context were also identified which influenced meanings attached to AT over time.

CONCLUSION

Creating an environment where students feel valued is key in promoting use of and positive perceptions of AT. This should form an integral part of AT and disability policy in higher education.

Status and subjective well-being: A conceptual replication and extension of Anderson et al. (2012)

Does the status people possess shape their subjective well-being (SWB)? Prior research that has addressed this question has been correlational. Therefore, in the current research, we provide causal evidence of this effect: In two experiments, we found that individuals reported higher SWB when their own status was higher compared to when it was lower. However, individuals' SWB was not only shaped by their own status, but also by others' status. Specifically, individuals reported higher SWB when others' status was lower than when it was higher. Thus, people have a competitive orientation towards status; they not only want to have high status on an absolute level (e.g., to be highly respected and admired), but also to have higher status than others (e.g., to be more respected and admired than others). A standard self-affirmation manipulation was used in an attempt to mitigate individuals' competitive orientation towards status, but only helped already high-status members feel happier in groups of high-status members, rather than help low-status members feel happier when they uniquely held low status.

Age differences in the influence of self-esteem and emotional regulation on memory

Emotion regulation (ER) comprises the processes that recognize, monitor, evaluate, and modify emotional reactions. Although ER refers to events that stem from internal or external situations, few studies have examined the effect of intrinsic emotional states on ER processes deployed on external stimuli. The present research investigated, in old- vs. young adults, the influence of state self-esteem (internal condition) in employing ER strategies while implicitly memorizing negative-valence pictures (external condition). State self-esteem was manipulated by giving random feedback (positive/negative) to a demanding cognitive task. Participants then saw 20 photographs and were asked to reappraise half of them and distract themselves from the other half. They were given a recognition task following a short delay with 20 old photographs and 20 new ones. Results indicated that young people with high self-esteem remembered the reappraised pictures better than the distracted ones. In the low self-esteem state, young adults remembered the distracted photographs better than the reappraised ones. In contrast, in old adults low self-esteem resulted in better recognition than high self-esteem, regardless of the regulation strategy. Thus, only among young participants did emotion regulation strategies moderate the effect of self-esteem on memory for negative emotional images. These findings highlight the intricate interplay between different ER strategies and their relative importance across various stages of life.

To Protect or to Kill? Environmental Contingent Self-Worth Moderates Death Prime Effects on Animal-Based Attitudes

Lifshin et al. found that death primes increased support for killing animals, suggesting that the killing of animals serves a terror management function. The present research adds to this by suggesting that protecting animals can also serve a terror management function when people see such behaviors as culturally valuable. In three studies (N = 765), environmental contingent self-worth (ECSW) moderated the effect of death primes on attitudes toward animals. Attitudes toward animals also mediated the effect of a death prime on increased power-based invulnerability for those with low ECSW and decreased power-based invulnerability for those with high ECSW (Study 3). Finally, we found little support that death primes influenced beliefs regarding human-animal superiority (Study 1 and 2) or similarity (Study 2). Our findings therefore provide partial support for past terror management research and further the understanding regarding how to promote more benevolent human-animal relations.

Using Conditional Entropy Networks of Ordinal Measures to Examine Changes in Self-Worth Among Adolescent Students in High School

We implement an analytic approach for ordinal measures and we use it to investigate the structure and the changes over time of self-worth in a sample of adolescents students in high school. We represent the variations in self-worth and its various sub-domains using entropy-based measures that capture the observed uncertainty. We then study the evolution of the entropy across four time points throughout a semester of high school. Our analytic approach yields information about the configuration of the various dimensions of the self together with time-related changes and associations among these dimensions. We represent the results using a network that depicts self-worth changes over time. This approach also identifies groups of adolescent students who show different patterns of associations, thus emphasizing the need to consider heterogeneity in the data.

You Reap What You Sow: Customer Courtesy and Employees' Prosocial Service Behavior

Smooth and effective interactions between customers and customer-contact employees are important for building seamless service delivery. The present study examined the influence of customer courtesy on customer-contact employees' prosocial service behavior. Additionally, the mediating role of organization-based self-esteem and the moderating role of focus of attention at work are investigated. Data were collected from 401 customer-contact employees from the South Korean hospitality industry. The results demonstrated that customer courtesy positively influenced prosocial service behavior, and organization-based self-esteem mediated this relationship. Furthermore, employees' focus of attention at work moderated the relationship between customer courtesy and organization-based self-esteem, such that the relationship was stronger for employees with a high focus of attention. Similarly, the focus of attention also moderated the relationship between organization-based self-esteem and prosocial service behavior. The findings have important theoretical and practical implications by demonstrating the role of external resources to promote prosocial service behavior.

The correlates of appearance focused self-concept: personality traits, self-concept, sociocultural, and early life experience factors

BACKGROUND

Theory and research indicate that an appearance focused self-concept (i.e., placing overriding importance on physical appearance for self-definition and self-worth) plays a role in the etiology and maintenance of disordered eating and eating disorders. Although the consequences of an appearance focused self-concept are palpable, less is known about its correlates. Accordingly, we examined a range of factors that may characterize appearance focused people, including personality traits (perfectionism, impulsivity, sensation-seeking, hopelessness, and anxiety sensitivity), self-concept (global self-esteem and self-concept clarity), sociocultural (thin-ideal, muscular-ideal, general attractiveness internalizations, and perceived pressure to be thin), and early life experiences (adverse childhood experiences, attachment styles) factors.

METHODS

Female undergraduate university students (N = 568; Mage = 19.58, SDage = 4.24) completed a questionnaire battery that included the Beliefs About Appearance Scale, Depressive Experiences Questionnaire-Self-Criticism-6 Scale, Frost-Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Revised Almost Perfect Scale, Substance Use Risk Profile Scale, Self-Concept Clarity Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 Scale, Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, Experiences in Close Relationships Scale Short Form, and the Dietary Restraint subscale of the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Multiple regression analyses were conducted for each set of factors separately and together. For personality traits, perfectionism, impulsivity, and anxiety sensitivity were uniquely associated with appearance focused self-concept. For self-concept, global self-esteem and self-concept clarity were uniquely associated with appearance focused self-concept. For sociocultural, general attractiveness internalization, thin-ideal internalization, and perceived pressure to be thin were uniquely associated with appearance focused self-concept. For early life experiences, attachment anxiety and avoidance were uniquely associated with appearance focused self-concept. In the combined analysis, the various factors explained 54% of the variance in appearance focused self-concept. Impulsivity, global self-esteem, general attractiveness internalization, and perceived pressure to be thin were uniquely associated with appearance focused self-concept.

CONCLUSIONS

Results for global self-esteem were consistent with prior research. Findings for evaluative concerns perfectionism were inconsistent with prior research. We discuss future research directions to examine the link between evaluative concerns perfectionism and appearance focused self-concept. We also discuss how sociocultural factors (general attractiveness internalization and perceived pressure to be thin) and impulsivity may help cultivate an appearance focused self-concept, advancing knowledge on the characteristics of appearance-focused people.

"Always online": How and when task interdependence and dispositional workplace anxiety affect workplace telepressure after hours

Information and communication technology (ICT) provides employees with convenience in communication. However, it also creates a preoccupation with and urges to respond quickly to work-related ICT messages during nonworking time, which is defined as workplace telepressure after hours (WTA). Drawing on the job demand-resource model, conservation of resource theory, and workplace anxiety theory, this study explores how and when task interdependence and dispositional workplace anxiety affect WTA and how individuals cope with WTA. A total of 269 full-time workers from an online survey panel completed questionnaires at three time-points. We found that both task interdependence and dispositional workplace anxiety are positively related to WTA. The perception of pay-for-responsiveness moderates the relationship between task interdependence and WTA, such that the relationship is significant only for employees with a strong perception of pay-for-responsiveness. Others' approval contingency of self-worth moderates the relationship between dispositional workplace anxiety and WTA, and the relationship is significant only for employees with high degrees of others' approval contingency of self-worth. Finally, WTA arising from external work requirements or the internal pursuit of achieving work goals prompts employees to generate responsiveness coping strategies. Overall, these findings suggest that task interdependence and dispositional workplace anxiety are important factors affecting employees' WTA and highlight the importance of being responsive to WTA.

Leprosy and lymphatic filariasis-related disability and psychosocial burden in northern Mozambique

INTRODUCTION

Leprosy and lymphatic filariasis (LF) are among the most disabling neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that affect the citizens of Mozambique, especially in the Northern provinces. The irreversible impairments caused by these NTDs often lead to psychosocial consequences, including poor mental wellbeing, stigma and reduced social participation. Limited data on these consequences are available for Mozambique, which are urgently needed to better understand the true disease burden and support advocacy for scaling up interventions.

METHODS

A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted. Mental distress was assessed with the Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), participation restriction was assessed with the Participation Scale Short (PSS) and perceived stigma was assessed with the Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue affected persons stigma scale (EMIC-AP). Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with persons affected by leprosy or LF.

RESULTS

In total, 127 persons affected by leprosy and 184 persons affected by LF were included in the quantitative portion of the study. For the qualitative portion, eight semi-structured interviews were conducted. In both disease groups, mental distress was found in 70% of participants. Moreover, 80% of persons affected by leprosy and 90% of persons affected by LF perceived stigma. Moderate to extreme participation restriction was found in approximately 43% of persons affected by leprosy and in 26% of the persons affected by LF. Persons affected by leprosy and LF felt excluded from society and experienced financial problems. More severe disabilities were associated with more severe outcomes for mental wellbeing, participation restriction and stigma. By contrast, participation in a self-care group was suggested to have a positive impact on these outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The findings provide evidence that persons affected by leprosy and LF must not only confront physical impairments but also experience significant disability in the psychosocial domain, including mental distress, participation restriction and stigma. These challenges must be urgently addressed by NTD programmes to promote the inclusion and wellbeing of persons affected by NTDs.

Sexual Self-Esteem and Orgasm Consistency: Exploring the Unique Roles of Body Image and Genital Image

We explored the unique roles that body and genital image play in behavior-specific orgasm consistency, beyond overall sexual self-esteem. US adults (N = 599; 64% women) completed questionnaires online. Hierarchical regression analyses predicted orgasm consistency during receptive oral sex and penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI) with additional clitoral stimulation (WAS) and with no additional clitoral stimulation (NAS) for the woman. Body image, genital image, and gender were entered in later steps to assess model improvement above sexual self-esteem. Models accounted for age, sexual and racial minority identities, and current relationship status. Results indicated that genital image improved all models and predicted higher orgasm consistency across all behaviors for men and women. For orgasm during receptive oral sex and PVI-NAS, sexual self-esteem was no longer significant once genital image was included. Genital image was a stronger predictor of women's versus men's orgasm during PVI-NAS; no significant gender differences were found for oral sex and PVI-WAS. Body image was not significant in any models, contrary to expectations, suggesting role overlap with sexual self-esteem. Genital image appears to play a unique role in sexual pleasure beyond overall sexual self-esteem and body image.

Understanding the impact of a residential housing program for people living with HIV/AIDS: results from a realist evaluation

BACKGROUND

In Canada, the Public Health Agency surveillance of new HIV cases has demonstrated annual increasing rates since 2020. The rates of new HIV cases are highest in the province of Saskatchewan.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the project was to conduct a resident-oriented realist evaluation of an innovative supportive housing programme, Sanctum, for people living with HIV/AIDS who also face social care issues, such as homelessness. This project took place in Saskatchewan, a province that is seeking innovative approaches to improve quality of life and HIV/AIDS management for its citizens. Our evaluation addressed how and why participants were successful (or not) within the Sanctum programme.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Sanctum is a housing programme located in an inner-city location within the province of Saskatchewan. A unique component of this evaluation was the inclusion of an individual with lived experience, a resident partner, as a member of the research team.

PARTICIPANTS

11 recent Sanctum graduates, seven men and four women, were recruited for client partner-led in-depth, semistructured interviews.

INTERVENTIONS

Prior to the evaluation, we developed a realist programme theory with potential causal explanations, known as context-mechanism-outcomes (CMO) configurations. Interview data from the evaluation and ongoing discussions with Sanctum board members and our resident partner were used to test, refine and validate the final programme theory and CMO configurations.

RESULTS

CMO configurations at the micro (individual), meso (interpersonal) and macro (community) levels complement the over-arching programme theory. Key findings were the importance of Sanctum's harm reduction philosophy, accompanied by a non-judgmental and patient-oriented approach. Participants were supported to reduce risky behaviour, improve self-care management and develop healthier relationships within a 'safe' home-like setting. Underlying mechanisms that contributed to participants' success in the programme included: intrinsic motivation, self-worth, belongingness, empowerment and self-efficacy. Evidence-informed recommendations are offered to support Sanctum-like programme development for individuals with holistic health needs related to HIV/AIDS diagnoses and lack of access to necessary social determinants of health.

CONCLUSIONS

Stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and living circumstances, such as homelessness, were successfully addressed using harm reduction principles and judgement-free approaches within a family-like environment.

Mental Time Travel as Self-Affirmation

ACADEMIC ABSTRACT

This article integrates and advances the scope of research on the role of mental time travel in bolstering the self. We propose that imagining the self in the future (prospection) or in the past (retrospection) highlights central and positive self-aspects. Thus, bringing to mind one's future or past broadens the perceived bases of self-integrity and offers a route to self-affirmation. In reviewing corresponding research programs on self-prospection and nostalgia, we illustrate that mental time travel serves to affirm the self in terms of self-esteem, coherence, and control. Mental time travel could be implemented as a source of self-affirmation for facilitating coping and behavior change in several domains such as relationships, health, education, and organizational contexts.

PUBLIC ABSTRACT

People can mentally travel to their future or to their past. When people imagine what they will be like in the future, or what they were like in the past, they tend to think about themselves in terms of the important and positive attributes that they possess. Thinking about themselves in such an affirming way expands and consolidates their self-views. This broader image of themselves can increase self-esteem (the extent to which one likes who they are), coherence (the extent to which one perceives life as meaningful), and control (the extent to which one feels capable of initiating and pursuing goals or effecting desirable outcomes). Mental time travel, then, has favorable or affirming consequences for one's self-views. These consequences can be harnessed to modify one's behavior in such life domains as relationships, health, education, and work.

Momentary appearance focused self-concept is associated with dietary restraint and binge eating in female university students: An experience sampling study

OBJECTIVE

Appearance focused self-concept (i.e., overvaluing the importance of appearance for self-definition and self-worth) is theorized to predict dietary restraint and binge eating in the short-term (e.g., daily life). Yet, no research has examined whether appearance focused self-concept increases within-persons during a day and if such increases are linked to greater dietary restraint and binge eating for that day. We addressed this gap in knowledge.

METHOD

Sixty-three female university students completed four items from the Beliefs About Appearance Scale as a measure of appearance focused self-concept six times per day (9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm, and 7 pm) for 14 days. Daily at 9 pm, they completed measures of dietary restraint and binge eating for that day.

RESULTS

Analyzing data from 555 days, latent growth curve analyses revealed a small-to-moderate linear increase in appearance focused self-concept from 9 am to 3 pm that plateaued from 3 to 7 pm. A more rapid linear increase in appearance focused self-concept from 9 am to 3 pm was associated with greater binge-eating frequency during that day, but not with dietary restraint. The findings were observed when adjusting for between-day appearance focused self-concept at 9 am, which was positively associated with dietary restraint and binge-eating frequency.

DISCUSSION

Findings are discussed in relation to research on appearance focused self-concept as a risk factor for disordered eating. Findings are also discussed in relation to how sociocultural factors may increase appearance focused self-concept over time. Future research should delve into the within-day dynamic interplay between appearance focused self-concept and disordered eating.

PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE

Our study revealed a noteworthy increase in the importance women attach to their appearance over the course of a day, correlating with increased binge eating during that day. Additionally, heightened appearance importance at the onset of a day was associated with more dietary restraint and binge eating during that day. These findings suggest a shorter timescale for the connection between appearance importance and disordered eating than previously understood.

The Effect of Death Anxiety on Work Passion: Moderating Roles of Work Centrality and Work Connection

Fear of death is an emotional manifestation of the instinct for self-preservation. Any threat to our existence induces an anxiety response. Death anxiety can trigger obsessive-compulsive behaviours, such as an obsessive passion for work. Using a sample of 314 participants (68.2% female), with a mean age of 38.97 years (SD = 10.36), this study sought to observe the predictive effect of death anxiety on work passion, as well as the moderating effect of work-family centrality and connection on the relationship between anxiety and passion. The results revealed that death anxiety negatively affects harmonious passion, and positively affects obsessive passion. Work centrality did not moderate the influence of death anxiety on harmonious and obsessive passion. Nonetheless, work connection moderated the influence of death anxiety on harmonious passion. The negative influence of death anxiety on harmonious passion was greater in a group with high work connection than a group with low connection.

I'm sexy and I know it: Exploring the moderating role of sexual motivations in the relationship between sexual self-esteem and sexual functioning in Israeli adults

This study investigated the relationship between sexual self-esteem and sexual functioning while exploring the moderating role of sexual motives, thereby contributing to a deeper comprehension of factors that affect sexual well-being. The study used a convenience sample of 781 Israeli adults with a mean age of 31.2. Participants completed the sexual self-esteem subscale of the Multidimensional Sexuality Questionnaire, Female Sexual Function Index (for women), International Index of Erectile Function (for men), and Sexual Motives Scale, which assesses motives of self-enhancement, intimacy, self-affirmation, coping, partner approval, and peer pressure. A moderation model examined the role of these sexual motives in the association between sexual self-esteem and sexual functioning. The analysis indicated that higher sexual self-esteem and motivation for intimacy and enhancement were associated with better sexual functioning. The study also revealed that participants' motivation for partner approval and peer pressure moderated the association between sexual self-esteem and sexual functioning. Participants with low motivation for partner approval showed an association between higher sexual self-esteem and greater sexual function, while participants with high motivation for partner approval did not show this association. For peer pressure, the association between higher sexual self-esteem and greater sexual function was strongest for participants who experienced high peer pressure as a sexual motive. Higher sexual self-esteem was associated with better sexual functioning, regardless of peer pressure level, but the association was stronger for participants experiencing high peer pressure. The study results shed light on the connection between sexual self-esteem, sexual motivations, and sexual functioning. Clinically, interventions for addressing sexual functioning should consider both self-esteem and sexual motivations.

The Relationship Between Self-Esteem and Mobile Phone Addiction Among Mainland Chinese Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis

In recent years, the problem of mobile phone addiction (MPA) has become increasingly serious among mainland Chinese adolescents. Studies have found that self-esteem may be related to MPA, but the conclusions are inconsistent. Consequently, this meta-analysis aims to explore the real relationship between self-esteem and MPA, and analyze the moderator variables. The relevant studies used in meta-analysis were obtained by searching China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan Fang Data, Chongqing VIP Information Co., Ltd. (VIP), PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Medline and Embase. Then articles were screened and coded, and statistical analysis was carried out by Stata 16.0 software. A total of 45,765 participants from 64 articles were included in the research. Meta-analysis showed that there was a moderate negative correlation between self-esteem and MPA(r = -.25, 95%CI = -.29, -.21). Subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis showed that the age and publication time can significantly moderate the relationship between self-esteem and MPA, but MPA measurement instrument, gender, region and publication type have no significant moderating effect. The current meta-analysis provided solid evidence that self-esteem was negatively correlated with MPA. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the causality between them, so as to make more specific practice and policy recommendations.

Attachment to God, Contingent Self-Worth, and Mental Health Outcomes in U.S. Collegiate Athletes

Scholars and practitioners have recently devoted increased attention to the psychological well-being of student-athletes. However, sparse research has examined the role of religion/spirituality in well-being in athletic populations. In a sample of U.S. collegiate athletes (N = 415), the present study assessed how the divine relationship, measured by attachment style to God, associates with depressive and anxiety symptoms in a sample of collegiate student-athletes, as well as the mediating role of contingent self-worth based on the approval of others in this process. Results show that secure attachment to God is associated with fewer mental illness symptoms, whereas avoidant and anxious attachment to God are associated with greater mental illness symptoms. Contingent self-worth based on others' approval partially mediates each of these associations. Implications for the religion and health literature and sport practitioners are discussed.

Self-esteem in stabilized individuals with chronic schizophrenia: association with residual symptoms and cognitive functioning

Low self-esteem is regarded as a barrier to recovery from schizophrenia and the identification of factors affecting this psychological characteristic may help to implement effective therapeutic interventions. To this end, the present study aimed to assess whether residual symptoms of the disorder and performance on a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery might differently impact self-esteem among 70 stabilized outpatients with chronic schizophrenia from public outpatient mental health services. Self-esteem inter-correlated with the severity of overall symptomatology, affective and negative symptoms, with premorbid intelligence, and with performance in the domains of verbal learning and memory, visual memory, working memory, and verbal fluency. Residual affective symptoms, premorbid intelligence, and female sex predicted poorer self-esteem in multiple linear regression analysis. The findings of this study implicate that next to psychological interventions therapeutic strategies that specifically target affective symptoms of schizophrenia may have a beneficial impact on patients' self-esteem.

Low self-esteem: a refined cognitive behavioural model

Melanie Fennell's (1997) seminal cognitive approach to low self-esteem was published in Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy. The current paper proposes a refined model, drawing on social theories, and research with people with socially devalued characteristics. This model emphasises how self-esteem relates to perceptions of one's value in the eyes of others. It is proposed that core beliefs typical of low self-esteem relate to one's value in relation to personal adequacy (e.g. having worth or status) and/or to social connection (e.g. being liked, loved, accepted or included). In each of these value domains, beliefs about both the self (e.g. 'I am a failure', 'I am unlovable') and others (e.g. 'Others look down on me', 'Others don't care about me') are considered important. The model suggests that everyone monitors their value but in people with low self-esteem, cognitive biases associated with underlying beliefs occur. In the context of trigger situations, this results in a greater likelihood of negative appraisals of perceived threat to one's value. Such appraisals activate underlying negative beliefs, resulting in negative mood (e.g. low mood, anxiety, shame, disgust) and other responses that maintain low self-esteem. Responses which can be used excessively or in unhelpful ways include (a) corrective behaviours; (b) compensatory strategies; (c) increased value monitoring; (d) safety-seeking behaviours; (e) rumination; (f) unhelpful mood regulation responses. These responses can adversely impact daily functioning or health, having the counterproductive effect of maintaining negative beliefs about one's value. Examples are provided for low self-esteem in lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals.

What if parental love is conditional …? Children's self-esteem profiles and their relationship with parental conditional regard and self-kindness

BACKGROUND

Numerous studies have demonstrated that low, unstable, or contingent self-esteem negatively affects youth development and is linked to adolescent psychopathology. However, most previous studies have applied variable-oriented approaches, and less is known about the natural combination of self-esteem facets in school-aged adolescents, how parental conditional regard affects self-esteem profiles, and how these profiles relate to self-kindness, self-judgement, and life satisfaction.

METHODS

By employing a longitudinal person-oriented approach (i.e., latent profile analysis and latent transition analysis) on two-wave longitudinal data from 587 German secondary school students (52.3% female, Mage=13.52 years), this study aims to (1) identify adolescents' self-esteem profiles based on the level, stability, and contingency of self-esteem; (2) examine the impact of parental conditional regard on the self-esteem profiles explained using self-determination theory; and (3) examine these profiles' relationship with self-kindness, self-judgement, and life satisfaction.

RESULTS

Four self-esteem profiles were derived: optimal-secure (~ 8%), good (~ 18%), average (~ 36%), and low-insecure (~ 38%). The results reveal a concerningly high proportion as well as a high stability of low-insecure self-esteem (~ 98%) and indicate the strong negative influence of parental conditional regard on the development of optimal-secure self-esteem. Furthermore, the results demonstrate strong correlations between optimal-secure self-esteem, highly developed self-kindness, and high life satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

Using a longitudinal person-oriented approach, it was possible to identify a group with highly vulnerable self-esteem, characterised by particularly low self-kindness, strong self-judgment, and lower life satisfaction. The findings of this study support the need for prevention and intervention targeting adolescents with low-insecure self-esteem.

My child and I: self- and child-reference effects among parents with self-worth contingent on children's performance

Research shows that parents' self-worth may be contingent on their children's performance, with implications for their interactions with children. This study examined whether such child-based worth is manifested in parents' recognition memory. Parents of school-age children in China (N = 527) reported on their child-based worth and completed a recognition memory task involving evaluative trait adjectives encoded in three conditions: self-reference, child-reference, and semantic processing. The more parents had child-based worth, the more they exhibited a child-reference effect - superior recognition memory of evaluative trait adjectives encoded with reference to the child rather than semantically. Parents exhibited the classic self-reference effect in comparisons of recognition memory between the self-reference and semantic processing conditions, but this effect was not evidenced among parents high in child-based worth. Only parents low in child-based worth exhibited the self-reference effect in comparisons between the self-reference and child-reference conditions. Findings suggest that when parents hinge their self-worth on children's performance, evaluative information related to children may be an elaborate structure in memory.

The Effect of Appearance Anxiety on Social Anxiety among College Students: Sequential Mediating Effects of Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem

Social anxiety is a serious psychological problem prevalent among Chinese college students, and appearance anxiety plays an important role in its development. Although some studies have explored the relationship between the two, the mediating mechanism is unclear. This study constructed a sequential mediation model based on the cognitive-behavioral theory of body image disorder and social phobia to explore the mediating role of self-efficacy and self-esteem. A total of 234 college students were recruited using the convenience sampling method, including 68 males (29.10%) and 166 females (70.90%), with an average age of 21.25 years (SD = 1.75). Data were collected using the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Self-Esteem Scale, and the Interaction Anxiety Scale. The study's results demonstrated a significant and positive predictive relationship between appearance anxiety and social anxiety (effect = 0.21, SE = 0.04, 95% CI = [0.13, 0.29], p < 0.001). Appearance anxiety not only directly affects social anxiety but also has three indirect paths affecting social anxiety: the independent mediating effect of self-efficacy (effect = 0.03, SE = 0.01, 95% CI = [0.00, 0.06], p < 0.001), the independent mediating effect of self-esteem (effect = 0.03, SE = 0.02, 95% CI = [0.01, 0.07], p < 0.001), and the serial mediation effect of self-efficacy and self-esteem (effect = 0.01, SE = 0.01, 95% CI = [0.00, 0.03], p < 0.001). Direct and indirect effects accounted for 73.81% and 26.19% of the total effect, respectively. These findings provide new perspectives on the intervention with and treatment of social anxiety in college students.

A Developmental Model of the Sexual Minority Closet: Structural Sensitization, Psychological Adaptations, and Post-closet Growth

Across the lifespan, most sexual minority individuals experience the closet-a typically prolonged period in which no significant others know their sexual identity. This paper positions the closet as distinct from stigma concealment given its typical duration in years and absolute removal from sources of support for an often-central identity typically during a developmentally sensitive period. The Developmental Model of the Closet proposed here delineates the vicarious learning that takes place before sexual orientation awareness to shape one's eventual experience of the closet; the stressors that take place after one has become aware of their sexual orientation but has not yet disclosed it, which often takes place during adolescence; and potential lifespan-persistent mental health effects of the closet, as moderated by the structural, interpersonal, cultural, and temporal context of disclosure. The paper outlines the ways in which the model both draws upon and is distinct from earlier models of sexual minority identity formation and proposes several testable hypotheses and future research directions, including tests of multilevel interventions.

The Moral Reasoning of Ideology: The Mediating Role of Moral Foundations, Moral Absolutism, and Consistency Norm

Focusing on the ideological and worldview premises of moral reasoning, our study (N = 313) has as a starting point the well-known relationship between morality and distributive justice norms. We examined the serially mediating role of progressiveness on morality, moral absolutism, and consistency norm on the relationship between ideological/worldview perspectives and distributional criteria. Three groups of respondents were formed based on participants' ideological and worldview perceptions and then serial mediation analysis was conducted. The present findings suggest that morality is predicted by ideology and worldview and predicts attitudes toward the norms of equity and welfare chauvinism, through moral absolutism and interpretations of consistency norm, thus confirming our hypothesis. Moderate Passive Individualists emerged as the group who adopts the most progressive and inclusive attitude towards moral evaluations and practices, while Demobilized Collectivists and Neoliberals maintain a more conservative attitude towards issues that are subjected to moral framing. Our findings shed light on the crucial role of consistency norm, which has not received enough attention until now.

The relationship between self-esteem and mobile phone addiction among college students: The chain mediating effects of social avoidance and peer relationships

Introduction

Mobile phone addiction has a negative impact on the physical and mental health of college students, which has attracted extensive attention from scholars.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the mechanism of the influence of self-esteem on mobile phone addiction among 694 college students using the Self-Esteem Scale, the Mobile Phone. Addiction Scale, the Peer Relationship Scale and the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale.

Results

The results showed that (1) self-esteem significantly and negatively predicted mobile phone addiction; (2) self-esteem influenced mobile phone addiction through the mediating effect of social avoidance; (3) self-esteem influenced mobile phone addiction through the mediating effect of peer relationships; and (4) social avoidance and peer relationships played a chain mediating role in the influence of self-esteem on mobile phone addiction.

Discussion

These findings can help researchers and educators better understand the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between self-esteem and mobile phone addiction and to provide practical and effective operational suggestions for the prevention and intervention of mobile phone addiction among college students.

School climate and academic burnout in medical students: a moderated mediation model of collective self-esteem and psychological capital

BACKGROUND

The study burnout of medical students is more and more serious, which directly affects the study style of university and the learning quality of students. This has aroused the high attention of researchers and universities. This study aimed to explore the mechanism of the influence of school climate on academic burnout among medical students in Chinese cultural context.

METHODS

2411 medical students (50.52% female; mean age = 19.55, SD = 1.41, rang = 17-24 years) were investigated with psychological environment questionnaire, collective self-esteem scale, psychological capital scale and academic burnout scale. The data were analyzed by using a moderated mediation model with SPSS and the Process 4.0 macro.

RESULTS

The results revealed that: (1) school climate had a significant negative predictive effect on academic burnout among medical students controlling for gender, grade and age (B = -0.40, p < 0.001). (2) Collective self-esteem played a partial mediating role in school climate and academic burnout (indirect effect = -0.28, 95% CI = [-0.32,-0.25], accounting for 52.83%). (3) The first and second half of the indirect effect of school climate on medical students' academic burnout were moderated by psychological capital (B = 0.03, p < 0.01; B = -0.09, p < 0.001).High level of psychological capital can enhance the link between school climate and collective self-esteem as well as the link between self-esteem and academic burnout.

CONCLUSION

Creating a good school atmosphere and improving the level of collective self-esteem and psychological capital are beneficial to improve the academic burnout of medical students.

Parental conditional regard: A meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Parental conditional regard involves parents giving or withdrawing affection and approval, depending on children's and adolescents' compliance with parental expectations, to shape behaviors and traits. Research grounded in self-determination theory suggests parental conditional regard harms psychological development. Using self-determination theory as a theoretical foundation for investigating outcomes associated with parental conditional regard, the present study consolidated meta-analytic associations between parental conditional regard and four theoretically important individual difference correlates: introjected self-regulation, contingent self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and relatedness.

METHODS

Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature search was conducted using the PsycINFO, ProQuest, and EBSCO databases for English-language, peer-reviewed published studies and unpublished studies. Eligible studies reported an association between parental conditional regard and the four theoretically derived correlates or another correlate of interest in pre-adolescent children, adolescents, or young adults. The results were based on a random-effects model for meta-analyses and the Q statistic for moderator analyses.

RESULTS

Across 31 samples in total, greater parental conditional regard was significantly associated with more introjected regulation (r = .33), contingent self-esteem (r = .29), and level of depressive symptoms (r = .22); and less relatedness (r = -.24). Moderator results for parental conditional regard type found parental conditional regard's association with introjected regulation was significantly stronger for studies measuring giving regard (parental conditional positive regard) than withdrawing regard (parental conditional negative regard). The association of parental conditional regard with depressive symptoms was significantly stronger for studies measuring parental conditional negative regard than parental conditional positive regard.

CONCLUSIONS

The meta-analytic results provide theoretical and empirical support for the connections between self-determination and the impact of parental conditional regard.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Eco-Apocalypse: An Existential Approach to Accepting Eco-Anxiety

Climate crisis presents a near-term existential threat to the human species, one that society has neither the physical nor psychological infrastructure to manage. Eco-anxiety increases as awareness about climate crisis spreads. Despite an urgent need for resources on how to help people cope with the psychological ramifications of climate crisis, there is little literature that both addresses people's apocalyptic fears and takes the scientific bases of those fears seriously. In this article, I synthesize research on existential psychology, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, grief, and end-of-life care to present an original perspective on how people, individually and collectively, can become psychologically resilient to climate crisis. First, I establish that death anxiety underlies eco-anxiety. Second, I demonstrate that preparing psychologically for eco-apocalypse requires people to cultivate death acceptance. Finally, I illustrate how commitment to palliative values can enable people to live rich and meaningful lives despite their most likely imminent end.

Analysis of “Mercedes mon Amour” Movie According to Significance Quest Theory

The aim of this study is to analyse and embody Significance Quest Theory and notions of it. Significance quest is a human-specific motivation and can be the cause of good or misdeeds, shame or pride. The primary factor driving one to quest for significance is personal or collective significance loss as a result of exclusion or humiliation of self or one’s group. Any threat of significance loss apart from the suffered significance loss is also drive one to quest for significance. Opportunities for gaining significance also motivate one to quest for significance. “Mercedes mon Amour” movie directed by Tunç Okan was analysed in terms of different notions of the significance quest. The document analysis method of qualitative research designs was adopted within this study. Notions of significance quest, significance loss, threat of significance loss, opportunity for significance gain, personal and collective significance loss were tried to be embodied by analysing some specified scenes of the movie based on the incidents of them.

Peer Adversity Predicts Interpersonal Needs in Adolescent Girls

The need to belong (NTB) and need for approval (NFA) are fundamental interpersonal needs vital to social development. Although these needs are universal, individual differences in the strength of these needs likely emerge from critical social experiences. In particular, given the growing salience of peer social evaluation and belonging across adolescence, interpersonal needs during this stage may be strongly tied to both early and recent experiences in the peer group. The aim of the present study was to examine the contribution of lifetime and recent peer adversity to both general and situation-specific interpersonal needs in a sample of adolescent girls (N = 89, Mage  = 15.85). Results revealed that recent peer adversity predicted avoidance-oriented NFA, whereas a significant interaction between lifetime and recent peer adversity predicted approach-oriented NFA. Although neither lifetime nor recent peer adversity predicted individual differences in NTB, both predicted threats to interpersonal needs in the context of a laboratory manipulation of social exclusion. Specifically, both lifetime and recent peer adversity predicted greater need-threat prior to the exclusion, but only individuals who had experienced lifetime peer adversity continued to display ongoing high levels of threatened interpersonal needs.

Satisfaction with smile appearance mediates oral health-related quality of life in adolescents regardless of orthodontic treatment need – a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

To explore the relationship between adolescents' oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), satisfaction with smile appearance, treatment need and treatment demand through direct and serial mediation models.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 215 11-14-year-olds and their parents. The instruments included the Child Perceptions Questionnaire and the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need. Satisfaction with smile appearance, orthodontic treatment demand and parental perception of their child's orthodontic treatment need was recorded on a Likert scale (0 = not at all to 4 = very much). Serial mediation models were used to assess the effects of malocclusion on the OHRQoL.

RESULTS

Objective treatment need explained less than 5% of the adolescents' OHRQoL. Serial mediation models through satisfaction with smile appearance, parental perception of their child's orthodontic treatment need, and patients' orthodontic treatment demand explained 23-25% of the variance.

CONCLUSIONS

Satisfaction with smile appearance mediates the OHRQoL in adolescents. Parents have no direct influence, but their perception of the need to correct their child's teeth might amplify adolescents' orthodontic treatment demand, leading to lower OHRQoL.

What my body looks like and what my body can do: A self-perception explanation of excessive exercise in young adults with anorexia and/or bulimia

The present study examined the relationships between quantitative and qualitative dimensions of excessive exercise (EE) with the physical self-perception's dimensions and perceptual perspectives of body image (i.e., allocentric/3rd person and egocentric/1st person perspectives). The eLoriCorps Immersive Body Rating Scale 1.1, the very short form version of the Physical Self-Inventory and the Exercise and Eating Disorder test were used. The study includes 36 people with anorexia and/or bulimia seeking an external and specialized transdisciplinary program for eating disorders. Results show a different correlational profile of physical self-perceptions depending on the dimension (qualitative or quantitative) used to define EE. Differences in the perspectives used to assess body dissatisfaction (allocentric or egocentric) were also found. Perceived physical appearance was the key predictor of the qualitative dimension of excessive exercise. Findings suggest that EE in patients with an eating disorder could be explained by the feeling of competence not only related to physical appearance but also to physical abilities.

Development of adolescents’ self-esteem and general academic self-concept: perceived classroom climate makes a difference

We investigated rank-order continuity and mean-level change in adolescents’ self-esteem, academic self-concept, and social self-concept and tested whether interindividual differences in intraindividual change could be explained by four dimensions of classroom climate (i.e., teachers’ focus on students, learning community, pressure related to social or achievement issues, and rivalry and disruptions in class). The effects of classroom climate dimensions were investigated at the individual and classroom levels. The study comprised 2722 students from 98 classes who participated in four waves from grades 5 to 8. Rank-order continuities of self-esteem, academic self-concept, and social self-concept were substantial. Multilevel regressions revealed a significant nonlinear mean-level change in all constructs under investigation, indicating an initial decrease that became smaller over time. In self-esteem and social self-concept, the trend shifted from an initial decrease to an increase. Multilevel regressions revealed significant interindividual differences in the changes over time in all constructs. Change in academic self-concept was significantly predicted by all classroom climate dimensions on the individual level. Change in self-esteem was predicted by teachers’ focus on students and pressure related to social or achievement issues on the individual level. Change in social self-concept was not predicted by any classroom climate dimension.

Contingent self-worth and depression in early adolescents: The role of psychological inflexibility as a mediator

This study investigated whether lower psychological flexibility (psychological inflexibility) mediates the relationship between contingent self-worth and depressive symptoms among Japanese adolescents. A total of 210 Japanese junior high school students aged 12 to 15 years (106 boys and 104 girls) were recruited for this study. Participants completed the Japanese adaptations of the Self-Worth Contingency Questionnaire, the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth, and the Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children. Results indicated that psychological inflexibility mediated the association between contingent self-worth and depressive symptoms. Specifically, contingent self-worth affected lower psychological flexibility, which influenced higher depressive symptoms. The results highlight the importance of fostering autonomy and promoting psychological flexibility to reduce the risk of depression among adolescents.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, tell me that I have succeeded at it all: Self-esteem and the defensive mechanisms against failure

Students face frequent formal and informal tests, both in the academic context and social life. On each of these occasions, they risk falling short of their own or others’ expectations. Facing failure is a psychological challenge, and people can react with defensive strategies, which may have negative consequences. Here we investigated the role of self-esteem as a possible buffer against these defensive strategies. Previous research has demonstrated that, in the face of failure, individuals with discrepant (fragile: high explicit and low implicit, or damaged: high implicit and low explicit) self-esteem are more likely to engage in defensive mechanisms than individuals with consistent implicit and explicit self-esteem. Two studies investigate the relationship between implicit and explicit self-esteem and two defensive strategies against the threat of failure: subjective overachievement and retroactive excuses. In Study 1 (N = 176 high school students), we find an association between fragile self-esteem and subjective overachievement. In Study 2 (N = 101 university students), damaged self-esteem is related to the increased use of retroactive excuses as a form of self-serving bias. These results add to the growing body of evidence documenting the maladaptive nature of fragile and damaged self-esteem.

The Clinical Relevance of a Socioecological Conceptualization of Self-Worth

Low self-worth pervades discussions of psychopathology, is a central feature of many psychiatric disorders, and appears in conceptions of psychological distress in a range of cultural contexts . Explication of this aspect of self-evaluation offers clinical utility especially when adequate attention is paid to social and cultural aspects of the self. In this paper, we propose that refining the conceptualization of self-worth as felt perceptions of one’s mattering and deservingness of equity and psychological, social, and material resources offers a unique clinical utility. We present an argument for this definition of self-worth, building on existing literature, as a relativistic construct informed and reinforced by dynamic feedback from intrapersonal, interpersonal, sociocultural, and structural socioecological levels. To highlight that self-worth has been an implied but under-examined concept, we follow with a selective review of psychological and sociological perspectives of self-esteem and related constructs. We conclude with a discussion of our conceptualization’s implications for measurement and treatment, including the potential transdiagnostic utility of self-worth.

Exploring the Influence of Failure Aversion on Learning From Project Failure: A Sensemaking Perspective

Although project failure is commonly considered a negative event, it can provide valuable resources for learning. Despite well documented research on the antecedents of learning from project failure at the individual level, individuals' attitude toward failures, a relatively proximal antecedent of learning from failure, has attracted limited attention in organizational studies. To address this paucity of research, based on the sensemaking theory, in the current study we specifically focused on individuals' failure aversion and explored how it would influence learning from failure through the process of arguing and expectation. Using a sample of 774 employees from R&D teams in China, our findings revealed that individuals' failure aversion enhanced their learning from failure through inducing a loss-focused coping, but failure aversion negatively affected learning from failure through increasing the individuals' perceived loss of self-esteem. We also found that individuals' learning goal orientation (LGO) weakened the negative relationship between the loss of self-esteem and learning from failure; however, LGO did not moderate our hypothesized relationship between loss-focused coping and learning from failure. Our study extends the literature on learning from failure in two ways. First, it explores the learning from failure process at the individual level based on the sensemaking theory and second, it sheds light on the underlying cognitive mechanisms operating between failure aversion and learning from project failure.

Fixed Intelligence Mindset, Self-Esteem, and Failure-Related Negative Emotions: A Cross-Cultural Mediation Model

A growing body of literature supports that fixed intelligence mindset promotes the emergence of maladaptive emotional reactions, especially when self-threat is imminent. Previous studies have confirmed that in adverse academic situations, students endorsing fixed intelligence mindset experience higher levels of negative emotions, although little is known about the mechanisms through which fixed intelligence mindset exerts its influence. Thus, the present study (N_total = 398) proposed to investigate self-esteem as a mediator of this relationship in two different cultural contexts, in Hungary and the United States. Structural equation modeling revealed that self-esteem fully mediated the relationship between fixed intelligence mindset and negative emotions. Furthermore, results of the invariance testing conferred preliminary evidence for the cross-cultural validity of the mediation model. These findings suggest that, students adhering to fixed intelligence beliefs tend to experience greater self-esteem loss when experiencing academic failure, which leads to higher levels of negative emotions.

The influence of general causality orientations on self-esteem and perceived stress among undergraduate students in women-only colleges

Purpose

General causality orientation is a mini-theory within the self-determination theory (STD). The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of general causality orientations (autonomous, controlled, and impersonal) on perceived stress and self-esteem among students in a women-only college.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to students (n = 132) of a small women-only university in Roanoke, Virginia, USA. The survey included questions on the three general causality orientations, perceived stress, and self-esteem; the survey also included questions on student satisfaction, financial resources, and academic performance, used as control variables in the study.

Findings

Autonomous orientation was not significantly related to self-esteem or perceived stress. Controlled orientation negatively influences self-depreciation. Finally, impersonal orientation positively influenced self-depreciation and negatively affected self-confidence.

Practical implications

Faculty and administrators in women-only universities should be encouraged to implement programs that strengthen the sense of optimism among female students. Student support services that emphasize enhancing autonomous orientation could be even more helpful by offering interventions that help students overcome their impersonal orientation.

Originality/value

While previous studies have concentrated on autonomous orientation, this study provides recommendations for overcoming impersonal orientation among female undergraduate students in women-only colleges to enhance self-esteem and reduce stress.

Conformity to masculine norms, masculine discrepancy stress, and changes in muscle dysmorphia symptoms

Muscle dysmorphia (MD) is a severe psychiatric illness; however, little is known regarding risk factors for MD development. Conformity to masculine norms may represent a risk factor for MD, but research has yet to establish temporal ordering for these relationships. Masculine discrepancy stress (distress at not amounting to masculine stereotypes) could represent a mechanism underlying these relationships. Therefore, the current study examined longitudinal relationships between conformity to masculine norms, masculine discrepancy stress, and MD symptoms. Participants were 272 men displaying elevated MD symptoms who completed self-report questionnaires at three timepoints. An autoregressive cross-lagged mediation model was specified to examine relationships between conformity to masculine norms and MD symptoms and test if masculine discrepancy stress mediated these relationships. Masculine discrepancy stress did not mediate relationships between masculine norms and MD symptoms. However, MD symptoms predicted increased masculine discrepancy stress, and conformity to masculine norms was related to MD symptoms. MD symptoms were both a predictor and outcome of masculine norms, and signs for relationships differed on the masculine norm endorsed. Conformity to masculine norms may represent a risk factor and outcome for MD symptoms. If clinicians provide clients with tools to reduce rigid adherence to masculine identities, this may prevent MD symptom development.