Synonyms
Definition
Self-esteem is a widely used concept in psychology and has been defined in numerous ways. Self-esteem can be described as an individual’s overall sense of self-worth or personal value. It is generally accepted that self-esteem is the evaluative component of the self-concept. The self-concept is an extensive representation of the self that also includes cognitive and behavioral characteristics (Blascovich and Tomaka 1991). Within psychological research, self-esteem has been linked to a variety of domains, from personality, clinical, and behavioral concepts to eating disorders, aggression, and criminality. Almost all psychology theory refers to self-esteem, and as such, it is widely agreed that the need to maintain and enhance self-esteem is central to human behavior (Leary et al. 1995).
Introduction
This entry focuses on three key evolutionary perspectives of self-esteem; sociometer theory,...
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References
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Blinkhorn, V. (2016). Self-Esteem as Manipulative Status Communication. In: Weekes-Shackelford, V., Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1456-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1456-1
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