Abstract
In this chapter, we utilize terror management theory to explain what self-esteem is, how the need for self-esteem develops, how people attain and maintain self-esteem, and why self-esteem is so important for psychological well-being. Then we briefly review empirical evidence supporting these ideas. First, we review evidence that reminders of death increase self-esteem striving. Second, we describe studies showing that self-esteem reduces defensiveness, anxiety, and deathrelated thought in response to mortality salience. Third, we consider evidence that threats to self-esteem increase death-related cognition, and that low self-esteem is associated with deficient terror management mechanisms and increased risk for psychopathology following traumatic events. Finally, we present evidence that self-esteem is associated with a sense of symbolic and literal immortality. Together, these research programs support the terror management theory proposition that a primary reason self-esteem matters is because it helps us minimize the anxiety engendered by the knowledge of our vulnerability and mortality.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Influences and Importance of Self-Awareness, Self-Evaluation and Self-Esteem |
Publisher | Nova Science Publishers, Inc. |
Pages | 1-32 |
Number of pages | 32 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781685075323 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781685075286 |
State | Published - Jan 1 2022 |
Keywords
- mortality salience
- self-esteem
- terror management
- well-being
- worldviews
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Psychology