department of psychology

social , emotional and moral development

topic :-social development - self esteem

submitted to :- mandeep mam

submitted by :- amandeep kaur
pgdcdc
roll no :20361214

SELF - ESTEEM
 introduction
In psychology, the term self-esteem is used to describe a
person's overall subjective sense of personal worth or
value—in other words, how much you appreciate and like
yourself. It involves a variety of beliefs about yourself,
such as the appraisal of your own appearance, beliefs,
emotions, and behaviors.

Other terms that are often used interchangeably with

self-esteem include self-worth, self-regard, and self-
respect.

What Is Self-Esteem in Child Development?

Self-esteem is a measure of how we see ourselves–our sense of self-

worth.

Being high in self-esteem makes us feel valued, boosting our self-belief,

ability to perform, subjective wellbeing, and overall psychological
health. It facilitates our growth as individuals and provides a buffer
against setbacks and failures (Ellis, 2019; Jordan, Zeigler-Hill, &
Cameron, 2017).

Low self-esteem has the opposite effect, to the point where we may not
even like who we are (Abdel-Khalek, 2016; Orth, 2017).

Self-esteem is fundamental to a child’s development, psychological

wellbeing, and sense of who they are.
Being high in self-esteem is linked to being more resilient, having a
greater sense of control, the capacity to act independently, feeling
secure, and experiencing a sense of worth.

The importance of self-esteem in children

Self-esteem plays a crucial role in children’s happiness, sense of worth,
and overall development. After all, children higher in self-esteem feel
more confident and capable. They are proud of who they are and what
they achieve and are comfortable asking for help and standing up for
themselves (Cunningham, 2019).

Higher self-esteem in child development promotes:

 Resilience – the ability to recover from mistakes and failure

 A sense of control that is crucial to intrinsic motivation (Ryan &
Deci, 2018)
 Independent activity
 Feeling respected
 Security in relationship building
 The ability to make well-balanced decisions despite peer pressure

A lack of positive feedback or appropriate support can lead to low self-

esteem and:

 Feelings of frustration, anger, sadness, and anxiety

 Loss of interest in learning
 Difficulty making and keeping friends
 Withdrawal and increased likelihood to bend to peer pressure
 Signs of Healthy Self-Esteem
There are some simple ways to tell if you have healthy
self-esteem. You probably have healthy self-esteem if
you are more likely to:

 Avoid dwelling on past, negative experiences

 Express your needs
 Feel confident
 Have a positive outlook on life
 Say "no" when you want to
 See overall strengths and You may need to work on
how you weaknesses and accept them

Signs of Low Self-Esteem

You may need to work on how you perceive yourself if
you tend to experience these common problems caused
by low self-esteem:

 You believe that others are better than you.

 You find expressing your needs difficult.
 You focus on your weaknesses.
 You frequently experience feelings such as
shame, depression, or anxiety.
 You have a negative outlook on life.
 You have an intense fear of failure.
 You have trouble accepting positive feedback.
 You have trouble saying "no."
 You put other people's needs before your own.
 You struggle with confidence.
 Self-Esteem and Psychology

 Self-esteem has been a hot topic in psychology for decades, going

about as far back as psychology itself. Even Freud, who many
consider the founding father of psychology (although he’s a bit of
an estranged father at this point), had theories about self-esteem at
the heart of his work.

 What self-esteem is, how it develops (or fails to develop) and what
influences it has kept psychologists busy for a long time, and
there’s no sign that we’ll have it all figured out anytime soon!

 While there is much we still have to learn about self-esteem, we

have at least been able to narrow down what self-esteem is and
how it differs from other, similar constructs. Read on to learn what
sets self-esteem apart from other self-directed traits and states.

 Self-Esteem vs. Self-Concept

 Self-esteem is not self-concept, although self-esteem may be a part
of self-concept. Self-concept is the perception that we have of
ourselves, our answer when we ask ourselves the question “Who
am I?” It is knowing about one’s own tendencies, thoughts,
preferences and habits, hobbies, skills, and areas of weakness.

 Put simply, the awareness of who we are is our concept of our

self.

 Purkey (1988) describes self-concept as:

 “the totality of a complex, organized, and dynamic system of

learned beliefs, attitudes and opinions that each person holds to be
true about his or her personal existence”.
 According to Carl Rogers, founder of client-centered therapy,
self-concept is an overarching construct that self-esteem is one of
the components of it (McLeod, 2008).

  

 Self-Esteem vs. Self-Image

 Another similar term with a different meaning is self-image; self-
image is similar to self-concept in that it is all about how you see
yourself (McLeod, 2008). Instead of being based on reality,
however, it can be based on false and inaccurate thoughts about
ourselves. Our self-image may be close to reality or far from it, but
it is generally not completely in line with objective reality or with
the way others perceive us.

  

 Self-Esteem vs. Self-Worth

 Self-esteem is a similar concept to self-worth but with a small
(although important) difference: self-esteem is what we think, feel,
and believe about ourselves, while self-worth is the more global
recognition that we are valuable human beings worthy of love
(Hibbert, 2013).

 Self-Esteem vs. Self-Confidence

 Self-esteem is not self-confidence; self-confidence is about your
trust in yourself and your ability to deal with challenges, solve
problems, and engage successfully with the world (Burton, 2015).
As you probably noted from this description, self-confidence is
based more on external measures of success and value than the
internal measures that contribute to self-esteem.

 One can have high self-confidence, particularly in a certain area or

field, but still lack a healthy sense of overall value or self-esteem.
  

 Self-Esteem vs. Self-Efficacy

 Similar to self-confidence, self-efficacy is also related to self-
esteem but not a proxy for it. Self-efficacy refers to the belief in
one’s ability to succeed at certain tasks (Neil, 2005). You could
have high self-efficacy when it comes to playing basketball, but
low self-efficacy when it comes to succeeding in math class.

 Unlike self-esteem, self-efficacy is more specific rather than

global, and it is based on external success rather than internal
worth.

 Self-Esteem vs. Self-Compassion

 Finally, self-esteem is also not self-compassion. Self-
compassion centers on how we relate to ourselves rather than how
we judge or perceive ourselves (Neff, n.d.). Being self-
compassionate means we are kind and forgiving to ourselves, and
that we avoid being harsh or overly critical of ourselves. Self-
compassion can lead us to a healthy sense of self-esteem, but it is
not in and of itself self-esteem.

 We explore this further in The Science of Self-Acceptance

Masterclass©.

 Esteem in Maslow’s Theory – The Hierarchy of Needs



 The mention of esteem may bring to mind the fourth level

of Maslow’s pyramid: esteem needs.

 While these needs and the concept of self-esteem are certainly

related, Maslow’s esteem needs are more focused on external
measures of esteem, such as respect, status, recognition,
accomplishment, and prestige (McLeod, 2017).

 There is a component of self-esteem within this level of the

hierarchy, but Maslow felt that the esteem of others was more
important for development and need fulfillment than self-esteem.

 He explained that for one to achieve self-actualization and grow,

their need for inner-respect and esteem from others must be met.
 7 Ways to Build Children’s Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is vital for children’s

confidence in themselves and their ability to overcome challenges
(Cunningham, 2019).

Participation and overcoming problems, asking for help, and receiving

appropriate support are all positive takeaways that build self-esteem
and self-confidence, whether successful or not. The caregiver’s
challenge is to balance between being supportive, overprotective, and
realistic.

The following are all factors that can positively influence the growth of
a child’s self-esteem and encourage them to believe in themselves:

1. Praise – praise children for their effort rather than for successful
outcomes.

2. Friends – encourage them to maintain a small number of friends

who accept them for who they are to promote a sense of
belonging.

3. Strengths – help children identify and use their strengths to make

a significant, positive difference on themselves and those around
them (Niemiec & McGrath, 2019).

4. Foster love – let the child know they are loved and valued. The
simple act of saying you love them, with no reason or trigger to do
so, can be powerful.
5. Create a sense of belonging – promote an understanding of being
part of something bigger–a family or community–by sharing
family photos and stories, joining groups, participating in
community festivals, and creating family rituals.

6. Try new things – encourage the child to find and try new things
(whether they are successful or not).

7. Handle problems – encourage children to overcome difficulties by

thinking calmly, trying different approaches, asking for help, and
practicing kindness to themselves when things don’t work out.

REFERENCES:-

Hewitt, John P. (2009). Oxford Handbook of

Positive Psychology. Oxford University Press.
pp. 217–224. ISBN 978-0-19-518724-3.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/self-
esteem
https://positivepsychology.com/self-esteem/
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/self-esteem.html