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The developmental costs of high self-esteem

Two potential developmental costs of high self-esteem were investigated. One was that high self-esteem leads children to act on antisocial cognitions (the disposition activating hypothesis). The other was that high self-esteem leads children to rationalize antisocial conduct (the disposition-rationalizing hypothesis). Both hypotheses were explored in two longitudinal studies with preadolescents. In Study 1 (N = 189) the antisocial behavior was aggression; in Study 2 (N = 407) the antisocial behavior under focus was avoidance of the mother. There was little evidence for the disposition-activating hypothesis in either study but considerable support for the disposition-rationalizing hypothesis in both studies. Over time, aggressive children with high self-esteem increasingly valued the rewards that aggression offers and belittled their victims, and avoidant children with high self-esteem increasingly viewed their mother as harassing and uninvolved. Results therefore suggest that for antisocial children, high self-esteem carries costs, for both themselves and others. / by Madhavi Menon. / Vita. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2007. / Includes bibliography. / Also available in print. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, FL : 2007 Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fau.edu/oai:fau.digital.flvc.org:fau_4284
ContributorsMenon, Madhavi, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
PublisherFlorida Atlantic University
Source SetsFlorida Atlantic University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText, Electronic Thesis or Dissertation
Format120 p.
Rightshttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
RelationThe developmental costs of high self-esteem--(OCoLC)191868498

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