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Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, Vol. 14, No. 3, 1995, pp 297-314
MARK R. LEARY, LISA S. SCHREINDORFER, AND ALISON L. HAUPT Wake Forest University
Low self-esteem has been linked to a number of emotional and behavioral
problems. This article examines the relationship between low self-esteem and a
variety of psychological difficulties from the standpoint of the sociometer model of self-esteem. According to this model, the behavioral concomitants of low self-esteem are best viewed as reactions to real, anticipated, or imagined rejection rather than as consequences of low self-esteem per se. Evidence relevant to this
hypothesis is reviewed as it relates to dysphoric emotions, substance abuse, irresponsible sexual behavior, aggression, membership in deviant groups, and eating disorders. Implications of this approach for treating certain psychological problems are also discussed.
Low self-esteem ranks among the strongest predictors of emotional and
behavioral problems. Compared to people with high self-esteem, people
with low self-esteem tend to be more anxious, depressed, lonely, jealous, shy, and generally unhappy. They are also less assertive, less likely to enjoy close friendships, and more likely to drop out of school. Further
more, they are more inclined to behave in ways that pose a danger to
themselves or others: low self-esteem is associated with unsafe sex,
teenage pregnancy, aggression, criminal behavior, the abuse of alcohol and other drugs, and membership in deviant groups (for reviews,
Baumeister, 1993; Bednar, Wells, & Peterson, 1989; Mecca, Smelser, & Vasconcellos, 1989). Given that research strongly implicates low self-es
teem as a risk factor for psychological distress and behavioral problems,
some have recommended raising self-esteem as a way to remediate a
variety of personal and social problems (e.g., Mecca et al., 1989).
However, despite thousands of studies on the antecedents, concomi-
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Mark R. Leary, Department
of Psychology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109 E-mail: LEARY OWFU.EDU.
297
THE ROLE OF LOW SELF-ESTEEM IN
EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS:
WHY IS LOW SELF-ESTEEM DYSFUNCTIONAL?
see
298 LEARY ET AL.
tants, and consequences of self-esteem, we do not have an adequate
understanding of why low self-esteem lies at the root of so many psy
chological difficulties, or even whether the culprit is, in fact, self-esteem. The purpose of this article is to explore...