What is self-esteem?
Self-esteem is a person’s overall positive or negative evaluation of themselves. William James (1890) described it as success ÷ pretensions, and Morris Rosenberg created the widely used 10-item Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (1965).
📌 At a glance
- Classic measure
- Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (1965)
- Early formula
- Success ÷ pretensions (James)
- Related
- Self-efficacy, self-concept, narcissism
Distinctions
Self-esteem is global self-worth; self-efficacy is belief in one’s ability at specific tasks; narcissism involves grandiosity and need for admiration.
What research shows
Baumeister et al. (2003) found self-esteem strongly related to happiness but found weak evidence that boosting it improves academic or job performance.
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-esteem?
- A person’s overall sense of their own worth.
- Is self-esteem the same as self-efficacy?
- No; self-efficacy concerns confidence in specific abilities.
References
- Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton University Press.
- Baumeister, R. F., Campbell, J. D., Krueger, J. I., & Vohs, K. D. (2003). Does high self-esteem cause better performance, interpersonal success, happiness, or healthier lifestyles? Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 4(1), 1–44.
- James, W. (1890). The principles of psychology. Henry Holt.