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Related Concept Videos

Self-Esteem01:28

Self-Esteem

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Self-esteem, a core aspect of psychological well-being, reflects an individual's positive and negative self-evaluation in terms of worth, competence, and overall value. It is both a stable trait and a dynamic process, influenced by experiences and social interactions across the lifespan. While global self-esteem offers a general assessment, research highlights that self-esteem is multidimensional and varies across specific life domains.Domain-Specific Self-EsteemResearchers have delineated...
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Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison01:27

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Social comparison plays a fundamental role in the evaluation of personal success and self-worth. Rather than assessing our achievements in isolation, we interpret their significance relative to personal goals and critically in comparison to the performance of others. A grade of B in a mathematics exam might elicit pride if one's expectation was a C, yet result in disappointment if an A was anticipated or if peers achieved superior results. These comparative evaluations illustrate how both...
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Protecting Self-Esteem01:27

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Self-esteem, a central component of psychological well-being, is actively maintained through various cognitive and behavioral strategies. Individuals employ specific mechanisms to preserve a positive self-concept and mitigate threats to their self-worth, particularly in contexts involving social evaluation or personal feedback. Four primary techniques are commonly used to sustain self-esteem.Manipulating AppraisalsOne prominent strategy involves manipulating appraisals from others. Individuals...
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Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model01:29

Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model

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The Self-Evaluation Maintenance (SEM) model offers a psychological framework to understand how individuals’ self-esteem is influenced by the achievements of others, particularly those with whom they share close personal bonds. The SEM model operates when personal rather than social identity guides individuals. Central to this model is the notion that individuals have an inherent desire to preserve a favorable self-image, which is continuously shaped by interpersonal comparisons and...
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Trait and State Self-Esteem02:08

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The term self-esteem is often used generically, to refer to how people feel about themselves. However, according to research, there are three distinct constructs that should not be used interchangeably (Brown & Marshall, 2006). 
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Need for Self-Esteem01:27

Need for Self-Esteem

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The human need for self-esteem has long intrigued psychologists, leading to the development of several theories that explore its evolutionary and functional significance. Among the most influential are the sociometer, hierometer, and terror management theories. Each offers a unique perspective on why people strive for self-worth and how it shapes behavior and social interaction.Sociometer TheoryAccording to sociometer theory, self-esteem functions as an internal gauge of social acceptance. It...
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Neural and computational processes underlying dynamic changes in self-esteem.

Geert-Jan Will1,2, Robb B Rutledge1,2, Michael Moutoussis1,2

  • 1Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom.

Elife
|October 25, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Social feedback influences self-esteem through prediction errors. Brain activity in the ventral striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex tracks these changes, revealing neural mechanisms of social influence and interpersonal vulnerability.

Keywords:
computational psychiatryhumanneurosciencereinforcement learningself-evaluationsocial acceptancesocial rejectionsociometer

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Psychiatry
  • Social Psychology

Background:

  • Self-esteem is dynamically influenced by social feedback.
  • Understanding the neural basis of social influence on self-evaluation is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the neural and computational mechanisms of social influence on self-esteem.
  • To identify computational parameters linked to psychiatric symptoms and interpersonal vulnerability.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a computational model of self-esteem fluctuations based on social prediction errors.
  • Utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe brain activity during social feedback processing.
  • Employed canonical correlation analysis to link computational parameters with psychiatric symptoms.

Main Results:

  • Social prediction errors correlated with activity in the ventral striatum/subgenual anterior cingulate cortex.
  • Self-esteem updates co-varied with activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC).
  • An 'interpersonal vulnerability' dimension modulated insula activity and insula-vmPFC connectivity during self-esteem updates.

Conclusions:

  • Self-evaluative belief updating involves learning mechanisms similar to those used in social learning.
  • Enhanced vmPFC connectivity during belief updating may serve as a marker for psychiatric vulnerability.