abril de 2004 - CCHLA - Universidade Federal da Paraíba

Generated by Foxit PDF Creator © Foxit Softwarehttp://www.foxitsoftware.com For evaluation only.The implication that the vernacular meaning of selfesteemhas a pride/shame component is supported by anempirical study of the relationship between self-esteemscores and affect. Using two self-esteem scales and ascale measuring positive and negative affect, Brown andMarshall (2001) found that pride and shame were the twoemotions having the highest correlations with self-esteemscores.But definition # 2 of self-esteem, above, points toanother component: it mentions no emotions or feelings.Instead, it defines self-esteem cognitively, holding a goodopinion of self. Self-esteem scales appear to emphasizethis second meaning. Self-esteem scales and studies focuson that part of self-concept, self-evaluation, which isverbally described and cognitive, rather than affective andsocial. With a standardized paper and pencil test, it wouldbe difficult to get at the affective component directly.Although there are two hundred scales that defineself-esteem operationally, I have been unable to find asingle conceptual definition. But the confound betweenself-evaluation and self-feeling discussed here has comeup indirectly. Baumeister et al (1996) have suggested thata too high self-esteem, which they equate with mereegotism, can lead to aggression when egotism isthreatened. But if self-feeling is defined as the principlecomponent of high self-esteem, genuine pride, theBaumeister paradox wouldn’t arise.Their discussion ignores the distinctions betweengenuine pride and false pride (egotism), and betweenconscious shame and shame that is outside awareness.Self-esteem might be defined conceptually as a ratiobased on proneness to genuine pride as against pronenessto shame/embarrassment, everyday emotions that areprevalent in virtually all kinds of encounters and manystates of consciousness. Since positive self-evaluationmay be based on egotism and false pride, scales confoundegotism, high cognitive self-evaluation, with high-selfesteem (justified pride).The effect of a model of self-esteem that has bothcognitive and feeling components can be represented in asimple table.Self Feeling123