Self-Esteem Research, Theory, and Practice Toward a Positive ...

CHAPTER 4Major Self-Esteem Theoriesand ProgramsWe are now at the midpoint of this look at self-esteem, which means thatit is time to examine the major theoretical approaches to understandingself-esteem and to enhancing it. In addition to simply updating material,examining what might be regarded as the most promising existing workmay also provide a sense of what issues are particularly important inorganizing our own efforts in these two areas. Understanding the lay ofthe theoretical landscape, for instance, should create a better footing onwhich to develop an integrated theory. Similarly, taking the time to appreciatehow people have gone about attempting to enhance self-esteemcould result in important insights or guidelines for moving from theory topractice.To have some criteria to select theories and programs for examination,it is necessary to define what “major” means. The criteria of persistenceand significance still work here, but so many new developmentshave taken place in the field since the other editions of this text that I mayno longer use the past practice of selecting one theory to represent eachof the major perspectives in psychology. Also, some completely new theorieshave appeared and others have receded to a historical role. Anotherway to proceed is by appreciating the three oldest positions in the field,which include what might be called the Jamesian, social learning, andhumanistic traditions. Then I will examine several contemporary empiricallyoriented theories from the cognitive, developmental, existential, andevolutionary points of view.An important word is necessary before beginning this work.Selecting and reviewing theories is always a challenging task in a fieldthat has many of them. It is virtually impossible to present such material107