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

144 SELF-ESTEEM RESEARCH, THEORY, AND PRACTICEto a wide range of people. It is even possible to see this program as a lifespan approach to self-esteem. Though not normed against large numbersof subjects, Harter has also developed assessment instruments that areboth multidimensional and that span the entire life cycle. Finally, she hascombined theory with assessment to offer an approach to enhancing selfesteemin the clinical setting that is extremely individualized to the needsof the client.A Note on Burns’ Ten Days to Self-EsteemAlthough it is often referred to as a self-help program and does not offera theory of self-esteem as the foundation for its use, there are two reasonsDavid Burns’ cognitively oriented Ten Days to Self-Esteem (1993a) andits companion Ten Days to Self-Esteem: The Leader’s Manual (1993b)deserve attention. First, the program is a systematic approach to dealingwith problems related to self-esteem, especially excessive anxiety anddepression. Burns defines self-esteem in terms of worthiness and thenpresents 10 sessions or steps aimed at enhancing self-esteem. These stepsare arranged in a sequential order and are worked in a self-help or agroup setting. They are “The Price of Happiness” (which involves introducingthe program, assessing problem areas, and finding out what onehas to do to change), “You FEEL the Way You THINK” (an introductionto cognitive principles of behavior and how to change it), “You CanCHANGE the Way You FEEL” (emphasizes learning about the differencebetween healthy and unhealthy feelings and emotional responses), “Howto Break Out of a Bad Mood” (cognitive techniques to alter negative feelingsand moods), “The Acceptance Paradox” (contrasting Western andEastern approaches to and techniques of change), “Getting Down toRoot Causes” (identifying one’s own self-defeating attitudes and beliefs),“Self-Esteem—What Is It? How Do I Get It?” (understanding and developingconditional and unconditional self-esteem), “The Perfectionist’sScript for Self-Defeat” (ways of dealing with a major set of self-esteemproblems common in our society today), “A Prescription forProcrastinators” (how to increase personal responsibility), and “Practice,Practice, Practice!” (the need to work the steps to benefit from them).Each step involves specific activities, including assessment and enhancementtechniques, that help prepare the individual for the next level.This program is highly structured through the use of a manual thatincludes specific guidelines for practitioners and clients. This “manualized”approach increases the program’s reliability when compared withthe others, which also means that it is relatively easy to research its effectiveness.Also, his program seems to be more thoroughly tested thanothers: It has been used with various populations, including those who