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Theory of Personality and Self-esteem

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-How does Freud's theory apply to the construct of self-esteem?
- What would the Freudian perspective postulate about people with low self-esteem?
- How would this perspective describe low self-esteem in the words of its own theoretical model?
Also, Use the Cai et al. article, "Self-Esteem and Culture: Differences in Cognitive Self-Evaluations or Affective Self-Regard?"

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Solution Summary

This solution describes Sigmund Freu's Personality Theory, and its applicability to the construct of self-esteem

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(1) How does Freud's theory apply to the construct of self-esteem?

An oxford definition describes self-esteem as having a low opinion of one's self [low self-esteem], and an unduly high regard for oneself [high self-esteem] (p. 212). Self-esteem is involved when a particular crisis in self-concept (personal identity) is threatened by some internal or external event. Psychodynamic theories are predicated upon the notion that each person has thoughts and feelings that are hidden (unconscious) in the mind. One of the key concepts of Freudian psychoanalyses is that much of the mental life (i.e., thoughts, perception, etc) occurs at an unconscious level. Freudian psychoanalyses attempted to explain how unconscious feelings affect emotions and behaviors. Relative to self-esteem, several studies have been conducted, and reviewed for evidence based on the Freudian theory. As an example, Baumeister, Dale, & Sommer (1998) explored the concept of self-esteem from the perspective of Freud's seven defense mechanisms. Freud hypothesized that the ego defended itself against internal events such as sexual and/or aggressive desires. However, according to Fenichel (1945 as cited in Baumeister et al, 1998), Freud's defense mechanism are ...

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