An Explorative Study on the Impact of an Individual’s Self –Esteem on Performance

Self –esteem is positive judgment of self. It is how you actually look at yourself, how much you love yourself or respect yourself. Self Respect and self-confidence are the by-products of High Self-esteem! Self-esteem does impact individual‘s performance! ―Self Esteem is a crucial topic to study and research as it stretches across the full spectrum of human existence. At one end of the human behavioral continuum, for instance, low self-esteem is often mentioned in regard to various mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety and learning problems. In the middle of the spectrum, self-esteem is associated with more ordinary problems of living, such as, difficulties dealing with failure, losses, and other setbacks. Finally, the self esteem is also found on the other end of the continuum because it is often talked about in relation to such things as being mentally healthy, successful, living effectively and even the good life‖ (Mruk, 2006).

i. To examine impact of Self-esteem on teenagers‘ Performances ii. To study the self-esteem of adolescents in urban areas.

i. To find out the factors depending in the self- esteem. ii. To examine the importance of self- esteem in academic performance. iii. To find out the impact of environmental factors in formation of Self-esteem. iv. To find out gender wise difference in self-esteem v. To examine the impact of peer pressure on Self-esteem of an individual. Survey Sample: Total 221 Candidates (105 Girls and 116 Boys) Age Group: 13 to 19 years Questionnaire: 55 Questions (MCQs)

This particular analysis is on the basis of results of three important questions out of total 55: 1) Do you struggle with the feelings of Inferiority? (Often/ sometimes/ Always/ Never) 2) Do you feel depressed about your life and don‘t feel like you can do anything about it? (Yes / No / Sometimes) Low self-esteem in adolescence and young adulthood is a risk factor for negative outcomes in important life domains. For example, Trzesniewski et al. (2006) found that low self-esteem during adolescence predicts poorer mental and physical health, worse economic wellbeing, and higher levels of criminal activity in young adulthood. Similarly, other studies found that low self- esteem prospectively predicts antisocial behavior, eating disturbances, depression, and suicidal ideation (Donnellan, Trzesniewski, Robins, Moffitt, & Caspi, 2005; McGee & Williams, 2000; Orth, Robins, & Roberts, 2008). Furthermore, research studies found that human behavior can be determined by the levels of self-esteem. Mosley, (2005) endorsed that "Individuals with low self-esteem are likely to view themselves as useless, unlikeable and incompetent". Teenage is the most vulnerable age and has to be dealt carefully with all the three Cs – Care, Compassion and Caution. This particular age group is actually the preparation for the future life wherein a child has to choose his stream of interest and start working towards his professional goals. The person is in the formative years of his/her self-concept and is experiencing manifold successes and failures in various realms of life. Social comparison is also quite high in these age groups. It becomes apparent that more needs to be done to help people overcome the issue of low Self-esteem because of the devastating effects it can have on an individual.

Total Result shows that answer NEVER is opted by only 27.15% students, which shows that 72. 85% students do feel inferior sometime or other and is not a good sign at all!! Total number of Candidates was 221, 116 Boys and 105 Girls. If we analyze or compare Boys and Girls, we realize that: Very Low Self Esteem. People those who have chosen ALWAYS option probably have developed the negative personality, are very introvert and lack self-confidence. Similarly if we look into the OFTEN option, we find 18% boys in comparison to only 5% girls. This seems to be more of situation or context based, means more so because of peer pressure. But ultimate analysis is that more number of Girls have feeling of inferiority, 79% of them in Comparison to boys, around 67%.

This shows that around 60% of the teenagers feel depressed sometime or the other. Not a good sign again!! Something very interesting or rather Positive fact is that we see more of Girls in comparison to Boys saying that they are NEVER depressed almost 44% of them, whereas we have 38 % Boys saying that they are NEVER depressed. Contrary to this choice SOMETIMES option has more of boys 36.2 % in comparison to Girls 30.4%, which again goes in favor of girls. Here we find 57% of girls in comparison to 62% of boys are depressed, a negligible difference and we also realize that difference is there in SOMETIMES choice around 6% , which again makes it clear that it is something which could be situation or context based .

Total score says that almost 60% teenagers are not bothered about the materialistic pleasures in life. Very positive sign indeed and once again we find Girls Surpassing Boys, with 63.4% in comparison to 57.7% of Boys.

CONCLUSION:

This clearly says that reason for inferiority or depression in teenagers could be unavailability of Luxuries to a certain extent, especially it seems for the ones who have answered SOMETIMES for the first two questions. Which means reason for inferiority or depression could be context based or situation based. We also come to the conclusion that in Urban cities (since we have survey sample of Navi Mumbai) teenagers basically coming from educated and affluent families have knowledge and exposure to the technology and all the luxuries, which creates more pressure and competition for obtaining them and unavailability of such facilities due to any reason creates a sense of inferiority which leads to depression and finally LOW SELF –ESTEEM. There is not much difference in the score as such, which means boys and girls have almost same opportunities and requirements, at least we can say this about the urban areas. We do find Girls having more of inferiority complex, reason could be girls are a bit more sensitive and have subdued reactions.

A Helping Hand: How to build Self-esteem in others By Mark Tyrell and Roger Elliot First Edition 2002 ISBN: 1-902892-07-0 Second Edition © 2014 Uncommon Knowledge Ltd Breaking the Chain of Self-esteem by Marilyn J Sorensen (Clinical Psychologist) Coopersmith, S. (1967). The antecedents of self-esteem. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman & Co. Donnellan, Trzesniewski, Robins, Moffitt, & Caspi (2005). McGee & Williams, 2000; Orth, Robins, & Roberts, 2008. Jamar Press, 1994. New Ways Of Seeing: The Art of Therapeutic Reframing by Mark Tyrell (Psychotherapist and Co-Founder of Uncommon Knowledge Psychotherapy trainers Review of Society and the adolescent self-image By Borenz, Harold F. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, Vol. 36(3), Apr 1966, pp. 560-562. Self-esteem and obesity in Children and Adolescents: A Literature Review Simone A. French, Mary Story, Cheryl L. Perry. SiriNam S. Khalsa, Group Exercises for Enhancing Social Skills & Self-Esteem, Professional Resource Press, 1996.

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