It has been over 20 years since self-esteem became a household word and an educational mantra.
But "an intervention that encourages (students) to feel good about themselves regardless of work may remove the reason to work hard--resulting in poorer performance," suggests psychologist Roy Baumeister and colleagues from a study sponsored by the American Psychological Society (APS) and published in a monograph in Psychological Science in the Public Interest.
From the 200-plus studies they analyzed, the APS group found no evidence that boosting self-esteem (by therapeutic interventions or school programs) results in better job performance, lower aggression or reduced delinquency. And "high self-esteem does not prevent children from smoking, drinking, taking drugs, or engaging in early sex," it concluded.
Boosting self-esteem without helping people learn more or perform better does not bring higher achievement at school or work.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, April 18, 2003