Effect of Self-esteem on Memory
Does Low Self-Esteem Impair Memory?
One’s self-esteem can have an effect on everyday life: happiness, confidence, and behavioral interactions. Self-esteem is defined as a level of confidence that stems from a personal evaluation of one’s worth. For example, people with high self-esteem believe strongly in themselves while people with low self-esteem have doubts about their thoughts or ideas. How can this impact a real situation like eye-witness memory? Are those who distrust themselves more susceptible to believe misinformation given to them by another source? Previous research suggests that people who hold more negative views of themselves are more susceptible to other’s suggestions. For instance, if you are driving with a relative who has low self-esteem and they speed past a Yield sign, it is more likely they would believe you if you said they ran a Stop sign. Lack of self-confidence makes people easily influenced by others opinions. Researcher Jo Saunders (2011) at Swansea University in Swansea, UK conducted experiments to test if self-esteem played a role in the misinformation effect, which is how misleading information can interfere with the recollection of a memory. In his study, college students participated in four experiments that were done using different versions of the recognition test, where the participant is given a choice between identifying the correct memory and the false one.
First, the students filled out the Rosenberg (1965) self-esteem questionnaire containing statements that forced them to identify how good they felt about themselves at that point in time. Based on their scores, the researcher divided them into two groups: students with high self-esteem and students with low self-esteem. Next, the participants watched a slideshow of a group of men robbing with a knife robbing a woman’s purse in the park.
After viewing the power point, the researcher administered a questionnaire with a total of ten salient and ten non-salient items.
One’s self-esteem can have an effect on everyday life: happiness, confidence, and behavioral interactions. Self-esteem is defined as a level of confidence that stems from a personal evaluation of one’s worth. For example, people with high self-esteem believe strongly in themselves while people with low self-esteem have doubts about their thoughts or ideas. How can this impact a real situation like eye-witness memory? Are those who distrust themselves more susceptible to believe misinformation given to them by another source? Previous research suggests that people who hold more negative views of themselves are more susceptible to other’s suggestions. For instance, if you are driving with a relative who has low self-esteem and they speed past a Yield sign, it is more likely they would believe you if you said they ran a Stop sign. Lack of self-confidence makes people easily influenced by others opinions. Researcher Jo Saunders (2011) at Swansea University in Swansea, UK conducted experiments to test if self-esteem played a role in the misinformation effect, which is how misleading information can interfere with the recollection of a memory. In his study, college students participated in four experiments that were done using different versions of the recognition test, where the participant is given a choice between identifying the correct memory and the false one.
First, the students filled out the Rosenberg (1965) self-esteem questionnaire containing statements that forced them to identify how good they felt about themselves at that point in time. Based on their scores, the researcher divided them into two groups: students with high self-esteem and students with low self-esteem. Next, the participants watched a slideshow of a group of men robbing with a knife robbing a woman’s purse in the park.
After viewing the power point, the researcher administered a questionnaire with a total of ten salient and ten non-salient items.