It was found that more the gap in favour of wanting a self-esteem boost versus liking it, the more likely a student was to wait.
Sex, favorite foods, alcohol, a visit with a best friend and a paycheck - a self-esteem boost trumps them all for most college students, according to two new studies that asked students to rate the pleasant activities they most desired.
When the results of the two studies were broken down by gender, however, self-esteem didn't trump everything. Male students preferred it to all other activities, but among women, self-esteem boosts, such as those linked with getting a good grade or a compliment, rated neck-and-neck with money and friends.
In the first study, researchers asked 130 University of Michigan students, who received course credit, to think about their favorite food, sexual activity and self-esteem building experiences. Then they had to rate on a scale from 1 to 5 how much they liked it "How pleasant would it be to eat food, do sex, or have a self-esteem boosting experience?" and how much they wanted it. In the second study, the 152 American students rated how much they wanted and liked the same pleasurable experiences described in the first study as well as receiving a paycheck, seeing a best friend and drinking alcohol.
Overall, the participants liked all the activities more than they wanted, or needed, them, which is healthy. But the difference between liking and wanting was the smallest for self-esteem building experiences. As part of the first study, participants took a test they were told measured intelligence. Afterward, they were told that if they waited an additional 10 minutes, they could have the test rescored and possibly improve their score. It was found that more the gap in favour of wanting a self-esteem boost versus liking it, the more likely a student was to wait.
These results represent a problematic obsession with self-esteem, according to the researchers.
When the results of the two studies were broken down by gender, however, self-esteem didn't trump everything. Male students preferred it to all other activities, but among women, self-esteem boosts, such as those linked with getting a good grade or a compliment, rated neck-and-neck with money and friends.
In the first study, researchers asked 130 University of Michigan students, who received course credit, to think about their favorite food, sexual activity and self-esteem building experiences. Then they had to rate on a scale from 1 to 5 how much they liked it "How pleasant would it be to eat food, do sex, or have a self-esteem boosting experience?" and how much they wanted it. In the second study, the 152 American students rated how much they wanted and liked the same pleasurable experiences described in the first study as well as receiving a paycheck, seeing a best friend and drinking alcohol.
Overall, the participants liked all the activities more than they wanted, or needed, them, which is healthy. But the difference between liking and wanting was the smallest for self-esteem building experiences. As part of the first study, participants took a test they were told measured intelligence. Afterward, they were told that if they waited an additional 10 minutes, they could have the test rescored and possibly improve their score. It was found that more the gap in favour of wanting a self-esteem boost versus liking it, the more likely a student was to wait.
These results represent a problematic obsession with self-esteem, according to the researchers.
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