Accuracy of Self-Assessment in Low Self Esteem

Self-assessment is a critical part of everyone’s cognitive process because it quantifies self-worth and rewards success. However, self-performance can be difficult to measure accurately for several reasons. The first reason is that our actions, and our true levels of ability often differ from what we internalize. Since we frequently lack the information necessary to accurately assess our competence, the information environment for self-evaluation is frequently insufficient, which makes it difficult for us to make accurate assessments of ourselves. The source “Self-Assessment: Why Evaluating One’s Own Competence Is an Intrinsically Difficult Task” claims that we internally believe external feedback is frequently imprecise, deceptive, and absent. As a result, we often do not correct the false beliefs we have about ourselves. Self-limiting and false beliefs can hinder our ability to reach our goals, keep us from living the lives we envision, and undermine our self-worth.

The conscious comparison and labeling that occurs in our minds should prevent self-evaluations and esteem from being correlated. In “The Social Self: the Role of Social Situation,” it is stated that self-labeling—the process of consciously incorporating labels from others into one’s own self-concept—may happen to us if we are subjected to ongoing criticism by others. When people internalize assumptions made about them from others, it can lead to internalized prejudice, which can happen to those who self-label in these circumstances. Other people’s opinions of us have a stronger integrating effect on our oneself than our own self-evaluations. For instance, people categorize and stereotype others in particular ways, perhaps informally based on ethnicity. Drs. Rajiv and Hammond claim that internalized prejudice has been connected to worse psychological adjustment and a more negative self-concept in individuals belonging to a range of groups, such as racial minorities. According to these results, people may sometimes internalize the stigma attached to a label that they have previously associated with themselves.

This is supported by research conducted by Samuel Parra león, Antonio Pantoja Vallejo, James Byron Nelson, and others, which shows a strong relationship between students’ self-performances (SSA) and real-world performance. According to their research, students with lower SSA scores tend to overperform, while those with higher SSA scores underperform. One explanation for these findings may be found in the Dunning-Kruger Effect. According to the authors study’s, this effect is caused by a cognitive bias in which we mistakenly believe that our cognitive abilities are either higher or lower than they are. One explanation for the cognitive bias in “over estimators” is that they have an internal delusion about their own cognitive capacity, which gives them greater confidence but poor performance. Under estimators may experience cognitive bias due to a mistaken belief that the external evaluation of their abilities is more severe than it is. This can cause us to undervalue our own abilities and result in low self-esteem. The results of the study show that less competent individuals overvalue themselves, while those more competent undervalue themselves.

An individual’s self-concept and self-esteem are greatly impacted by the social comparison process as well. We can discover things about ourselves, our relative social standing, the appropriateness and validity of our opinions, and our own abilities and skills when we compare our own attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors with others. Drs. Rajiv and Hammond state that these comparisons can be made with individuals we know and engage with, individuals we read about in the media or watch on TV, or anyone else we deem significant. However, when we compare ourselves to others who are similar to us, the comparisons have greater significance. Upward comparison can reduce our self-esteem by reminding us that we are not as fortunate as others. Despite these negative effects, upward comparisons can be useful at times because they provide information that can help us do better, imagine ourselves as part of the group of successful people we want to be like, and give us hope.

Individual variations exist in the accuracy of self-assessment as well. Extraverts seek excitement and positive feelings; they are confident and upbeat; they are dedicated and enthusiastic; and they feel more like they have accomplished something in life. Conversely, introverts are more cautious, timid, quiet, and critical of themselves. The article “The Social Self: The Role of the Social Situation” claims that low self-monitors typically prioritize their internal beliefs over the expectations of the social context, whereas high self-monitors use self-presentation to try to win others over by acting in ways that others find appealing. People who are good at self-monitoring may have higher self-esteem when they believe their behavior matches the social demands of the situation, and lower self-esteem when they believe it does not. Low self-monitors, on the other hand, may experience self-esteem boosts when they see themselves behaving consistently with their internal standards, and feel less self-worth when they believe they are not living up to them. Insufficient information surrounding us leads to flawed self-evaluations, not prejudice, wishful thinking, or brain ignorance.

References

Jhangiani, D. R., & Tarry, D. H. (2022). 3.3 The Social Self: The Role of the Social Situation. Principles of Social Psychology – 1st International H5P Edition (). BCcampus.

Samuel Parra León, Antonio Pantoja Vallejo, & James Byron Nelson.Variability In The Accuracy Of Self-Assessments Among Low, Moderate, And High Performing Students In University Education. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1430&context=pare

Travis J. Carter, D. D.Faulty Self Assessment: Why Evaluating One’s Own Competence Is an Intrinsically Difficult Task. https://compass-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.rowan.edu/doi/full/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2007.00031.x