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Self-help Only Works For Those With High Self-Esteem

Posted on: Sunday, 5 July 2009, 10:05 CDT

A recent study shows that self-help mantras only boost the spirit of those with high self-esteem.

Canadian researchers, whose study appears in the journal Psychological Science, found that people with low self-esteem felt worse after repeating positive statements about themselves.

Phrases such as “I am a lovable person,” only helped people who had a high self-esteem.

According to a UK psychologist, people base their feelings on real evidence from their lives.

The self-help industry got its start 150 years ago when Victorian Samuel Smiles wrote his book “Self Help,” which featured guidance such as: "Heaven helps those who help themselves."

Self-help is now a multi-billion dollar industry.

In the study, researchers asked people to say “I am a lovable person,” then measured the person’s feelings about themselves.

The low self-esteem group felt worse after repeating the mantra, while those with high self-esteem felt slightly better after repeating the positive statement.

The researchers then asked the participants to list positive and negative thoughts about themselves.

The study found that those with self-esteem felt better when they were allowed to have negative thoughts.

According to the researchers, overly positive praise can provoke contradictory thoughts in those with low self-esteem.

These negative thoughts can often overwhelm the positive thoughts.

According to psychologist Joanne Wood, who led the study, "Repeating positive self-statements may benefit certain people, such as individuals with high self-esteem, but backfire for the very people who need them the most."

Positive thinking can help when its part of a broader therapy program, she added.

Simon Delsthorpe, spokesman for the British Psychological Society, says self-esteem is based on a range of real life factors, and that counseling to build confidence is the real solution.

"These are things like, do you have close family relationships, a wide network of friends, employment and appearance . If you're not close to your parents, don't have many friends, are unemployed and are unhappy with your appearance, it might be hard to have high self-esteem,” Delsthorpe told BBC News.

"But if your experience is the reverse of that it would be much easier to say 'I'm OK' and believe that."



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Psychological Science

British Psychological Society

Source: redOrbit staff

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