| Author: | Lam, Chun-pan |
| Title: | How do worldviews shape self-views? : an examination of the causality between cynicism and self-esteem |
| Degree: | M.Phil. |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Subject: | Self. Social perception. Self-actualization (Psychology). Self-esteem. Cynicism. Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Department of Applied Social Sciences |
| Pages: | 56 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | The negative association between cynicism, a negative view about human nature, and self-esteem, a global evaluation of the self, has been consistently documented in the literature. However, the causal mechanisms underlying this association have not yet been examined to illuminate how worldviews and self-views are linked, while previous research has presented equivocal findings regarding the causal direction. In two studies, I tested how cynical worldview influences self-esteem using multiple designs, and hence provided empirical evidence to this open question. In Study 1, a cross-lagged panel analysis revealed that cynicism significantly predicted decreased self-esteem four months later, but the reverse was not found. In Study 2, I experimentally manipulated cynicism, and found that participants primed with a cynical worldview were more likely to report lower self-esteem, compared to participants in the control condition. I also examined the mediating role of perceived connectedness with others and the society in this linkage, and the results showed that social connectedness mediated the influence of cynicism on self-esteem. This research therefore laid important groundwork for understanding the causal relations among our perceptions of the social world, interpersonal relationships, and the self. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | open access |
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