The relationship between self-construal and two-dimensional self-esteem : self-liking and self-competence in a Lebanese sample -

Abstract

Self-esteem has been defined as a two-dimensional construct, highlighting the importance of both self-liking, or self-worth, and self-competence. The experience of self-esteem has varied across cultures and studies have demonstrated differential relationships between self-esteem and individualism and collectivism tendencies (Tafarodi and Swann, 1995, 1996). The way an individual defines the self as a result of his-her interaction with culture’s norms and values, defined as self-construal, can further provide unique information on how the experience of self-esteem varies across different identities and values (Markus and Kitayama, 1991). Using the Self-Liking-Self-Competence Scale revised (Tafarodi and Swann, 2001), and the Relational, Individual and Collective Self-Construals RIC scale (Kashima and Hardie, 2000), this study proposed to examine how self-construal and self-esteem are related in the Lebanese culture. We hypothesized that our Lebanese sample of 286 participants will have higher scores on collective and relational self-construals than on the individual self-construal, and thus a higher sense of self-liking relative to self competence. Two hierarchical multiple regression were run, with relational, individual and collective self-construals as predictors of self-competence in the first regression and as predictors of self-liking in the second regression. Results indicated that our Lebanese sample had higher scores on the individual self-construal than on the collective self-construal, contrary to our predictions in hypothesis 1, and higher scores on relational self-construal than on individual self-construal, as predicted in hypothesis 2. Hypotheses 3, 4 and 5 were refuted since no gender differences were found on the three self-construals. Finally, hypotheses 6, 7 and 8 were refuted since the three self-construals did not predict differentially self-liking or self-competence. Implications of these findings were discussed. Limitations and recommendations for future research were also suggested.