M1 – Compare two theories of self-esteem which contribute to our
understanding of self-concept:
In this assignment I will compare two theories of self-esteem which contribute
to our understanding of self-concept. The two psychologists which I will
compare are the Bowlby and Maslow.
The psychologist named Bowlby has studies the attachment theory. Bowlby
came up with the conclusion that those who have been raised without parents
or have been separated from their parents are most likely to have a low self-
esteem because they have been surrounded by negative thoughts and they
didn’t get any support from their relatives. Those who have been separated
from their families are more likely to feel abandoned and therefore they are
less likely to feel welcomed when they meet other people. The reason for that
could be that they might think that they are not good enough to talk to other
people and they might be afraid of attachment in case of being betrayed.
People with low self-esteem usually have trust issues.
There are a few points of view the individual with low self-esteem would
consider these are;
- My own and other people's behaviour
- Whether or not I am loveable and worthy of love
- Whether or not others are available, interested and able to
help/protect/ support me
People with low self-esteem are going to be very sceptical when someone
talks to them and are going to be taking extra notice in who they trust and
who they don’t.
I have compared another psychologist whose name is Maslow and he has
created the hierarchy of needs. The two theories are in some ways very similar
because they are focused on the needs of the people. It is very similar to the
attachment theory as the care is essential in the lives of the individuals. There
are other essentials such as food and sleep; however, there are many other
objectives which are focused on the theory of hierarchy and the needs.
Another thing which you could notice in the hierarchy table is the safety which
is in the similar way applied to the safety and security of the attachment
theory. This is very similar to the attachment theory because in order for the
individual to feel safe they have to be with someone who they feel safe with.
This creates a similarity between the theories. There has been another point of
the similarities and these are the fact that when the child grows, they will
become attached to someone close to them this is an essential in the lives of
the individuals.