From the top down: Self-esteem and self-evaluation

The affective model of self-esteem development assumes that: (a) self-estee m forms early in life in response to relational and temperamental factors; and (b) once formed, endows high self-esteem people with the ability to pro mote, protect, and restore feelings of self-worth. In this article, we use the model to examine the relation between self-esteem and self-evaluations, showing that one way high self-esteem people maintain feelings of self-wor th is by claiming to possess socially valued qualities. We conclude by cons idering the implications of the affective model for understanding the natur e and functions of self-esteem.