Behavior therapy is by no means simplistic and mechanistic. It is possible to expand the horizons of behavior therapy to include such concepts as cognition and awareness without resorting to mentalistic or Freudian speculation. A new technique, the Idealized Self-Image (ISI) has been devised for the enhancement of self-esteem and learned…

For more than a quarter of a century self-esteem increasingly has been viewed as the magic key to success and happiness. Earned self-esteem is based on learning to tolerate frustration and delay, to care for others, to work hard, and to persevere in the face of obstacles. These tasks of developing relationships and competencies enable one to…

Using the psychoanalytic self-psychology of Heinz Kohut as the theoretical foundation, this article discusses the role of shame in adolescent suicidal behaviors. Shame is described as an essential aspect of adolescent suicidal behavior because of the significance of the stage of adolescence in the development of the healthy self. Normal…

Argues that observations and an analysis of 245 letters written by elementary school students support the idea that writers and learners do know how to promote their own self-development. (JL)

Three studies were conducted to determine if goal striving level was related to accurate self-knowledge. The purpose of the research was to determine if the tendency of high strivers to confront stressful stimuli extends to self-evaluation processes. Three experiments were designed to investigate whether high strivers differ from low strivers in…

Managing a marginal identity different from the dominant culture is a difficult process. For a woman who is a lesbian and also Jewish, this means feeling marginal in each of the communities she considers to be her primary support systems. Within the Jewish community, lesbianism is not acceptable, and within the lesbian community, there is often…

The purpose of this paper is to call attention to certain important aspects of self-concept which have been largely neglected in behavioral science research literature. Self-concept is defined as the totality of the individual's thoughts and feelings with reference to himself as an object. Three broad areas of self-concept are discussed. The first…

An exploration in the context of feminist science of one theoretical basis of educational administration--Abraham Maslow's theory of human motivation and self-actualization--finds an androcentric bias in Maslow's methodology, philosophical underpinnings, and theory formulation. Maslow's hypothetico-deductive methodology was based on a…

Studies have indicated that parental authority may or may not modify adolescent self-esteem (SE). This study drew on 343 college students to determine the relationship of adolescents' self-esteem to three familial variables: (1) parental permissiveness; (2) authoritarianism; and (3) authoritativeness, and three cognitive variables: (1) high…

As girls approach early adolescence they begin to experience losses in self-competence and in authenticity in relationships. These girls hide their strengths for the sake of relationships. This study attempts to change this phenomenon through a 13-week small group intervention program, The Transition to Adolescence Program (TAP). TAP encourages…

Occupational status is a key component of identity and self-worth for men. But little research has been done on the influence of working status on women, particularly during life cycle transitions or periods of crisis. To examine the impact of employment status on the self-esteem, psychological well-being and physical health of women at mid-life,…

Suggestions for research on the components of self-theory development over a lifetime are examined. Self-theory, like other knowledge, is dependent on the theories in one's culture about human nature and the biological, social, and physical world. Language expands or limits the concepts available for thinking about one's self-image or sense of…

Symbolic self-completion theory suggests that people who are committed to a certain self-definitional goal, e.g., "psychologist,""parent,""dancer," are not willing to give up this goal when facing a shortcoming. Such individuals often engage in self-symbolizing or positive self-descriptions designed to coverup the…

Parents of a 21-year-old son with Down's Syndrome address aspects of the cooperative partnership of school, home, and community, focusing on the dangers of labeling, the importance of communication, the need to express appreciation of the individual as he/she is, the value of full participation, and the importance of developing authentic…

The process of invitational teaching involves the creation of an optimal situation where teachers with positive perceptions of students interact with students who feel good about themselves. The content of this invitational process is a type of self-belief extended from one person to the other, a belief that each individual has an unknown…