 | Kernis collects work on true versus contingent self-esteem — autonomy and authenticity as foundations of stable worth, not approval alone. Michael Kernis (Ed.) (1995) · Plenum Press · ISBN 9780306451442 |
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Key principles
- True self-esteem — Stable worth rooted in autonomy — not performance-contingent approval chasing.
- Contingent self-worth — Fragile esteem when outcomes or others’ views dictate value — high but unstable.
- Authenticity linkage — Self-alienation erodes stability — living aligned with values protects esteem.
- Stability index — Fluctuating self-feelings signal contingent structure — instability is measurable, not moral failure.
- Agency foundation — Efficacy and self-determination precede durable worth — bridges motivational psychology.
- Edited synthesis — Multiple labs on one question — use chapters for mechanism, not one-author gospel.
Core science
Efficacy, Agency, and Self-Esteem (1995) synthesises developmental and motivational research on esteem fragility — Kernis’s stability and contingency distinction influenced later self-determination and authenticity work. Academic edited volume; pair with Self-esteem and SDT Research cites when autonomy-based esteem is the live question.
Application
Reach for this volume when autonomy-based esteem needs a chapter-level anchor behind SDT — Open Self-esteem on the Atlas shelf.