UWSpace is currently experiencing technical difficulties resulting from its recent migration to a new version of its software. These technical issues are not affecting the submission and browse features of the site. UWaterloo community members may continue submitting items to UWSpace. We apologize for the inconvenience, and are actively working to resolve these technical issues.
 

Effects of Threats to Self-Esteem and Goal Orientation on Asking for Help

Thumbnail Image

Files

atchung2005.pdf (269.46 KB)

Date

2005

Authors

Chung, Andrew

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

University of Waterloo

Abstract

This paper studied whether threats to self-esteem and goal orientation affected an individual?s propensity to ask for help. Eighty-two undergraduate students from the University of Waterloo completed a self-esteem and goal orientation questionnaire in addition to completing two tests. One test was designed to be more self-relevant than the other, making that test more potentially threatening to an individual?s self-esteem. In each test, subjects were given the opportunity to ask for help on each question. The results show that the use of social comparison motivates individuals to engage in self-protection by reducing their willingness to ask for help. In situations where many others had asked for help, help seeking behavior increased. These results extend other research in showing the impact of social comparison on individual behaviour.

Description

Keywords

Management, self-esteem, goal orientation, asking for help, esteem threat

LC Keywords

Citation

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10012/788

Collections

Theses
Management Sciences