Structure of Contingent Self-Esteem

Abstract. Contingent Self-Esteem (CSE) has been conceptualized in two different ways in the literature. Some theorists have emphasized that self-esteem may be generally dependent on external outcomes, while others have argued that people’s self-esteem is contingent on experiences related to specific domains (e.g., academic performance). However, relying on a particular definition of CSE may lead to different consequences for both research and practice. In this article, we sought to clarify whether contingent self-esteem represents a global, domain-specific, or hierarchically organized construct. Three large samples of German college students responded to two popular contingent self-esteem instruments and various validity measures. Findings from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses clearly favored a domain-specific model over unidimensional and hierarchical models. Moreover, hierarchical regression analyses in Study 3 indicated that participants’ depression and other important life outcomes could be better predicted by domain-specific facets than by global scores of contingent self-esteem. Compared to previous research, our findings provide a more thorough empirical and conceptual basis for favoring a domain-specific approach to contingent self-esteem. Implications for both research and practice are discussed.