Self-Esteem, Eating Disorders and

[Page 3039]At its core, the construct of self-esteem captures the value and judgment a person assigns to herself or himself. In practice, however, self-esteem has been defined in numerous and diverse ways. It has been variably conceptualized by clinicians and researchers as a global personality construct, a changing state of current feelings of self-worth, or a self-reflection on one’s specific abilities. The definition of self-esteem has implications for both its measurement and its application in psychological science and practice. For example, global self-esteem is typically conceptualized as a construct that remains constant across situations and time. Self-worth, on the other hand, is typically conceptualized as less stable and more responsive to unique life events. Although global self-esteem involves an evaluative process that includes both rational ...