Contingent self-esteem and the interpersonal circumplex: The interpersonal pursuit of self-esteem

Contingencies of self-worth refer to those domains upon which an individual has based their self-esteem such as physical appearance or the approval of others. The present study examined whether self-esteem contingencies were associated with particular interpersonal styles in a sample of 356 undergraduates. The interpersonal circumplex (Wiggins et al., 1989) served as the nomological system for evaluating the interpersonal styles associated with the contingencies of self-esteem. A nurturant interpersonal style was associated with basing self-esteem on the support of one’s family or God’s love. In contrast, individuals who based their self-esteem on outdoing others in competition reported a hostile interpersonal style. The remaining contingencies of self-worth were not as strongly related to interpersonal style. These findings suggest that the domains upon which individuals base their self-esteem are distinguishable with regard to their interpersonal styles.