To What Extent is Self-Esteem Influenced by Interpersonal as Compared with Intrapersonal Processes? What are these Processes?

Taking a wide view of the theories that have emerged since James’ (1890) groundbreaking discussion of self-esteem, one can distinguish three broad categories of perspectives that differ in the degree to which they assume that self-esteem is (or, at least, ought to be) influenced by interpersonal factors. I begin by reviewing these three approaches, and then critically examine the role of interpersonal and intrapersonal factors in self-esteem.