Biological Aspects of Self-Esteem and Stress

Abstract

The human stress response represents a basic mechanism to increase the availability of energy substrates in different parts of the body, and allow optimal adaptation to changing demands from the environment. However, psychological stress—and the emotions that tend to accompany threat perception such as anxiety and fear—can also interfere with performance and the effective self-regulation of behavior. In this chapter, we consider how specific personality variables, especially self-esteem and locus of control, play a central role in the appraisal of many situations, and thus contribute to the experience of stress. The studies described here provide evidence that participants with low self-esteem and low locus of control tend to show increased and more consistent release of cortisol in response to standardized laboratory stress tests. This effect is observable during stressful experiences, as well as in the failure of the cortisol response to habituate to repeated stress exposure. We further show how this endocrinology/personality link is systematically associated with hippocampal volumes, which are an important structure in the formation of memory, emotional regulation, and the regulation of the stress response. We suggest that stress dysregulation at the psychological level is due, at least in part, to impairments in memory associated with reduced hippocampal function. Taken together, this chapter highlights the importance of considering individual differences in self-esteem and locus of control in understanding people’s behavioral and endocrinological responses to stress.