The Impact Of Relational Evaluation On Helping Behavior: The Role Of Self-esteem As A Sociometer

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of relational evaluation on helping behavior, and make clear the role of trait and state self-esteem in this process, which is based on the sociometer theory of self-esteem.The participants of this study were college students. We used questionnaires and experimental research methods to collect data. First of all, we obtained the data of trait self-esteem through questionnaire, then divided these students into 3 groups in accordance with the level of trait self-esteem. Each group was assigned to receive an experimental treatment randomly:being accepted, being exclusion and no treatment. The first study showed the experimental treatment through presenting different results of a form of self-test, then measured the state self-esteem and recorded the helping behavior; the second study was based on the one before, which controlled the levels of independent variable by setting situations, and the helping behavior in the second study required more efforts.Results of both studies together indicateded the monitoring role of self-esteem between relational evaluation and helping behavior, furthermore, the results verified the sociometer theory of self-esteem. Conclusions of the study are as follows:(â… )The main effect of relational evaluation is significant, being accepted can promote one,s helping behavior, and being exclusion would reduced it, even the difference between groups is significant.(â…¡)The impact of relational evaluation on helping behavior is moderated by the trait self-esteem. People with low trait self-esteem are more affected by relational evaluation. With the level of trait self-esteem increasing, the relationship between relational evaluation and helping behavior decreases.(â…¢)State self-esteem is a mediator between relational evaluation and helping behavior. However, only in the low trait self-esteem group, the mediating effect is significant.