Effects of the level and instability of self-esteem on help-seeking and its orientation

Abstract Some older adults do not seek or even refuse help when needed or when help is available. Therefore, it is important to examine the factors of help-seeking behavior and its orientation among older adults, particularly self-esteem. Previous theoretical assumptions show that individuals with high self-esteem and instability would estimate the ego-threat associated with help-seeking as high and suppress help-seeking; conversely, those with low self-esteem and high instability would be motivated to improve their self-evaluation and tend to productively cope with the task, which would promote help-seeking. This study aims to test these hypotheses. Data were obtained from 138 older adults through a one-week diary survey using the experience sampling method. The seven-day intra-individual standard deviation was used for the self-esteem instability index, and the mean was used for the level index. Results of the multiple regression analysis for the number of help-seeking behaviors in seven days revealed that the interaction term for the level and instability of self-esteem was significant. The simple slope test showed that the slope of self-esteem instability was positive and significant when the level of self-esteem was 1-SD below. Conversely, it was negative and not significant when the level of self-esteem was 1-SD above. There was no relationship between self-esteem indices and help-seeking orientations. This result suggests that some older adults were motivated to improve their self-evaluation and tended to productively cope with tasks, which promoted help-seeking. The lack of a relationship between help-seeking orientations and self-esteem suggests that the psychological process regarding help-seeking is unconscious.