The self-esteem construct has failed to demonstrate a consistent association with externalizing behaviors in children, leading to a basic question in the field: What is healthy self-esteem? From this has emerged evidence that self-esteem is represented at both explicit (Explicit Self Esteem; ESE) and implicit levels (Implicit Self Esteem; ISE). Studies with adults have found that discrepancies between ESE and ISE (e.g., high ESE, low ISE) are associated with narcissism and anger management difficulties. However, ISE is rarely studied in children and adolescents. This study explores whether ESE, ISE, and maltreatment (physical abuse yes/no) are associated with externalizing behaviors in a sample of children in foster care. A total of 161 children between the ages of 8 and 13 participated; 64.1% were African American and 53.9% were female. Children reported on ESE (Self-Perception Profile for Children; SPPC) and ISE (Name Letter Task; NLT). Foster parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and caseworkers completed the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) to assess children’s externalizing behaviors. The two consistent results across both analyses were that ESE alone and the three-way interaction between ESE, ISE, and physical abuse were associated with fewer externalizing behaviors. Probing the interaction revealed that children who had not experienced physical abuse and had discrepant self-esteem (low ESE, high ISE) experienced the highest levels of externalizing behaviors. These results indicate that both conscious and non-conscious aspects of self-esteem, notably their discrepancies, should be considered in mental health interventions, assessment, and research.

自尊结构未能证明与儿童外化行为的一致关联，导致该领域的一个基本问题：什么是健康的自尊？由此出现的证据表明，自尊在外显（外显自尊；ESE）和内隐水平（内隐自尊；ISE）上都有体现。对成年人的研究发现，ESE 和 ISE 之间的差异（例如，高 ESE、低 ISE）与自恋和愤怒管理困难有关。然而，很少在儿童和青少年中研究 ISE。本研究探讨了 ESE、ISE 和虐待（身体虐待是/否）是否与寄养儿童样本中的外化行为相关。共有 161 名 8 至 13 岁的儿童参加；64.1% 是非裔美国人，53.9% 是女性。儿童报告了 ESE（儿童自我认知概况；SPPC）和 ISE（姓名字母任务；NLT）。寄养父母完成了儿童行为检查表 (CBCL)，个案工作者完成了儿童和青少年的需求和优势 (CANS)，以评估儿童的外化行为。两项分析的两个一致结果是单独的 ESE 和 ESE、ISE 和身体虐待之间的三向交互与较少的外化行为相关。探究互动发现，两项分析的两个一致结果是单独的 ESE 和 ESE、ISE 和身体虐待之间的三向交互与较少的外化行为相关。探究互动发现，两项分析的两个一致结果是单独的 ESE 和 ESE、ISE 和身体虐待之间的三向交互与较少的外化行为相关。探究互动发现，没有经历过身体虐待并且自尊心不同（低 ESE，高 ISE）经历了最高水平的外化行为。这些结果表明，自尊的有意识和无意识方面，尤其是它们的差异，都应该在心理健康干预、评估和研究中加以考虑。