The proposed research will test the broad propositions that low self-esteem (LSE) individuals are more inclined to prioritize major life goals on the basis of perceived norms than high self-esteem (HSE) individuals, and that this accounts for the tendency of LSE individuals to prioritize financial aspirations. This research application has four specific aims: (1) To examine the influence of perceived norms on the general goal pursuit of LSE individuals; (2) To examine the role of perceived norm for financial goal pursuit in the tendency of LSE individuals to pursue the specific goal of financial success; (3) To longitudinally examine (A) the impact of self-esteem and perceived norms on the career decisions of individuals with prosocial aspirations; and (B) the effect of neglecting one's prosocial values on change in psychological well-being over time; and (4) To explore the generalizability of the proposed phenomena to individuals socialized in a collectivist cultural context. Three studies employing diverse methodologies, including those characteristics of social norms and individual differences research, are proposed to meet these aims. The proposed research has implications for health and well-being in that it examines processes relevant to (1) aspirations that have been shown to correlate with psychological well-being and (2) the choices of individuals who are weighing enhancement of the public good and material self-interest in their career decisions.
