Basic Personality Dispositions, Self‐Esteem, and Personal Goals: An Approach‐Avoidance Analysis

ABSTRACT This research examined the hypothesis that self‐esteem negatively predicts avoidance (relative to approach) personal goals, as well as the hypothesis that self‐esteem mediates the link between indicators of approach and avoidance temperament and avoidance (relative to approach) personal goals. Study 1 established that self‐esteem is indeed negatively related to avoidance (relative to approach) goals, even with social desirability concerns controlled. In Study 2, self‐esteem was found to mediate the relation between Neuroticism (conceptualized as an indicator of avoidance temperament) and avoidance (relative to approach) personal goals. In Study 3, self‐esteem was documented as a mediator of the relation between BAS and BIS sensitivity (conceptualized as indicators of approach and avoidance temperament, respectively) and avoidance (relative to approach) personal goals in the achievement domain. The implications of these findings for our understanding of basic personality dispositions, self‐esteem, and personal goals are discussed.