What is the level of aspirations: levels of self-esteem, how to determine your

What is a claim?

This concept is understood as the desire and desire of an individual to obtain what she desires as possible and worthy of herself. At the same time, some have quite modest and adequate claims, while others have clearly exaggerated claims and have little connection with real life.

A claim in psychology is considered the personal right of each person to receive certain life benefits, for example:

career success;
successful personal life;
trips;
academic performance and much more.

What is the level of aspiration?

Depending on a person’s expectations, his claims are different. Thus, there are different levels of this concept. High is most often characteristic of those who have inadequate self-esteem . However, psychologists still cannot come to a conclusion about what exactly influences what – claims on a person’s self-esteem or vice versa. But, undoubtedly, there is a connection between self-esteem and levels of aspiration .

According to psychology, the level of aspiration is a person’s desire to achieve a goal that he considers worthy for himself .
This or that level is based on an assessment of one’s capabilities; a person’s need is the need to preserve it.

The concept of level of aspiration in psychology

Theoretical approaches to the study of self-actualization and the level of aspiration Read more: The level of aspiration of a self-actualizing personality

1.2 The concept of level of aspiration in psychology

The problem of the level of aspirations is at the very center of research into the psychological mechanisms of regulation of activity and in direct connection with the analysis of the personal sphere of a person.

The concept of the level of personal aspirations was introduced by T. Dembo, an employee of K. Lewin, to designate the individual’s desire for a goal of such a level of complexity that, in his opinion, corresponds to his abilities. It is determined by two factors: the desire for success and the fear of failure. The desire for success is expressed in a person’s confidence in the ability to achieve the intended goal. Fear of failure is associated with the fear that expectations will not be met and a person will experience disappointment.

Quite a lot of different definitions of the level of aspirations have accumulated in the literature.

V.N. Myasishchev understood the level of aspirations as qualitative and quantitative indicators that must be satisfied, from the point of view of the person under study, by his productivity [19].

According to V.S. Merlin, the level of aspirations reflects the degree to which the subject evaluates his capabilities, which he needs in order to experience satisfaction [18].

According to E.A. Serebryakova, the level of affection is the need for a certain self-esteem accepted and approved by a person [4].

According to N.L. Kolominsky’s level of aspiration is a model of self-existence, an image of the self that a person considers acceptable, etc. [4].

The level of aspiration is the level of the image of “I”, which manifests itself in the degree of difficulty of the goal that a person sets for himself.

Analyzing the definitions of the level of aspiration given by various authors, L.V. Borozdina notes that they (definitions) emphasize certain aspects and, as a result, the term acquires many variable meanings, which contributes to ambiguity in the understanding of this phenomenon [4].

But still, most authors retain, as the most general, an understanding of the level of aspiration close to the original one, i.e. as the level of difficulty of the goals chosen by the subject (Bozhovich, 1968, etc.).

The theory of the level of aspiration was first proposed by F. Hoppe in 1930. Its occurrence is associated with the search for the determinants of the transition to a new action. The theory of intention (or intentional activity) proposed by K. Levin was based on two postulates:

1. The action corresponding to the intention is determined by a special state of tension, which exerts pressure in the direction of fulfilling the intention.

2. If the goal of the action is achieved, the pressure of the “system of intrapersonal tension” tends to zero.

Thus, the emergence of purposeful activity, according to this theory, is determined by a special homeostatic mechanism: action occurs in conditions of imbalance between tension systems and performs the function of restoring this balance. The development of a homeostatic model of behavior required an answer to the question: how does success or failure in achieving a goal affect the emergence of a new action? The question of the emergence of a new action in the event of successful implementation of the intention was especially acute, because in accordance with the theory of K. Lewin, in this case the tense system that determines the behavior of the individual must come to equilibrium. Studying the spontaneous resumption of action, F. Hoppe comes to the conclusion that the resumption of action is carried out with a new goal, not identical to the goal of the previous action. In his opinion, an action resumed after successful completion is not of a simple repetition, but of an improvement of the previous achievement, i.e. a series of actions represents a certain structure with one common goal: to do the best possible[18].

Introducing the concept of “level of aspirations,” F. Hoppe writes: “In the cases considered here, subjects begin work with certain aspirations and expectations, which may change during the course of action. We will call the totality of these sometimes vague, sometimes precise expectations and claims associated with a future achievement, shifting with each achievement, the “level of aspirations” of the subject. Depending on the circumstances, the level of aspirations can fluctuate between the goal of “extracting maximum achievements from the action” and a complete rejection of any achievement”[10].

Considering the situation in which the level of aspirations characteristic of a given person is manifested, F. Hoppe emphasizes that this situation is conflicting. The level of aspirations manifests itself as a result of resolving the conflict of two differently directed tendencies: the tendency to raise aspirations as high as possible in order to achieve success, and the tendency to lower them in order to avoid failure. Moreover, success or failure are considered as experiences that arise as a result of achieving or not achieving a goal located in a certain fixed interval of difficulty - the “working zone of the task.” The level of aspirations fluctuates between the upper and lower boundaries of this interval. The experience of success occurs when the level of achievement is equal to or exceeds the level of aspiration. If the level of achievement is lower than the level of aspiration, failure is experienced. The feeling of failure does not arise if failure corresponds to a level of difficulty that is above the upper limit of the interval of existence of the level of aspiration, i.e. above “too difficult tasks.” Similarly, achieving success on tasks whose level of difficulty is lower than the lower limit (“too easy tasks”) does not produce an experience of success.

An analysis of the work “Success and Failure” shows that F. Hoppe uses the term “level of aspirations” in at least two meanings: firstly, the level of aspirations is an element of a complex target structure considered at a fixed point in time (the level of aspirations at a given moment) . This scheme reflects the individual’s intentions related to the goal of the current action, as well as the characteristics of the task. The second meaning of the term “level of aspiration” refers to the sequence of aspirations corresponding to a common, “ideal” goal. F. Hoppe writes: “The currently existing level of aspirations of the subject corresponds, as a rule, to one of the goals that is allowed by the structure of the task. A number of factors allow us to assert that the general mode of action of the subject is determined not only by a temporary goal corresponding to the level of aspirations at the moment, but also by a more general, all-encompassing goal, which, although not relevant at the moment, still stands behind the corresponding individual goal and determines behavior of the subject" [10, P. 125].

The transition from the study of individual actions to the study of their connection leads to the fact that the level of aspiration begins to be considered as a general characteristic of goal-setting tactics. D. Frank, developing this idea, defines the level of aspiration as the level of difficulty of future actions in solving a familiar problem, which an individual, knowing his level of past actions in this task, clearly expects to achieve. In this definition, it is important to note that we are talking about a fairly familiar task in which the level of past achievements is determined. According to F. Hoppe, the level of aspiration acts as a special determinant of the goal-setting process only in those cases when the subject has internally accepted the goal and is biased towards the outcome of the action. If the goal acts for the individual only as an external factor (for example, an instruction, order or desire of another, stranger, or when achievement depends to a small extent on the acting subject), the level of aspirations is not formed: “... this is most clearly manifested in those cases where , despite the existence of a goal of action, no or almost no own level of claims is formed at all” [10, C 126]. It follows that the phenomenon of the level of aspirations does not manifest itself in all situations of uncertainty of achievement and risk, but only in those where the subject is personally interested in performing an action and consciously correlates his capabilities and the objective difficulty of performing the task. Preliminary familiarity with the difficulty of the task determines the degree to which the ideal goal is realistic. If a particular intermediate goal is successfully achieved, the ideal goal becomes more realistic. This does not mean, however, that the level of difficulty of the ideal goal decreases: “After success, the ideal goal usually remains at the same level, because in most cases, from the very beginning it is as high as possible for a given subject when performing a given task. Successes and failures change the degree of reality of the ideal goal, i.e. the ideal goal becomes more real the closer the actual achievement approaches it, and loses reality as the distance between the possible and the desired increases” [10].

Further development of the system of concepts describing the phenomenon of the level of aspirations and indicating the degree of its realism was primarily expressed in the introduction of various types of target deviations. Thus, to denote the subjective distance between the actual goal (the level of aspirations at the moment) and the ideal goal, the term “internal discrepancy” was introduced; the discrepancy between the actual goal (action goal) and the level of the expected performance was designated as “goal-expectation discrepancy”; the difference between the level of aspiration at the present moment and the level of difficulty of the goal chosen in the previous attempt was called the “past act-goal” deviation or simply “goal discrepancy”; “attainment discrepancy” was defined as the difference between the level of aspiration and the magnitude of achievement[10].

Thus, for a more detailed description of the characteristics of the level of a person’s aspirations, levels of different degrees of reality are distinguished; “level of ideal goal”, “level of expectations”, “level of past achievement”, “level of present achievement”. The deviation of the level of aspirations from various levels of reality served for psychologists as the main characteristic of the goal-setting process. The development of the system of concepts described above leads to the fact that one of the main characteristics of the level of aspirations as a personality trait becomes the “realism” of the individual.

The reality of claims means the subject’s orientation towards a certain plane of reality. People with a realistic level of aspirations are distinguished by self-confidence, persistence in achieving goals, greater productivity, and critical assessment of what has been achieved.

Aspirations, achievements, and values (academic, social, ethnic) can influence the choice of goal (Bagley, 1986). For example, studies by Australian scientists have found that English-speaking citizens of the Green Continent (who make up the majority of Australian residents) choose more prestigious professions that have a high status among the country’s residents than representatives of smaller ethnic groups (Spanish-speaking, people from Asia). It was also found that teenagers whose parents have a high socio-economic position in society try to choose (by entering the appropriate educational institutions) prestigious professions.

Much research has been conducted on the influence of aspirations on success and failure in the professional sphere. The study by T. Tiwan and B. Smith postulates that people with a high fear of failure and a low need for achievement have low professional aspirations and low professional prestige[10].

As part of the study of aspirations as indicators of achievement motivation, the connection between professional goals and personal attitudes with parameters of achievement (expert status, achievement of independence, greed, competition, attitude of superiority, equality status) was studied.

In recent years, the study of aspiration level mechanisms on computers has become popular. Attempts are being made to connect the process of selecting tasks of varying complexity (in a computer version) with the subject’s motivational sphere: indicators of the dynamic features of the motivational regulation of an individual’s activity are highlighted, and subjects are divided into groups depending on the prevailing motivation according to the structure of goal setting [1]. These studies represent attempts to show the possibility of effectively studying the mechanisms of PM in a machine version (without direct contact with the subject), which, in essence, lead to excessive detail in the analysis of goal setting and, in general, simplify ideas about this process.

The influence of success and failure on the level of aspirations and internal positions was studied. A study by Stacel and Cohen found that with several failures in solving problems (arithmetic, among students), the level of aspiration increases (an attempt is made to solve more complex problems) and the time to solve it decreases (the student tries to complete the task faster). This does not happen with weak failures. Another study determined the impact of success and failure in solving achievement problems (which were presented as tasks on individual abilities) on subjects. It was found that with success, self-esteem changes in a positive direction and egocentrism increases. In case of failure, there was a decrease in self-esteem, social interest, and power ambitions[1].

The relationship between the level of aspirations and personality traits (anxiety) and temperament (emotional stability) was studied. J. Reikovsky found that understating the level of claims is typical for so-called reinsurers, who are less emotionally stable than people who choose goals at the level of actual performance. This position (of the reinsurer) is determined by the emotion of anxiety: situational or prolonged. In a study by A.N. Kapustin (1980), it was found that individuals with a strong nervous system have a high and adequate or inflated level of aspiration, while subjects with a weak nervous system show a tendency to underestimate their aspirations[4].

Emotions have a great influence on an individual’s behavior in situations of failure. In the work of I.A. Vasilyev, it is noted that in case of failure, the strategy for solving the problem changes: people who are state-oriented, as a result of experiencing negative emotions, tend to further solve problems sequentially - analytically (which, according to the author’s experimental data, is less effective); Action-oriented people do not experience negative emotions; their strategy for solving problems is holistic and intuitive, aimed at identifying the semantic context and grasping the general idea of finding a solution [4].

A special place is occupied by the study of the level of aspirations as an indicator of self-esteem.

Psychologist James developed a formula that shows the dependence of a person’s self-esteem on his aspirations [9]

Self-esteem = Success / Aspirations

The formula shows that the desire to increase self-esteem can be realized in two ways. A person can either raise aspirations to experience maximum success, or lower them to avoid failure.

Analysis of claims allows us to identify how an individual evaluates himself, i.e. his self-esteem (Serebryakova). With this approach, self-esteem is evidenced by the level of difficulty of the selected tasks (Reznichenko, Zakharova, etc.). At the same time, educational tasks are often used as tasks (since most of such studies are conducted on schoolchildren and students) and such a parameter as adequacy-inadequacy is considered.

However, in a number of works, the coincidence of self-esteem and level of aspirations is not recorded in 100% of cases. N.L. Kolominsky showed that aspirations can be more modest than verbal self-esteem. According to L.V. Borozdina, it is necessary to take into account that a deeper study of the phenomena under consideration dictates their separation and the use of different registration methods [4]. It has been experimentally shown that self-esteem and the level of aspirations do not always coincide in height, stability, and adequacy. Cases of coincidence of the levels of self-esteem and aspiration are characterized by self-acceptance and satisfaction with the current status. When the level of aspiration regarding self-esteem rises, dissatisfaction with oneself and the achieved result, an intention to change and sometimes break the existing situation are registered. A low level of aspiration compared to self-esteem indicates a certain caution of the subject, avoiding risk, and protecting what has been achieved[4].

However, few studies of this kind have been conducted; they are rather the exception to the rule. Most authors diagnose self-esteem through the mechanism of the level of aspirations (Alekseeva, Burova, Suvorova, etc.).

In case of success, the level of aspirations usually increases, the person shows readiness to solve more complex problems, and in case of failure, it decreases accordingly. The level of a person's aspirations in a specific activity can be determined quite accurately.

The behavior of those people who strive for success and those who try to avoid failure differs significantly. People motivated to succeed usually set themselves certain positive goals, the achievement of which is clearly regarded as success. They try their best to succeed. A person is actively involved in activities, chooses appropriate means and methods in order to achieve the goal in the shortest possible way [4].

The opposite position is taken by people motivated to avoid failure. The goal of their activities is not to achieve success, but to avoid failure. All their actions are primarily aimed at achieving this goal. Such people are characterized by self-doubt, disbelief in the possibility of achieving success, and fear of criticism. Any job, and especially one that is fraught with the possibility of failure, causes negative emotional experiences in them. Therefore, a person does not experience pleasure from his activity, is burdened by it, and avoids it. Usually the result is not a winner, but a loser. Such people are often called losers.

Another important psychological feature that influences a person’s achievement of success is the demands he places on himself. The one who places high demands on himself tries harder to succeed than the one whose demands on himself are low. [4]

A person’s understanding of his abilities necessary to solve a problem also means a lot for achieving success. It has been established that people who have a high opinion that they have such abilities are less worried in case of failure than those who believe that their corresponding abilities are poorly developed.

Psychologists have come to the conclusion that a person sets the level of his aspirations somewhere between too difficult and too easy tasks and goals - so as to maintain his self-esteem at the proper height.

The formation of the level of aspirations is determined not only by anticipating success or failure, but also, first of all, by taking into account and evaluating past successes and failures. However, in general, people are characterized by some overestimation of their abilities, attributing to themselves uniqueness and dissimilarity from others.

A discrepancy between self-esteem and the level of aspirations can be the reason leading to internal conflict (Borozdina, Vidinsg.sts 1986), which is one of the important components of the subject’s discomfort.

At the same time, the level of aspirations is not an unambiguous, stable personal characteristic [10], [17]. It is possible to distinguish the initial level of aspirations, determined by the degree of difficulty of tasks that a person considers feasible for himself, corresponding to his capabilities. Further, we can talk about the known dynamics of the level of aspirations in accordance with the extent to which the level of aspirations turned out to be adequate to the level of achievements. As a result of human activity (this also applies to the conditions of an experimental situation), a certain level of aspirations typical for a given individual is finally established.

In shaping the level of aspirations, a major role is played by the compliance of the subject’s activities with his assumptions about the degree of complexity of tasks, the completion of which would bring him satisfaction. V.S. Merlin attached great importance to social factors, believing that in the same activity there are different social norms of achievement for different social categories depending on the position, specialty, and qualifications of the individual[18]. This factor also plays a certain role in the conditions of an experimental study of the level of aspirations - even the correct execution of experimental tasks, given a certain self-esteem of the subject, may not be perceived by him as successful. This implies the principle of the importance of the selection of experimental tasks. The nature of the subject’s reaction to success or failure is primarily determined by how stable his self-esteem is. Analyzing the dynamics of the level of aspirations, V.S. Merlin found that the ease or difficulty of adapting a person to activity by changing the level of aspirations depends on the properties of temperament (anxiety, extra-or introvertedness, emotionality) and on such purely personal properties as the initial level of aspirations, adequacy or inadequacy of self-esteem, the degree of its stability, motives for self-affirmation[18].

In addition to self-esteem, in the dynamics of the level of aspirations, a significant role is played by such points as the attitude of the subject to the experimental situation and the researcher, the assessment of the activity of the subject by the experimenter, who records success or failure during the experiment, and the nature of the experimental tasks.

One of the main issues in studying the level of aspirations is the study of its ontogenesis. Work in this direction also began at K. Levin's school. It was revealed that the primary aspiration is the desire for independence, independence in performing certain actions, which arises already in children of two to three years [10]. The percentage of children refusing adult help was used as a criterion for the formation of such a claim. The child’s desire to do everything himself is regarded as a phase preceding the development of true aspirations. We are talking about “rudimentary” claims, since the child is not yet able to evaluate the achieved result. Further, starting from the age of three, the development of the level of aspirations follows an increasing line. In this process, according to K. Levin, the role of social influences is the most important determinant of the formation of claims [10]. A comparison of the level of aspirations of three and a half and eight year old children shows a statistically significant increase in the maturity of aspirations, determined by the characteristics of the target deviation. It has been established that by the age of eight the main components of the level of aspirations are formed; children do not simplify the way they act, they strive to perform more difficult actions, after failure they make additional efforts to achieve success, etc. [10].

Data on the age dynamics of maturity obtained in K. Levin’s group were subsequently confirmed. A detailed qualitative analysis of age-related characteristics of goal formation was carried out in the work of A. Muller. The study involved children aged 3.2 to 7.8 years. All the main components of mature goal formation were discovered by the author already in children 5-7 years old. Children of this age carefully and carefully chose a goal, focusing on previous achievements, experienced full-fledged experiences of success and failure as pride or shame for their own achievements, and strived for success in the most difficult tasks. In children aged 3.11 to 4.11 years, goals did not depend on real achievements, and in children aged from 3.2 to 3.11 years, goals as such did not arise; only a “rudimentary” aspiration was revealed. In studies by A. Mel, which compared the level of aspirations of children 8-10 and 13-15 years old, a difference was found in the way they react to success and failure: younger children had more frequent atypical reactions. An analysis of the behavior of students (19 years old) and schoolchildren (13.5 years old) revealed instability of aspirations in adolescents, weak differentiation of goals, a tendency to look for the reasons for failures in objective circumstances, and attribute successes to their own skills, while the group of students turned out to be more critical. [eleven]

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Classification of the level of claims

The level of claims can be private or general .

The private level refers to aspirations in different activities or relationships, for example:

achievements in sports or music;
relationships with parents, children or the opposite sex.

These levels are based on one or another self-esteem of an individual in a specific area.

If we talk about the general level, then here it refers to different areas of a person’s activity and life, where he demonstrates his moral and mental abilities. It is based on a holistic assessment of a person’s own personality.

This concept was introduced into use by K. Levin and his students in order to explain the individual’s desire for a goal that is complex in accordance with the person’s abilities. Here it is important to identify the correspondence of a person’s abilities and capabilities to what he strives for.

Research has shown that this indicator is formed under the influence of successes or defeats, but neither successes nor defeats are the decisive factor in its formation; rather, it is the individual’s experience of his achievements, both successful and failed.

Levels of aspiration are also divided into those that are adequate to a person’s capabilities and those that are inadequate . If they are too high, they can be a source of inadequacy affect. When raising children, parents must certainly take them into account so that they correspond to their capabilities, this will contribute to the harmonious development of the child.

How to learn to believe in yourself?

Sometimes it happens that a person knows in which direction he should move, but he is hampered by the lack of faith that what he wants is possible. Some people withdraw into themselves even at the stage of determining their type of occupation. How to learn to believe in yourself? First of all, you need to allow yourself to be an individual. Realize that you don’t have to adapt to anyone or fulfill someone else’s will. Allow yourself to make the necessary mistakes if they lead you in a given direction. It's never too late to take the path of self-realization.

Thus, claims are what a person allows himself to have, what he actually strives for, what he directs his own efforts towards.

What characterizes a person’s level of aspirations?

This indicator characterizes the following:

the level of difficulty overcoming which a person will pursue his ideal future goal;
choosing the goal of the next action, which is formed against the background of the experience of success or failure in the future and is the current level of aspirations;
a person's desired self-esteem.

This category is interconnected with a person’s self-esteem and is formed against the background of subjective experiences of victories and defeats. However, if a person wants to increase his self-esteem when he can choose the degree of difficulty of subsequent actions, then this can lead to a conflict of such aspirations:

increasing aspirations in order to achieve success;
reduce them to avoid danger.

When a person experiences success and failure after achieving or not achieving one or another level of aspiration, a shift may occur towards more difficult or easier goals. So, if the desired goal decreases and an anti-typical change in the level of aspirations occurs, then this indicates inadequate self-esteem or the fact that his aspirations are not entirely realistic.

And if they are realistic, then the person is confident in his abilities, perseverance, he is productive and critical of what has been achieved. And if self-esteem is inadequate, then the goals are overestimated, underestimated or unrealistic. The behavior then becomes like this:

too difficult or very easy goals are chosen;
increased anxiety;
lack of self-confidence;
avoidance of competitive situations;
uncritical attitude towards achievements;
errors in forecasts.

The connection between self-esteem and the level of individual aspirations

Both components have a huge influence on each other. Having an inflated or underestimated view of one's own worth can lead to setting inappropriate goals in the future.

A real assessment of one’s own strengths and capabilities contributes to the development of an adequate management program.

The dependence of concepts has a rather complex mechanism: a gradual decrease in self-esteem can first reduce aspirations, but when it reaches the limit, it sharply increases. A person, tired of constant failure in his activities and lack of confidence in his own abilities, suddenly sets himself high goals.

Heightened self-esteem

A person with high self-esteem:

feels his own importance, superiority over others;
idealizes one’s own external features and character;
ignores failures;
passes off failure as success;
blames others for his own failure;
can't stand criticism.

Be sure to read:

How to change your life forever for the better - 3 right steps and advice from psychologists

Low UE

Individual with low UP:

constantly experiences uncertainty, anxiety, envy;
focuses on the opinions of others;
makes excessive demands on himself and others;
suspicious and boring.

Examples of real and inflated claims

If a person is purposeful, active and successful, then his level of aspiration is not too high, but not low either. His goals are quite realistic and most often come true. Unlike dreamers, such people set themselves real goals that correspond to their qualities. Such people have a high level of motivation, which is why they achieve what they want. These are successful businessmen, doctors, artists, etc.

But those who have too high and unrealistic aspirations are most often poorly motivated and unable to realize their aspirations. An example of this is that provincial girls believe that they deserve a luxurious life in the capital or abroad. But in most cases they do not seek to leave, get an education or learn a foreign language.

Claims in light of real possibilities

American psychological scientists have developed a theory according to which individuals who are motivated to successfully complete a goal set tasks that they will complete successfully. Such people are courageous, determined and strive to achieve success in any situation. They are able to mobilize their own internal resources and focus only on achieving their goals.

People who expect failure from any action behave completely differently. Their main goal is to avoid failure. People who are set up to fail from the very beginning are unsure of their actions. They don't believe in their own strength. Expecting criticism, they take every step with caution. As a result, they do not enjoy their actions and do not believe in possible success.

We can say that they have a realistic level of personality aspiration. People preparing for failure most often have high or low aspirations. In behavior, unrealistic aspirations are manifested by the choice of labor-intensive or easy tasks, uncertainty and anxiety. Such people avoid competitive moments, they make mistakes more often and are not able to critically evaluate the result obtained.

How can you determine your own level of aspiration?

Anyone can determine their level of aspirations using special tests or by contacting an experienced psychologist . Such an analysis may be required if a person cannot achieve a particular goal. It is likely that the desired level does not coincide with the person’s personal characteristics. You may need to reduce your desires or work on improving your personal qualities.

If an individual has a specific goal, but he cannot achieve it, it is better to reconsider his attitude towards himself, learn something new and change so that he can meet his aspirations, and not lower them.