Running head: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-ESTEEM AND VIEW OF WOMEN AT WORK 1 I’m good, she’s good: The relationship between Self-Esteem and Attitudes Towards Women in the Work Force

This study seeks to better understand the impact of self-esteem on attitudes towards others, specifically the perception of women’s abilities in power positions in the work force. The hypothesis states that men and women who have higher self-esteem will perceive women more competent in a managerial role than men and women with lower self-esteem. Another hypothesis states that women will rank the female candidate as more qualified than men will, regardless of self-esteem levels. Ninety three students from a midwestern university participated in the study. A 29-item survey was compiled using the Current Thoughts Scale (Heatherton and Polivy, 1991), a work place scenario, and statements about the candidate in the situation. In the future this research could lead to an increased awareness in the importance of understanding the connections between the way individuals view themselves and the impact it has on their opinions