Abstract:

The extent to which an individual is inclined to participate in challenging tasks impacts their capacity for improvement and future growth, which is further influenced by their implicit self-esteem. The present study aims to understand whether low family income diminishes individuals' preference for challenging tasks by affecting their implicit self-esteem, and seeks to explore the effect of self-affirmation interventions on individuals' implicit self-esteem and further their preference for challenging tasks. Based on research conducted on students attending a vocational secondary college in a former poor county within Gansu Province, two separate studies yielded the following findings: compared to those from relatively high-income families, students from low-income families showed a diminished inclination towards engaging in challenging tasks, partly due to lower implicit self-esteem; and short-term self-affirmation interventions proved to be effective in substantially bolstering the implicit self-esteem of these economically disadvantaged students. Consequently, this enhancement resulted in an elevated preference for challenging tasks among the aforementioned student population.

Key words: low-income family, preference for challenging tasks, self-affirmation interventions, implicit self-esteem