particular areas of life in which people invest their self-esteem, such that feedback regarding their standing or abilities in these domains has a strong effect on their self-concept. Research indicates that people choose to stake their self-esteem in different domains, so that for some people material or professional success is vital to their sense of self-worth, whereas for others this is much less important than being well liked or sexually attractive. Also called contingencies of self-esteem. [first described in 2001 by U.S. psychologist Jennifer Crocker (1952– )]