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Loving, hating, vacillating: Agreeableness, implicit self-esteem, and neurotic conflict
Michael D Robinson1, Benjamin M Wilkowski
1Psychology Department, North Dakota State University, ND 58105, USA. Michael.D.Robinson@ndsu.edu
Journal of Personality
|June 22, 2006
Summary
High implicit self-esteem benefits those low in Agreeableness by reducing neurotic distress. However, it increases neurotic distress for individuals high in Agreeableness, highlighting a complex interplay.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Personality Psychology
Background:
- An implicit self-preference can aid personal goals but hinder adaptation to others' needs.
- This suggests a potential conflict between self-interest and interpersonal adjustment.
- Karen Horney's theory posits intrapsychic conflicts arise from interpersonal motivations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction between Agreeableness and implicit self-esteem in predicting neurotic distress.
- To test the hypothesis that this interaction influences intrapsychic conflict manifestation.
Main Methods:
- Three empirical studies and one meta-analysis were conducted.
- Participants included 235 undergraduate students.
- Measures assessed Agreeableness, implicit self-esteem, and neurotic distress.
Main Results:
- High implicit self-esteem correlated with lower neurotic distress when Agreeableness was low.
- High implicit self-esteem correlated with higher neurotic distress when Agreeableness was high.
- These findings were consistent across various measurement tools.
Conclusions:
- The interaction between Agreeableness and implicit self-esteem significantly predicts neurotic distress.
- These results support the relevance of interpersonal principles in understanding neurotic distress.
- Findings align with Horney's theories on intrapsychic conflict and interpersonal dynamics.