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Self-structure and self-esteem stability: the hidden vulnerability of compartmentalization
Virgil Zeigler-Hill1, Carolin J Showers
1Department of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA. virgil@usm.edu
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|January 30, 2007
Summary
Individuals with high self-esteem benefit from evaluative integration, which leads to more stable self-esteem. Compartmentalization, however, increases sensitivity to daily events and social rejection.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Personality Psychology
Background:
- Self-esteem stability is crucial for psychological well-being.
- The structure of self-concept, how self-beliefs are organized, may influence self-esteem stability.
- Previous research has not fully explored the implications of different self-concept structures on self-esteem dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between self-concept structure and self-esteem stability.
- To examine how evaluative integration versus compartmentalization impacts self-esteem reactivity.
- To determine if self-concept structure moderates the effect of daily events on self-esteem.
Main Methods:
- Two daily diary studies were conducted.
- Participants reported on their self-beliefs and daily experiences.
- Self-esteem levels and reactivity to events were assessed.
- Laboratory-based social rejection tasks were employed.
Main Results:
- Evaluative integration was associated with more stable self-esteem compared to compartmentalization in individuals with high self-esteem.
- Compartmentalized individuals exhibited greater sensitivity of state self-esteem to daily events.
- Compartmentalization also correlated with heightened sensitivity to social rejection experiences.
Conclusions:
- The way individuals structure their self-concept significantly influences self-esteem stability and reactivity.
- Evaluative integration appears to foster greater self-esteem stability.
- Compartmentalization, while potentially associated with high self-esteem, may carry hidden costs including increased vulnerability to negative feedback and daily fluctuations.
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