Getting more from success: standard raising as esteem maintenance

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Motivation

Background:

• Individuals often adjust their goals and standards based on their experiences.
• Maintaining positive self-perceptions, particularly competence, is a key psychological driver.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the hypothesis that success leads to raising standards.
• To investigate whether raising standards serves to maintain performance-related self-esteem by enhancing perceived competence.

Main Methods:

• Four studies were conducted involving students and university professors.
• Methods included measuring standard adjustments after success, comparing standards between promoted and non-promoted individuals, and assessing self-reported feelings and attributions under different conditions.

Main Results:

• Success in meeting examination standards led students to raise future standards.
• Promoted professors perceived higher university publication standards than their non-promoted peers.
• Participants preferred achieving a high standard by a narrow margin over a low standard by a wide margin, mediated by competence attributions.
• Standards were raised when self-esteem was threatened but not when affirmed.

Conclusions:

• The findings support the esteem-maintenance hypothesis, indicating that people raise standards after success to bolster their sense of competence and self-esteem.
• Alternative explanations, such as goals for future improvement or initial standard lowering, were not supported.