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Related Concept Videos

Protecting Self-Esteem01:27

Protecting Self-Esteem

Self-esteem, a central component of psychological well-being, is actively maintained through various cognitive and behavioral strategies. Individuals employ specific mechanisms to preserve a positive self-concept and mitigate threats to their self-worth, particularly in contexts involving social evaluation or personal feedback. Four primary techniques are commonly used to sustain self-esteem.Manipulating AppraisalsOne prominent strategy involves manipulating appraisals from others. Individuals...
Self-Serving Bias01:29

Self-Serving Bias

Self-serving bias is a cognitive phenomenon in which individuals attribute positive outcomes to internal factors such as their abilities, intelligence, or effort while attributing negative outcomes to external circumstances. This cognitive distortion helps maintain self-esteem but can also impede objective self-assessment.Theoretical Explanations of Self-Serving BiasTwo primary theories explain the self-serving bias: the cognitive explanation and the motivational explanation.The cognitive...
Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model01:29

Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model

The Self-Evaluation Maintenance (SEM) model offers a psychological framework to understand how individuals’ self-esteem is influenced by the achievements of others, particularly those with whom they share close personal bonds. The SEM model operates when personal rather than social identity guides individuals. Central to this model is the notion that individuals have an inherent desire to preserve a favorable self-image, which is continuously shaped by interpersonal comparisons and...
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification03:00

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Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping02:05

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People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about the way you...
Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.

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Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
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Published on: September 27, 2020

Implicit self-esteem compensation: automatic threat defense.

Laurie A Rudman1, Matthew C Dohn, Kimberly Fairchild

  • 1Department of Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8040, USA. rudman@rci-rutgers.edu

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|November 7, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Threats to self-worth trigger implicit self-esteem compensation (ISEC), a process that may negatively impact social interactions and regulate anxiety. This effect was observed across various social identity threats.

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Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Social Cognition
  • Self-Esteem Research

Background:

  • Threats to self-worth can impact individuals' psychological states and social behaviors.
  • Implicit self-esteem (ISE) reflects automatic self-evaluations, distinct from explicit self-esteem.
  • Understanding self-protective mechanisms is crucial for explaining responses to social threats.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate implicit self-esteem compensation (ISEC) following threats to social identity.
  • To examine the relationship between ISEC, explicit self-esteem, and intergroup bias.
  • To explore the role of self-affirmation and anxiety in ISEC.

Main Methods:

  • Four experiments exposed participants to threats concerning gender identity, racism, or social rejection.
  • Implicit and explicit self-esteem measures were administered.
  • Automatic intergroup bias and anxiety levels were assessed.

Main Results:

  • Participants exhibited ISEC following threats, with no change in explicit self-esteem.
  • ISEC was diminished by self-affirmation and mediated increased automatic intergroup bias.
  • Anxiety mediated the threat-ISEC link, and ISEC predicted lower anxiety under high threat.

Conclusions:

  • ISEC acts as a self-protective mechanism against threats to self-worth.
  • While serving to regulate self-esteem and anxiety, ISEC may contribute to negative social outcomes like intergroup bias.
  • Findings highlight the complex interplay between automatic emotion regulation, self-esteem, and intergroup relations.