Better, Stronger, Faster: Self-Serving Judgment, Affect Regulation, and the Optimal Vigilance Hypothesis

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Affective Science

Background:

• Self-serving judgments, where individuals view themselves more favorably than others, are common.
• The dynamic changes in these judgments may be linked to affect regulation processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explain the dynamic variation of self-serving judgments within individuals.
• To explore the role of affect regulation in self-serving judgments.
• To investigate the moderating effect of perceived mutability on self-serving judgments.

Main Methods:

• The study proposes a theoretical account based on existing literature.
• It analyzes the interplay between self-serving judgments, affect regulation, and perceived mutability.
• The research focuses on cognitive and behavioral responses to threats and positive events.

Main Results:

• Self-serving judgments generate positive emotions, acting as a compensatory mechanism.
• Threats increase self-serving judgments to restore affect to a baseline.
• Perceived mutability influences responses: low mutability triggers cognitive affect regulation, high mutability prompts behavioral remediation.

Conclusions:

• Asymmetric homeostasis, facilitated by self-serving judgments, enables optimal vigilance.
• This mechanism is crucial for restoring negative affective shifts, particularly after threats.
• Self-serving judgments play a coherent role in maintaining emotional stability and readiness for new challenges.