Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification03:00

Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification

5.8K
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...
5.8K
Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model01:29

Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model

370
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...
370
Sources of Self-Esteem II: Performance Feedback01:24

Sources of Self-Esteem II: Performance Feedback

205
Self-esteem is intricately tied to our perception of competence and our ability to exert control over our lives. One of the primary sources of this perception is performance feedback — the ongoing evaluation of our actions in terms of success and failure. According to Franks and Marolla (1976), people derive self-worth from experiencing themselves as causal agents, capable of achieving goals and overcoming obstacles. This process nurtures a critical component of self-esteem:...
205
Strategies of Self-Presentation II: Self-Verification01:17

Strategies of Self-Presentation II: Self-Verification

243
Self-verification is a fundamental psychological drive wherein individuals seek affirmation of their self-concept from others, striving for consistency between their internal self-view and external perceptions. This drive operates even when the self-concept is negative, influencing interpersonal behavior and feedback preferences in complex and often counterintuitive ways. Unlike the self-enhancement motive, which seeks positive evaluations, self-verification prioritizes coherence and...
243
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping02:05

Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping

44.9K
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...
44.9K
Self-Esteem01:28

Self-Esteem

297
Self-esteem, a core aspect of psychological well-being, reflects an individual's positive and negative self-evaluation in terms of worth, competence, and overall value. It is both a stable trait and a dynamic process, influenced by experiences and social interactions across the lifespan. While global self-esteem offers a general assessment, research highlights that self-esteem is multidimensional and varies across specific life domains.Domain-Specific Self-EsteemResearchers have delineated...
297

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Automatic threat processing shows evidence of exclusivity.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2023
Same author

A multi-lab test of the facial feedback hypothesis by the Many Smiles Collaboration.

Nature human behaviour·2022
Same author

On the Automatic Nature of Threat: Physiological and Evaluative Reactions to Survival-Threats Outside Conscious Perception.

Affective science·2022
Same author

Correction to: On the Automatic Nature of Threat: Physiological and Evaluative Reactions to Survival-Threats Outside Conscious Perception.

Affective science·2022
Same author

Female advantage in threat avoidance manifests in threat reaction but not threat detection.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2022
Same author

Fact or artifact? Demand characteristics and participants' beliefs can moderate, but do not fully account for, the effects of facial feedback on emotional experience.

Journal of personality and social psychology·2022

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
07:01

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Published on: March 1, 2019

8.6K

Does self-enhancement facilitate task performance?

Erin M O'Mara1, Lowell Gaertner2

  • 1Department of Psychology.

Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
|March 3, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Self-enhancement, a drive to maintain a positive self-view, causally improves performance on relevant tasks. This effect may be linked to increased self-efficacy, boosting confidence and capability.

More Related Videos

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation
06:53

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Published on: March 1, 2017

13.9K
The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

1.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
07:01

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Published on: March 1, 2019

8.6K
Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation
06:53

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Published on: March 1, 2017

13.9K
The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

1.2K

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Psychology

Background:

  • Self-enhancement is a widespread motivation to maintain a positive self-concept.
  • Previous research indicates a correlation between self-enhancement and better task performance.
  • The causal relationship between self-enhancement and performance remains largely untested.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally investigate the causal impact of self-enhancement on task performance.
  • To determine if self-enhancement directly influences performance outcomes.
  • To explore the psychological mechanisms underlying this potential causal link.

Main Methods:

  • Five experiments were conducted with participants randomly assigned to either a self-enhancement condition or a control condition.
  • Participants completed either a creativity task or a cold-pressor task (pain induction).
  • Self-enhancement was manipulated prior to task engagement.

Main Results:

  • Self-enhancement significantly facilitated performance on the assigned task.
  • The performance-enhancing effect was observed when self-enhancement was relevant to the task dimension.
  • Self-effacing tendencies did not enhance performance, and irrelevant self-enhancement showed no effect.
  • Task-relevant self-efficacy emerged as a potential mediator for the performance benefits of self-enhancement.

Conclusions:

  • Self-enhancement can causally improve performance, particularly when aligned with task demands.
  • The findings suggest that fostering self-enhancement on relevant dimensions can be a viable strategy for performance improvement.
  • Self-efficacy plays a crucial role in mediating the positive impact of self-enhancement on task outcomes.