Compensatory self-enhancement in the face of threats to self-worth

  • TABATA Takuya
    Graduate School of Literature and Human Sciences, Osaka City University
  • IKEGAMI Tomoko
    Graduate School of Literature and Human Sciences, Osaka City University

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • 自我脅威状況における補償的自己高揚の検討
  • ジガ キョウイ ジョウキョウ ニ オケル ホショウテキ ジコ コウヨウ ノ ケントウ

Search this article

Abstract

The present research tests the hypothesis that if people face threats to self-worth in one domain, they will elevate their self-evaluation in another domain as compensation, and that this cross-domain compensation is more likely to occur among those with high relative to low trait self-esteem. Two studies were conducted with undergraduates using a reliving task to manipulate levels of threat to the self. Participants whose academic selves were threatened exhibited self-enhancement in the interpersonal domain regardless of the level of trait self-esteem (Study 1). However, participants whose social selves were threatened did not exhibit self-enhancement in the domain of intelligence regardless of the level of trait self-esteem (Study 2). Results are discussed in terms of the asymmetry in compensation between the intellectual and social domains.

Journal

Related Projects

See more

Details

Report a problem

Back to top