Counteracting the consequences of defensive self-esteem with self-affirmation
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Date
2015-07-27
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Towson University. Department of Psychology
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There are no restrictions on access to this document. An internet release form signed by the author to display this document online is on file with Towson University Special Collections and Archives.
There are no restrictions on access to this document. An internet release form signed by the author to display this document online is on file with Towson University Special Collections and Archives.
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Abstract
Individuals with defensive self-esteem are characterized as having high explicit levels of self-esteem but low implicit levels of self-esteem. They tend to rely on self-enhancement more heavily for promoting positive self-views than do individuals with secure HSE, who in contrast exhibit high levels of both explicit and implicit self-esteem. The overreliance on self-enhancement observed among defensive HSEs suggests that these individuals engage in greater use of defensive processes, which can lead to maladaptive functioning. In the current study I suggest that inducing self-affirmation among defensive HSEs can serve as an especially beneficial tool to reduce their use of defensive processes. In contrast, inducing self-affirmation among secure HSEs was expected to show no additional effects in their use of defensive processes, assuming that they engage in self-affirmation in their everyday lives to regulate their level of self-esteem. However, this hypothesis was not supported by the current study.