Search

This experiment tested whether peer approval and disapproval experiences can cause immediate change in children’s state self-esteem. Children’s narcissistic traits and evaluator perceived popularity were examined as potential moderators. A total of 333 preadolescents (M = 10.8 years) completed personal profiles on the Internet that were ostensibly judged by a jury consisting of popular and unpopular peers. Participants randomly received negative, neutral, or positive feedback from the jury. Next, they could examine the feedback that each individual judge gave them. As expected, peer disapproval decreased self-esteem, especially in children high in narcissism. In contrast, peer approval increased self-esteem. Moreover, disapproved children’s self-esteem recovery was dependent on the extent to which they subsequently viewed positive feedback from popular judges. These findings support sociometer theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From social identity theory a negative relation between self-esteem and ingroup bias can be deducted. Much research has been done to test this proposition and largely failed to confirm this relation. Unlike many existing studies, we conducted an experiment in which (a) self-esteem is not conceived as a trait entity but much more situation-specific, (b) the self-esteem manipulation is not relative to the outgroup, and (c) the measure of intergroup differentiation is unrelated to the self-esteem manipulation. We categorised our participants into two arbitrary minimal groups (Klee or Kandinsky fans) and afterwards formed homogeneous three-person groups (all persons were either Klee or Kandinsky fans). We manipulated the state self-esteem of these real groups by giving them positive or negative feedback concerning their performance in a problem-solving task. Afterwards, all groups distributed money to ingroup and outgroup members via Tajfel distribution matrices. Low state self-esteem groups were found to exhibit stronger ingroup bias than high state self-esteem groups overall, although the variability of intergroup discrimination was larger in the low state self-esteem groups, pointing to more heterogeneous reactions to low state self-esteem. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two experiments examine how experimentally induced differences in state self-esteem moderate emotional and behavioural responses to ambiguous and unambiguous discrimination. Study 1 (N=108) showed that participants who were exposed to ambiguous discrimination report more negative self-directed emotions when they have low compared to high self-esteem. These differences did not emerge when participants were exposed to unambiguous discrimination. Study 2 (N=118) additionally revealed that self-esteem moderated the effect of ambiguous discrimination on self-concern, task performance, and self-stereotyping. Results show that ambiguous discrimination caused participants with low self-esteem to report more negative self-directed emotions, more self-concern, an inferior task performance, and more self-stereotyping, compared to participants in the high self-esteem condition. Emotional and behavioural responses to unambiguous discrimination did not depend on the induced level of self-esteem in these studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Bulimia nervosa (BN) is associated with low self-esteem. This study was designed to assess whether low self-esteem persists in nondepressed individuals who have recovered from BN (BN-R). Method: Study groups included BN (n = 22), BN-R (n = 20), and healthy controls (n = 42). Participants were medication-free, and none met criteria for current major depression. Assessment instruments included the State Self-Esteem Scale (SSES), a self-rating scale designed to measure state-related changes in self-esteem. Results: Consistent with previous reports, SSES scores for BN were lower than for controls (p < .001). For BN-R, SSES scores were higher than for BN (p < .001), but lower than for controls (p < .025). For BN-R, scores on the SSES Appearance subscale were inversely correlated with ratings of dietary restraint (p < .005). Conclusion: This study provides new evidence for persistent low self-esteem following recovery from BN. Follow-up studies are needed to assess whether low self-esteem contributes to recurrent dieting and risk for relapse. © 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated factors that protect people low in trait self-esteem (Low-SEs), who may be less skilled at constructing information in self-enhancing manners, from threats after interpersonal upward comparison with in-group members. We hypothesized that even Low-SEs can maintain their state self-esteem under intergroup upward comparison. Furthermore, this study explored the possibility that individuals used identity-shift, a strategy to maintain their personal identity, even in an intergroup upward comparison condition. The results of a quasi-experiment supported these hypotheses. We further explored the possibility that individuals might use a twofold strategy to protect/enhance their self-esteem based on an interplay of personal and social identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subjects in a positive or a neutral mood were engaged in an impression formation task (Experiment 1), and in a word fragment completion task (Experiment 2). A self-referent versus other-referent sentence completion task was used to induce a positive mood state. As a result, the subjects exhibited mood congruent effects on impression ratings in the self-referent but not in the other-referent mood induction condition. Word completion data, however, indicated that relevant traits (i.e., friendly traits) had been equally activated across the two mood induction conditions. It was also demonstrated that the self-referent induction procedure was effective in enhancing the level of self-esteem, whereas the other-referent one was not. The results converged to suggest that the enhancement in state self-esteem accompanying the self-referent procedure might be relevant to positive mood effects on person impression. This indicates the limitation of the mood priming model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports the preliminary findings from the first stage of a larger study in which the effect of Tai Chi in promoting the psychosocial health of the Chinese residents was investigated. This study specifically examines the effect of Tai Chi on state self-esteem and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in older Chinese residential care home residents.

The variability of self-esteem is an important characteristic of self-esteem. However, little is known about the mechanisms that underlie it. The goal of the current study was to empirically explore these underlying mechanisms. It is commonly assumed that state self-esteem (the fleeting experience of the self) is a response to the immediate social context. Drawing from a complex dynamic systems perspective, the self-organizing self-esteem model asserts that this responsivity is not passive or stimulus-response like, but that the impact of the social context on state self-esteem is intimately connected to the intrinsic dynamics of self-esteem. The model suggests that intrinsic dynamics are the result of higher-order self-esteem attractors that can constrain state self-esteem variability. The current study tests this model, and more specifically, the prediction that state self-esteem variability is less influenced by changes in the immediate context if relatively strong, as opposed to weak, self-esteem attractors underlie intrinsic dynamics of self-esteem. To test this, parent-adolescent dyads (N=13, Mage=13.6) were filmed during seminaturalistic discussions. Observable components of adolescent state self-esteem were coded in real time, as well as real-time parental autonomy-support and relatedness. Kohonen’s self-organizing maps were used to derive attractor-like patterns: repeated higher-order patterns of adolescents’ self-esteem components. State space grids were used to assess how much adolescents’ self-esteem attractors constrained their state self-esteem variability. We found varying levels of attractor strength in our sample. In accordance with our prediction, we found that state self-esteem was less sensitive to changes in parental support and relatedness for adolescents with stronger self-esteem attractors. Discussion revolves around the implications of our findings for the ontology of self-esteem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In four studies, we found that receiving a customized gift leads recipients to appreciate the gift more highly because of vicarious feelings of pride. This vicarious pride is the same feeling that the customizer experiences after having self‐customized a product. In the first two experiments with real‐life pairs of friends, vicarious pride was documented among recipients of customized gifts. The findings show that the relationship between customization and gift appreciation is mediated by vicarious pride. Study 3 and Study 4 replicate the results of the first series of experiments, and reveal the role of vicarious pride in enhancing state self‐esteem and, in turn, gift appreciation. Study 4 also tests the effect of a relational variable (i.e., relationship anxiety) on this relationship. Specifically, relationship anxiety affects vicarious pride, and then consequently state self‐esteem and gift appreciation, which are only enhanced by customization when the relationship is not anxious. As a practical implication, this research emphasizes the importance of communicating gift customization to gift recipients to enhance their gift experience and appreciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mediation analysis is indispensable for investigating how a treatment causally affects an outcome via intervening variables. Existing discussions on the validity of causal inference drawn from mediation analysis have prioritized single mediator settings. In this article, we focus on improving causal inference when investigating multiple mediators. We pay particular attention to the prevalent practice of exploring mediated effects along various paths linking several mediators. Such approaches are fraught with stringent—yet often overlooked—causal assumptions that predicate valid inference of indirect or mediated effects. To mitigate the risk of incorrect inference, we introduce a conceptually and substantively novel approach from the causal inference literature: interventional indirect effects. Interventional indirect effects focus on the contributions of each distinct mediator to the treatment effect on the outcome. An appealing feature of this approach is that valid causal inference of mediation analysis with multiple mediators can be attained without assuming a (correct) causal structure among the mediators. Using a social psychology experiment as a running example, we illustrate how researchers can readily estimate and interpret the proposed interventional effects in practice. We hope this article will encourage explaining and substantiating the causal assumptions underpinning mediation analysis with multiple mediators to fortify causal inference in psychology research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socially anxious children tend to attach great importance to others' evaluations of them. However, the extent to which they base their momentary feelings of self-worth (i.e., state self-esteem) on social (dis)approval is unclear. It is also unclear whether this exceedingly approval-based self-esteem is a common correlate of social anxiety and depression, or specifically linked to one or the other. Changes in children's state self-esteem were obtained in response to a manipulated peer evaluation outcome. Participants ( N = 188) aged 10 to 13 took part in a rigged online computer contest and were randomized to receive positive or negative peer feedback. Self-reported state self-esteem was assessed via computer at baseline and immediately post-feedback. The predictive effects of self-reported social anxiety and depression symptoms on changes in state self-esteem were investigated. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that children with higher social anxiety, as indexed by the fear of negative evaluation component, experienced significantly stronger increases in state self-esteem following peer approval ( β = .26, p < .05), and significantly stronger decreases in state self-esteem following peer disapproval ( β =−.23, p < .05). In both conditions depressive symptoms did not predict changes in state self-esteem ( ps > .20). Socially anxious children's state self-esteem is strongly contingent on social approval. Because basing one's self-esteem on external validation has multiple negative consequences, these findings highlight the importance of teaching these children skills (e.g., making cognitive reappraisals) to weaken the linkage between other- and self-evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the level of stigma and identify the correlates of stigma among lung cancer patients in China.Methods: In total, 283 lung cancer patients were recruited from a tertiary cancer center in China by the convenience sampling method and completed a demographic, disease-related information and situational characteristics questionnaire and self-reported measures assessing stigma, state self-esteem, and coping self-efficacy.Results: The mean stigma score was moderate (2.38 ± 0.45). Stigma was significantly and negatively associated with state self-esteem (r = -0.607, P < .001) and coping self-efficacy (r = -0.424, P < .001). Multivariable linear regression showed that age, cancer stage, negative changes (ie, in financial burden, body image, and family relationship), cancer disclosure, perceived blame, state self-esteem, and coping self-efficacy accounted for 49.9% of the variance in stigma.Conclusions: Stigma is a widespread psychosocial phenomenon among patients with lung cancer in China. Health care policy-makers and professionals should pay more attention to this issue and take effective measures to address stigma among lung cancer patients by improving their state self-esteem and coping self-efficacy, encouraging cancer disclosure and providing support for adjusting to negative changes after diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the problems related to the ageing society, effective strategies to reduce younger people's ageism towards older adults should be developed. Previous studies incorporated the content of stereotype embodiment theory (SET) into ageism reduction strategy, suggesting that younger participants' ageism eventually has undesirable impacts on their own future (i.e., SET intervention). In the SET intervention, participants read an explanatory text on several empirical findings related to SET. To enhance the versatility of this intervention, two experiments were conducted with younger participants in Japan. Study 1 examined concerns that arise in the practical application of the intervention. Results revealed that the SET intervention had few effects on fear of death and increased state self‐esteem. In Study 2, the SET intervention was combined with interventions to encourage life planning, in which they freely described possible negative/positive events in their future. SET intervention reduced ageism, increased advocacy for policies to support older adults and increased emphasis on life planning and hope for the future. Many previous studies have shown that intergenerational contact‐based interventions are effective in reducing ageism, and future research should be conducted in combination with the SET interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Theoretically, reductions of self‐esteem among people who stutter (PWS) are often explained by individual negative cognitions or emotions of the PWS or their conversation partners. We propose that the flow of a conversation can be seen as a representation of the relationship between speakers, and that by disrupting this flow, a stutter may directly threaten this relationship, and in turn affect self‐esteem. Methodologically, we present a new, event‐contingent, method that assesses fluctuations in self‐esteem over time and thereby allows one to assess the predictive value of specific conversational experiences. Aims: To have both a theoretical and a methodological contribution on conversational disfluency. Methods & Procedures: Our focus is not on stable individual factors, but we expect that fluctuations within the flow of everyday conversations predict changes in self‐esteem. We studied these fluctuations with an experience sampling method which prompted participants to answer a brief survey after each of 10 conversations in a 2‐week period. Self‐identified PWS (n = 58) and people who do not stutter (PWNS; n = 53) reported on their individual negative cognitions and emotions and experienced relational quality and state self‐esteem in more than 1000 conversations. By assessing fluctuations in self‐esteem over time, this method allows one to assess the predictive value of specific conversational experiences. Outcomes & Results: Correlational evidence demonstrates that flow disruptions are associated with temporary reductions in self‐esteem. This association is mediated by increased individual negative cognitions and emotions, as well as threatened social relationships. This appeared to be true for both PWS and PWNS, although PWS experienced on average less conversational flow and lower state self‐esteem. On average, PWS did not experience lower relational quality than PWNS. Conclusions & Implications: An event‐contingent recording method is a useful way to assess momentary fluctuations in self‐esteem. Findings are consistent with the notion that people monitor their relationship by attending to fluctuations in conversational flow; whereas a smooth conversational flow indicates a strong relationship, disruptions of flow (e.g., as caused by a stutter or other factors) signal a threat to the relationship. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: Even though adverse effects of stuttering on the experience of self‐esteem have been reported, the evidence for this relation is equivocal. Because the evidence is mixed, it becomes interesting to examine the processes that provide insight in how stuttering may affect self‐esteem. Theoretically, reductions of self‐esteem among PWS are often explained by individual negative cognitions or emotions of the PWS or their conversation partners. Methodologically, studies examine this relation by single self‐report measures, or by laboratory studies. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: Our theoretical model shows that the flow of a conversation can be seen as a representation of the relationship between speakers, and that by disrupting this flow, a stutter directly threatens this relationship, and in turn, affects self‐esteem. Methodologically, we present a new, event‐contingent, method that assesses fluctuations in self‐esteem over time and thereby allows one to assess the predictive value of specific conversational experiences. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: Going beyond the study of stable individual cognitions and emotions of PWS and listeners, our findings show that a close examination of between‐conversation fluctuations in flow can teach us about the day‐to‐day reality of people living with speech disorders, and the way they develop relationships and self‐esteem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise in psychological problems, attrition, and suicide rates of university students has been linked to the stressful challenges faced during university life. To buffer this, animal assisted activities ( AAA) may assist in improving psychological and physiological well-being in students, however, to date, there is little empirical evidence for their effectiveness. Consequently, this study explored the psychological and physiological benefits of AAA in a sample of undergraduate students. Sixty-two students from two local universities participated in an hour-long AAA session delivered by Therapy Dogs Singapore. Measures of perceived stress, anxiety, state self-esteem, and blood pressure ( BP) were taken before and after the sessions. The results indicated that students experienced significant decreases in state anxiety, systolic, and diastolic BP post AAA, and when compared to a quiet reading comparison session. State self-esteem increased post AAA and, further, was found to moderate the change in anxiety in addition to perceived stress, whereby perceived anxiety reduced more in those with low state self-esteem and high perceived stress. These results suggest that AAA can be an effective intervention for stress among undergraduate students, which utilizes a novel, easy to implement and enjoyable approach for Singaporean students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autobiographical memory is vital for our well‐being and therefore used in therapeutic interventions. However, not much is known about the (neural) processes by which reliving memories can have beneficial effects. This study investigates what brain activation patterns and memory characteristics facilitate the effectiveness of reliving positive autobiographical memories for mood and sense of self. Particularly, the role of vividness and autonoetic consciousness is studied. Participants (N = 47) with a wide range of trait self‐esteem relived neutral and positive memories while their bold responses, experienced vividness of the memory, mood, and state self‐esteem were recorded. More vivid memories related to better mood and activation in amygdala, hippocampus and insula, indicative of increased awareness of oneself (i.e., prereflective aspect of autonoetic consciousness). Lower vividness was associated with increased activation in the occipital lobe, PCC, and precuneus, indicative of a more distant mode of reliving. While individuals with lower trait self‐esteem increased in state self‐esteem, they showed less deactivation of the lateral occipital cortex during positive memories. In sum, the vividness of the memory seemingly distinguished a more immersed and more distant manner of memory reliving. In particular, when reliving positive memories higher vividness facilitated increased prereflective autonoetic consciousness, which likely is instrumental in boosting mood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of the present studies was to examine the connections that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry had with various aspects of status.Method: Study 1 examined the associations that narcissism had with the motivation to seek status in a sample of 1,219 community members. Study 2 examined whether narcissism interacted with the status-seeking motive to predict how individuals pursued status in a sample of 760 community members and college students. Study 3 used a daily diary approach to examine whether narcissism moderated the associations that daily perceptions of status and affiliation had with state self-esteem in 356 college students.Results: Our results revealed that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry were somewhat similar in their desire for status but had divergent associations with other aspects of status (e.g., strategies employed to attain status, perceptions of status, reactions to perceived status).Conclusions: The results of the present studies suggest that narcissistic admiration is associated with an agentic orientation to the pursuit of status, whereas narcissistic rivalry is associated with an antagonistic orientation to the pursuit of status. Discussion focuses on the implications of these results for our understanding of the connections between narcissism and status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Social Psychology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Self-esteem has been proposed to serve as a sociometer, a gauge of one's value as a relationship partner. Based on evolutionary reasoning, we hypothesized that the sociometer is particularly sensitive to “capacity rejection” in the mating domain. Capacity rejection implies that one has low potential to be an acceptable mate now and in the future. In Study 1, participants received no feedback or negative feedback regarding their capacity for being an acceptable mate or friend. Although participants in both mate and friend conditions felt rejected, only those in the mate condition exhibited significantly lower state self-esteem. In Study 2, we examined sex differences in attributes relevant to mate capacity. Participants were given no feedback or negative feedback regarding their capacity as a mate: Some were told that their low mate capacity is due to their physical attractiveness whereas others were told it is due to their competence and status. Among men, state self-esteem was lower only after competence and status-based rejection; among women, state self-esteem was lower only after physical attractiveness-based rejection. In both studies, additional results revealed that even while self-esteem decreased, positive beliefs about the self were maintained, suggesting that feelings and beliefs about the self react differently to rejection. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Each day for five days, 79 fifth-grade children reported on events that occurred at school and they and their parents described their interactions with each other each evening. Consistent with previous research, it was found that on days when children reported more academic or peer problems during the day at school, they later described more aversive interactions with their parents. As hypothesized, increases in anxiety and drops in children's state self-esteem partially mediated this link. However, parents did not report any differences in their interactions with the target child on days when the child experienced problems at school. This study suggests that negative events experienced by children while at school lead to short-term changes in mood and self-esteem, which influence their perceptions of subsequent interactions at home with parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cosmeceutical therapies including face washes, moisturizers, chemical peels and antioxidant formulations are intended to improve the esthetic appearance of skin. The use of these products as adjuncts to full facial rejuvenation with hyaluronic acid filler and abobotulinumtoxinA may improve cosmetic and socio‐esthetic outcomes. Objective: To characterize the effect of skin care products in subjects undergoing full facial rejuvenation with abobotulinumtoxinA and hyaluronic acid in improving facial skin appearance, patient satisfaction, and projected first impressions. Methods: Twenty subjects were recruited and divided into two treatment groups. Subjects in Group A followed a standard skin care regimen, whereas subjects in Group B received a more robust skin care regimen including chemical peels and antioxidant formulations. All subjects underwent facial rejuvenation treatments with hyaluronic acid at Visit 2 and with abobotulinumtoxinA at Visit 7. Patient esthetic improvement, satisfaction, self‐esteem, and first impression were evaluated via the Fitzpatrick Wrinkle Assessment Scale, Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale, Skin Quality Assessment, Heatherton & Polivy State Self‐Esteem Scale, Subject Satisfaction Scale, and the First Impressions Questionnaire. Results: Both treatment groups experienced significant improvements in the Skin Quality Assessment, Fitzpatrick Wrinkle Assessment Scale, Heatherton and Polivy State Self‐Esteem Scale, and First Impressions Questionnaire. Conclusion: The cosmeceutical therapies used in this study in combination with abobotulinumtoxinA and hyaluronic acid filler improved subjects' skin quality, self‐esteem, and projected first impressions. Larger studies are needed to determine the most efficacious combination of topical skin therapies with facial rejuvenation therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narcissists and nonnarcissists were insulted by high-status and low-status evaluators and were given an opportunity to self-protect with a comparative (evaluator derogation; Experiment 1 ) and noncomparative (inflated state self-esteem; Experiments 1 and 2 ) strategy. Narcissists engaged in comparative self-protection indiscriminately (i.e., derogating both low-status and high-status evaluators), whereas nonnarcissists showed some mercy to low-status evaluators. With regard to noncomparative protection, the findings were consistent across studies: Evaluator status interacted with narcissism such that narcissists engaged in noncomparative self-protection more than nonnarcissists when the evaluator was high, but not low, in status. Evaluator status and, more generally, source of feedback are worth serious consideration when untangling the intricacies and flexibility of narcissistic self-protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the implications of the variability in self-esteem, moods, shame and guilt in women who binge. Fluctuations in state of self-esteem among binge eaters; Evidence of low level of positive affect; Implications of the differential role of shame.

Investigates the effect of positioning on the stability of oxygenation and respiratory synchrony in pre-term infants. Increase of heart rate on supine positioning; Reduction in asynchrony on prone positioning; Observation of intra-subject variability on thoraco-abdominal motion.

What kinds of social interactions help individuals recover from an embarrassing experience? The present experiment examined the possibility that whereas individuals do not benefit from interacting with someone who is merely trying to understand and empathize, they do benefit from interacting with someone who has undergone the same experience and thus accurately understands their feelings. The 'target' member of 142 dyads performed an embarrassing task in front of the 'perceiver', after which they had a face‐to‐face discussion. Unbeknownst to targets, some perceivers did the task themselves beforehand, and some perceivers adopted an empathic mindset during the exchange. Perceivers' previous experience predicted improvements in targets' self‐evaluations that were mediated by more accurate perceptions of targets' feelings. In contrast, perceivers' empathic mindset had no benefits for targets, alone or in concert with prior experience. The only apparent benefits of perceivers' empathic mindset were that perceivers felt more empathy and liking for targets (both undetected by targets), and felt viewed more favourably by targets (not corroborated by targets). These results suggest greater efficacy of perceiver experience over empathic concern in facilitating targets' recovery from embarrassing events. Perceivers' dispositional empathy, involving a different type of experience accumulated over time, also predicted benefits to targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People differ in the extent to which their self-evaluations fluctuate in response to positive and negative events. This research tests whether self-ambivalence predicts this self-evaluative reactivity. Participants first completed measures of self-ambivalence and baseline self-esteem. Next, they were induced a success or failure experience in a cognitive task and finally rated their cognitive self-evaluations (task-specific ability, state self-esteem) and affective reactions (self-feelings, mood). Self-ambivalence was associated with stronger effects of the success/failure manipulation on cognitive self-evaluations but not on affective reactions, with baseline self-esteem controlled. Possible underlying mechanisms are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resident satisfaction is widely recognized as a critical dimension in assessing quality of nursing home care. Although many factors are associated with satisfaction, little is known about the relative importance of these factors in predicting satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to identify the demographic, physiological, psychological, and social predictors of satisfaction in a convenience sample of 175 nursing home residents in Hong Kong. Seventeen resident variables were investigated. Variables that showed significant bivariate associations with satisfaction were entered into the stepwise regression model. Health-related quality of life (mental component), state self-esteem, and social support satisfaction, significantly accounted for 31% of the variance of satisfaction. These findings suggest approaches to tailor care plans to increase resident satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines short-term psychological effects of prejudice attributions on African American women. Black female college students (N = 112) imagined themselves in an audiotaped scenario in which White male students made negative evaluations of them. Participants completed self-report measures of psychological stress and state self-esteem after they rated the likely contributions of various causal attributions to the negative evaluations. Attributions included personal characteristics of the participant and classmates, as welt as 3 kinds of prejudice: racism, sexism, and ethgender prejudice (the interaction of racism and sexism). Attributions to racism and ethgender prejudice predicted increased stress and decreased state social self-esteem. Results contradict assertions that prejudice attributions are self-protective and imply that prejudice might involve internal and external causal dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three daily diary studies were conducted to examine the incidence, nature, and impact of everyday sexism as reported by college women and men. Women experienced about one to two impactful sexist incidents per week, consisting of traditional gender role stereotypes and prejudice, demeaning and degrading comments and behaviors, and sexual objectification. These incidents affected women's psychological well-being by decreasing their comfort, increasing their feelings of anger and depression, and decreasing their state self-esteem. Although the experiences had similar effects on men's anger, depression, and state self-esteem, men reported relatively fewer sexist incidents, suggesting less overall impact on men. The results provide evidence for the phenomena of everyday prejudice and enlighten our understanding of the experience of prejudice in interpersonal encounters from the perspective of the target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When someone's self‐esteem is raised, how does their presence affect the people surrounding them? The purpose of the present study was to provide initial evidence for this question from the viewpoint of social comparison. We therefore conducted a questionnaire experiment among junior high school students (N = 225) using a scene‐assumption method, investigating the effect of a change in the self‐esteem of a specific individual on the self‐esteem of others in that individual's proximity. Results showed that, for students who had low self‐esteem and saw self‐esteem as important, their self‐esteem decreased when the self‐esteem of a friend increased; conversely, self‐esteem increased for individuals who did not view this trait as important. This finding suggests that, depending on both the degree of the participants' original level of self‐esteem and the degree to which self‐esteem is considered important, activities to improve self‐esteem may have an unintentional adverse effect that undermines their original purpose. Based on this suggestion, the necessity of considering the effects on others in efforts to improve an individual's self‐esteem is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three experiments examined subjective perceptions, psychological consequences, and behavioral outcomes of enhancing versus improving feedback. Across experiments, feedback delivery and assessment were sequential (i.e., at each testing juncture) or cumulative (i.e., at the end of the testing session). Although enhancing feedback was seen as more satisfying than useful, and improving feedback was not seen as more useful than satisfying, perceptions differed as a function of short-term versus long-term feedback delivery and assessment. Overall, however, enhancing feedback was more impactful psychologically and behaviorally. Enhancing feedback engendered greater success consistency, overall satisfaction and usefulness, optimism, state self-esteem, perceived ability, and test persistence intentions; improving feedback, on the other hand, engendered greater state improvement. The findings provide fodder for theory development and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self‐esteem is a pervasive individual characteristic with major consequences for people's lives. Recent research demonstrated normative change and substantial individual differences in change across the lifespan, which triggered great interest in the sources of self‐esteem development. This article provides an overview of the present state of the field of self‐esteem development. First, to gain a comprehensive picture, I reviewed findings of different change indicators: mean‐level change, individual differences in change, rank‐order stability, and state (fluctuations). Second, I reviewed theory and empirical evidence on self‐esteem change in response to normative and non‐normative life events in the domains school/work and social relationships. Third, I reviewed theory and empirical evidence on situational processes and psychological mechanisms of self‐esteem development. I integrated theoretical approaches from lifespan, personality developmental, and social‐personality psychology in a process‐oriented framework of self‐esteem development in response to life events. Finally, I discussed directions for theoretical and methodological advancements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of the present three studies was to examine experimentally whether writing about life story chapters would increase self-esteem, self-concept clarity, and meaning.Method: In study 1, 179 participants rated state self-esteem and self-concept clarity before and after they described either four important life story chapters or four famous Americans. In study 2, 141 new participants completed a similar procedure to study 1 and then returned two days later to complete the procedure a second time. In study 3, 101 community dwelling adults completed a similar procedure to study 1, but responded to full scales measuring self-concept clarity, self-esteem, and mood.Results: In all the studies, writing about four important life story chapters increased the ratings of self-esteem, whereas writing about four famous Americans did not.Conclusion: The studies show that writing about chapters in life stories can increase self-esteem and suggest that constructing positive self-worth may be an important function of life stories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Introduction: Public health interventions need to balance the benefits with any potential harms. One proposed intervention for reducing sugar‐sweetened beverage consumption involves placing graphic warning labels on products and advertisements. A recent study found that a graphic warning label that contained negative imagery of obesity reduced purchases of sugar‐sweetened beverages. However, these labels may also promote obesity stigma, which is concerning given that weight stigma is associated with harmful health consequences including weight gain and increased risk of mortality. Methods: In Study 1 (n = 681), participants viewed a standard soda label or the graphic warning label online and then completed measures of disgust and prejudice towards people with obesity. In Study 2 (n = 506), participants who identified as having overweight or obesity viewed the graphic warning label online before or after completing measures of mood and state self‐esteem. Results: In Study 1, participants who had viewed the graphic warning label reported higher disgust and weight bias. In Study 2, the majority of participants perceived the warning label to be stigmatizing, and participants displayed worse mood and, through this, lower self‐esteem after viewing the label. Conclusions: Although the graphic warning label has been found to reduce sugary drink purchases, it also promotes obesity stigma and is perceived as stigmatizing by individuals with overweight and obesity. Given that weight stigma predicts harmful health and well‐being consequences, the benefits of graphic warning labels need to be balanced against the potential costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two studies in this article examined how perceptions of partner inconsolability are associated with the self-esteem and relationship satisfaction of the caregiver. Study 1 documented a negative correlation between perceptions of partner inconsolability and relationship satisfaction, particularly among those high in rejection sensitivity. This association held even when controlling for both self- and partner-reported levels of caregiving, as well as individual characteristics of both partners that may bias perceptions of inconsolability. In Study 2, participants who recalled a time when their partner was inconsolable reported lower state self-esteem, and among individuals high in rejection sensitivity, lower relationship satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is evidence that Black patients may experience stereotype threat-apprehension about being negatively stereotyped-in healthcare settings, which might adversely affect their behavior in clinical encounters. Recent studies conducted outside of healthcare have shown that a brief self-affirmation intervention, in which individuals are asked to focus on and affirm their valued characteristics and sources of personal pride, can reduce the negative effects of stereotype threat on academic performance and on interpersonal communication. Methods: This randomised controlled trial examined whether a self-affirmation ( SA) intervention would decrease the negative effects of stereotype threat (negative mood, lower state self-esteem, greater perceptions of racial discrimination) and increase communication self-efficacy among Black primary care patients. Self-affirmation was induced by having patients complete a 32-item values affirmation questionnaire. Results: Patients in the SA condition had lower levels of performance self-esteem and social self-esteem than patients in the control. There were no differences between the SA and the control groups on negative mood, communication self-efficacy, and perceptions of discrimination. Conclusions: Our SA intervention lowered state self-esteem among Black patients. Future research is needed to determine the type of SA task that is most effective for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study examining the relationship between a stroke patient's self-esteem, the presence of depression after the stroke attack, and the demographic characteristics of stroke patients in Hong Kong, China. Medical researchers found that the feeling of depression always occur after a stroke attack and had a great lingering impact on stroke survivors' quality of life.

ABSTRACT An experimental study investigated self-esteem and other-esteem responses to either fully supportive or less supportive interpersonal feedback in college students with avoidant and borderline personality disorder features (APD and BPD respectively). Disturbances in self-esteem and in evaluations of others are central to definitions of both APD and BPD, but the extent to which such interpersonal appraisals are responsive to contextual features, such as evaluative feedback from others, is not yet clear. In theory, we would expect that individuals with pronounced PD features would show more inflexible and more negative self-evaluations and others- evaluations than those without PD features. In this study with 169 undergraduates, APD but not BPD features were associated with other-contingent state self-esteem and other-esteem. A significant interaction indicated that highly avoidant respondents felt particularly negatively about themselves and their close others in situations that conveyed subtle criticism but not in situations signalling unequivocal support. This suggests that their self-esteem and other-esteem, rather than being rigidly negative, are instead highly contingent upon interpersonal feedback. Such context contingency has implications for the trait-like description of diagnostic characteristics within current taxonomies and is in line with contemporary dynamic models of personality structure and process. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two studies (a) explored the role of pervasiveness of discrimination (pervasive vs. rare) in determining targets' responses to discrimination, and (b) examined the extent to which threats to participants' worldview can account, in part, for detrimental effects of pervasive discrimination. As predicted, across both studies, pervasiveness of discrimination moderated the relationship between attributions to prejudice for failure to obtain a job and psychological well-being (depressed affect and state self-esteem). When discrimination was presented as pervasive, attributions to prejudice related to lower state self-esteem and greater depressed affect. When discrimination was portrayed as rare, attributions to prejudice were related to higher state self-esteem and unrelated to depressed affect. Study 2 further showed that being able to affirm the world as just countered the negative consequences of pervasive discrimination, whereas it did not influence responses to discrimination that was perceived as rare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research found that social rejection leads to increased aggression. How can this aggressive behaviour be prevented? Four experiments demonstrate that reminders of social activity reduce aggression after social exclusion. A brief, friendly social connection with an experimenter (versus a neutral interaction) reduced aggression after social rejection. A traditional mood induction had no effect on aggressive behaviour, showing that an activity must be social to be effective. Participants who wrote about a family member, a friend or a favourite celebrity were also not aggressive after rejection. The effect was mediated by trust in other people but not by state self-esteem or mood. Rejected participants who have an alternative source of social connection eschew the increased aggression usually displayed after social exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated (a) the ability to minimize or eliminate stereotype threat by reducing the difficulty of items administered via a computer-adaptive version of the Graduate Record Examinations General Test; and (b) the generalizability of these findings for Black students as well as women, and for verbal as well as quantitative sections of the test. Standard and easier versions of the test, and measures of stereotype threat and possible symptoms or sequelae of stereotype threat were administered to students bound for graduate school or already there. Reducing test difficulty did not have any differential effects on test performance or on explicit indexes of stereotype threat for White and Black students, and for men and women, that were statistically and practically significant. However, such effects did occur for some symptoms or sequelae, mainly for White students and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two studies investigated the effects of recalling either life story chapters or specific memories on measures of self-continuity and self-esteem. Participants were assigned to recall important chapters, important specific memories, or impersonal facts, and they provided ratings of emotional tone. Participants also completed trait and state measures of self-continuity, self-esteem, and mood. Although effects of recall condition on state and trait measures were not statistically significant, within-group analyses identified strong and consistent relationships between the positivity of life story chapters and both trait and state self-continuity and self-esteem. In contrast, the positivity of specific memories was related only to state self-esteem. Qualities of life story chapters appear to be more central to enduring conceptions of the self than do qualities of specific life story memories.Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on attitudes toward the stigmatized indicates that negative feelings and stereotypes toward the stigmatized are often mixed with positive feelings of sympathy and concern. Three studies investigate the hypothesis that positive outcomes for the stigmatized that are motivated by sympathy may have unintended negative consequences for self-esteem, affect, and motivation. Subjects were asked to imagine themselves in the position of a stigmatized person who received a job either because he or she was qualified, or out of sympathy for a stigmatizing condition. Results indicated that subjects reported lower state self-esteem, more negative affect, and lowered work motivation when the job was offered out of sympathy rather than on the basis of qualifications. Study 2 showed that the negative effects of sympathy occur whether the basis for the sympathy is prejudice and discrimination or mobility problems faced by the stigmatized individual. The third experiment showed that sympathy has negative effects when the sympathy is based either on individual or group-based problems imposed by the stigmatizing condition. The findings are discussed in terms of the attributional ambiguity surrounding positive outcomes faced by the stigmatized and applied to the effects of affirmative-action programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the development and preliminary evaluation of a 10-week group program intended to raise women's consciousness about the costs and side effects of dieting and to provide alternatives to strenuous weight loss efforts. Eighteen female participants were assessed on self-esteem, depression, restraint, and eating pathology measures before the sessions began, at the end of the 10-week program, and (for two of the three groups) 6 months after the sessions ended. Subjects also filled out state self-esteem scales each week. By the end of the program participants had significantly higher self-esteem and lower depression, eating pathology, and restraint. Subjects also reported life-style changes accompanying these psychological improvements. We consider the implications for treating dieting and encouraging ‘natural eating.’ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though grandiose narcissism has predominantly been studied in structural terms-focused on individuals' general tendencies to be more or less narcissistic-we tested whether it also has a meaningful process or state component. Using a daily diary study methodology and multilevel modeling (N = 178 undergraduates, 146 female; Mage  = 18.86, SD = 2.21), we examine whether there is significant variability in daily state narcissism and whether this variability relates systematically to other psychological states (i.e., self-esteem, stress) and daily events. We assessed state narcissism and daily experiences over a 10-day period. We observed significant within-person variability in daily narcissism. Notably, this variability was not simply random error, as it related systematically to other psychological states and daily events. Specifically, state narcissism was higher when people experienced more positive agentic outcomes (e.g., having power over someone) or more positive communal outcomes (e.g., helping someone with a problem). State narcissism was lower on days people experienced greater felt stress. These relations held when state self-esteem, gender, and trait narcissism were controlled. These findings suggest that grandiose narcissism has a meaningful process or state component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We examine if individuals low in openness cope with death reminders (i.e., mortality salience) by becoming less open and more avoidant of death.Method: In Study 1, openness was measured before and after a mortality salience manipulation (N = 128; Mage  = 35.82; 54.7% male; 85.2% Caucasian). In Study 2, we measured openness, manipulated mortality salience, and measured implicit avoidance of death-related words using a lexical decision task (N = 162; Mage  = 20.58; 72.8% female; 43.8% Caucasian). We predicted that for low, but not high, openness individuals, mortality salience would further decrease openness and increase the speed of responses aimed at avoiding death.Results: For low openness individuals, mortality salience decreased openness scores (Study 1) and caused faster avoidance responses toward death-related words. High openness individuals demonstrated slower avoidance responses (Study 2).Conclusions: A spiraling effect may occur where mortality salience causes low openness people to become even less open, and avoid death, positioning them to respond defensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual‐based relative deprivation (IRD) refers to anger and resentment associated with upward interpersonal comparison. Four studies investigated whether and when IRD can be a result of receiving help. In all the studies, we found an interaction between type of help (i.e., autonomy‐oriented vs. dependency‐oriented help) and status discrepancy such that participants experienced a higher level of IRD after receiving dependency‐oriented help from a higher status helper than in other conditions. This interaction emerged uniquely on IRD, but not on general affect, self‐esteem, or evaluations of helper. Moreover, Study 3 indicated that the perception of a diminished likelihood of changing mediated the impact of dependency‐oriented, high‐status help on IRD. Study 4 showed that IRD stemming from such help was positively associated with prioritizing self‐interest over others'. Implications for research on help and IRD are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]