On the Confluence of Self-Esteem Maintenance Mechanisms

Abstract

A case is made for the substitutability of self-esteem regulation mechanisms such as cognitive dissonance reduction, self-affirmation, and social comparison. For example, a threat to self via cognitive dissonance might be reduced by a favorable social comparison outcome. To explain substitution, it is suggested that self-esteem regulation mechanisms inevitably produce affect and that affect mediates the completion of various self-esteem regulation processes. Substitution can be understood in terms of the transfer of affect from the initial mechanism to the substitute mechanism. To be effective, this transfer must take place without awareness. Also discussed is the substitution of self-esteem regulation mechanisms across different self-domains versus within a single self-domain. Current theory suggests that substitution might be more effective within domain; that is, it is better to bolster the aspect of self that has been threatened. It is suggested here, however, that substitution across self-domain might be relatively resilient and easier to accomplish.

The Influence of Self-Threats on Fairness Judgments and Affective Measures

“…A very important difference between the current studies and the work cited above is that in the previous research, people were reacting toward someone else to reduce the self-threat. Participants in these studies reacted objectively in less fair ways, but reactions to self-threats are probably affective, rather than rational or objective (see also Tesser, 2000). investigated subjective reactions towards fairnessrelated situations that are, objectively, less fair.…”

“…Personal uncertainty (see, e.g., Van den Bos, 2001;Van den Bos et al, 2005a) and own mortality concerns (Van den Bos and Miedema, 2000) can easily be experienced as threats to people's self-concepts and people want to protect themselves against these threats. What we propose here is that mortality and uncertainty have those profound effects on perceived fairness, because they are threatening to the self and thus motivate people to make use of selfesteem maintenance mechanisms (Tesser, 2000). Fairness may in this light be seen as a means of self-esteem maintenance, as it provides people with a strong and often effective argument to manage self-threatening situations.…”

“…We argue here that these results can be interpreted as providing tentative support for what we currently propose as the underlying psychological process: fairness can be conceived of as a means of self-maintenance (cf. Tesser, 2000).…”

“…We argue here that these results are indicative of why and when fairness matters to people, because fairness may provide people with a means to re-establish a positive self-evaluation. After experiencing a self-threatening event, people may try to reinforce their selves by falling back on something else (see also Tesser, 2000): fairness is a universally accepted social rule, and may therefore be used as a tool to reestablish their self (for a more elaborate explanation, see below).…”

Exercising the Self: On the Role of Exercise, Gender and Culture in Physical-self Perceptions

“…In fact, in the last 30 years, compared to research in general, there has been a threefold increase in research on the self (Tesser, 2000). Overall, the self-concept is at the epicentre of the most influential theoretical and therapeutic frameworks in modern psychology, from psychoanalysis (Freud, 1923(Freud, /1960 to cognitive behavioural therapy and Rogerian therapy (Beck, 1976;Rogers, 1951).…”