Psychological defense and self-esteem instability: Is defense style associated with unstable self-esteem?

Fragile Self-esteem and the Interpersonal Circumplex: Are Feelings of Self-worth Associated with Interpersonal Style?

“…The fragile feelings of self-worth that characterize individuals with unstable high self-esteem may stem from overly simplistic cognitive representations of the self (e.g., Zeigler-Hill & Showers, 2007). Unstable self-esteem has been shown to be associated with a variety of self-aggrandizing and defensive behaviors such as boasting about a recent success to one's friends (Kernis et al, 1997), reporting higher levels of anger and hostility (Kernis et al, 1989), and employing a variety of defensive strategies Myers & Zeigler-Hill, 2008;Zeigler-Hill, Chadha, & Osterman, 2008). The interpersonal consequences of self-esteem instability may be due, at least in part, to the high levels of ego-involvement in daily activities that characterize these 514…”

Personality and Mental Health

“…High self esteem has elicited considerable interest in recent years (Zeigler-Hill, Chadha, & Osterman, 2008). Despite the association of high self esteem with markers of psychological adjustment such as subjective well-being (e.g., Baumeister, Campbell, Krueger, & Vohs, 475 2003;Diener, 1984;Robins, Hendin, & Trzesniewski, 2001;Tennen & Affleck, 1993), there also appears to be a dark side to high self-esteem.…”

“…Despite the association of high self esteem with markers of psychological adjustment such as subjective well-being (e.g., Baumeister, Campbell, Krueger, & Vohs, 475 2003;Diener, 1984;Robins, Hendin, & Trzesniewski, 2001;Tennen & Affleck, 1993), there also appears to be a dark side to high self-esteem. That is, high self-esteem has been linked to a variety of negative outcomes including prejudice, aggression and various strategies to maintain or enhance self-esteem (Zeigler-Hill, Chadha, & Osterman, 2008).…”

“…Individuals with secure high self esteem have a solid foundation for their feelings of self-worth that does not require constant validation. In contrast, fragile high self-esteem refers to feelings of self-worth that are vulnerable to challenge, require constant validation, and rely upon some degree of selfdeception (Zeigler-Hill, Chadha, & Osterman, 2008). The model of self-esteem instability developed by Kernis and his colleagues (Kernis, 2005) is often used to distinguish between secure and fragile self-esteem.…”

Self-Esteem Instability and Humor Styles: Does the Stability of Self-Esteem Influence How People Use Humor?

“…The fragile feelings of selfworth possessed by those with unstable high self-esteem may be due, at least in part, to overly simplistic cognitive representations of the self (e.g., Zeigler-Hill & Showers, 2007). Unstable high self-esteem has been shown to be associated with outcomes such as interpersonal style (ZeiglerHill, Clark, & Beckman, 2011), anger and hostility (Kernis, Grannemann, & Barclay, 1989), defensiveness (Myers & Zeigler-Hill, 2008;Zeigler-Hill, Chadha, & Osterman, 2008), and poor psychological adjustment (Zeigler-Hill & Wallace, 2012). The negative outcomes associated with unstable self-esteem may be largely due to the high levels of ego-involvement in daily activities that tend to characterize these individuals.…”