Reactions to self-relevant feedback about personality attributes depending on the elaboration of the self-view and the motivation to change the self-view

Author(s): Stahlberg, D., Petersen, L. E.

Journal/Book: Z Exp Psychol. 1996; 43: Rohnsweg 25, D-37085 Gottingen, Germany. Hogrefe-Verlag GmbH & Co. 203-223.

Abstract: Many studies have investigated how different self-relevant feedback can influence a person's reactions. Some results have confirmed the self-enhancement theory and some the self-consistency theory. Shrauger (1975) analyzed the empirical results and came to the conclusion that a person's affective reaction is in line with the self-enhancement theory and their cognitive reaction supports the self-consistency theory. The authors of this paper assume that the elaboration of the real self-view and the motivation to change the real self-view affect the reactions to self-relevant feedback concerning personality attributes. In this study, subjects received positive, consistent, or negative feedback to their results in a personality test. Afterwards, the affective and cognitive reactions to the feedback were measured. The results confirmed the hypotheses formulated before. Subjects' affective reactions followed the self-enhancement theory and their cognitive reactions supported the self-consistency theory. In addition, the elaboration of the real self-view and the motivation to change the real self-view affected the self-enhancement and the self-consistency motive. On highly elaborated personality attributes reactions were driven by the self-consistency motive, and on personality attributes with high motivation reactions were affected by the self-enhancement motive.

Note: Article D Dauenheimer, Univ Mannheim, A5, D-68131 Mannheim, Germany

Keyword(s): self-concept; self-enhancement; self-verification; self-schema; self-discrepancy; SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE; PREFERENCES; INFORMATION; PERFORMANCE; ENHANCEMENT; SCHEMATA; ESTEEM

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