Why do people need self-esteem? Converging evidence that self-esteem serves an anxiety-buffering function.
Abstract
Three studies were conducted to assess the proposition that self-esteem serves an anxiety-buffering function. In Study 1, it was hypothesized that raising self-esteem would reduce anxiety in response to vivid images of death. In support of this hypothesis, Ss who received positive personality feedback reported less anxiety in response to a video about death than did neutral feedback Ss. In Studies 2 and 3, it was hypothesized that increasing self-esteem would reduce anxiety among individuals anticipating painful shock. Consistent with this hypothesis, both success and positive personality feedback reduced Ss' physiological arousal in response to subsequent threat of shock. Thus, converging evidence of an anxiety-buffering function of self-esteem was obtained.
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The anxiety-buffer hypothesis holds that self-esteem acts as a protecting shield against the detrimental psychological effects of life-threats and stressors.
“the anxiety-buffer hypothesis (ABH; Greenberg et al., 1992) theorizes that, by reconnecting the individual with an enlarged universe of meanings and values, self-esteem could act as a protecting shield (buffer) against the detrimental psychological effects of life-threats and stressors.”
From The Anxiety-Buffer Hypothesis in the Time of COVID-19: When Self-Esteem Protects From the Impact of Loneliness and Fear on Anxiety and Depression (2020) · cites this paper as Greenberg et al., 1992
The present study relies on a well-grounded theoretical basis supported by several experimental and longitudinal studies.
“Regarding the strengths of the present study, it relies on a well-grounded theoretical basis supported by several experimental and longitudinal studies (Greenberg et al., 1992; Brage and Meredith, 1994; Pyszczynski et al., 2004; Heinrich and Gullone, 2006).”
From The Anxiety-Buffer Hypothesis in the Time of COVID-19: When Self-Esteem Protects From the Impact of Loneliness and Fear on Anxiety and Depression (2020) · cites this paper as Greenberg et al., 1992
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- Authors
- Greenberg, J., Solomon, S., Pyszczynski, T., Rosenblatt, A., Burling, J., Lyon, D., Simon, L., & Pinel, E.
- Affiliations
- University of Arizona (US)
- Skidmore College (US)
- University of Colorado Colorado Springs (US)
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- University of Montevallo (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Published
- 1992
- Volume
- 63
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 913-922
- ISSN
- 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1315
- OpenAlex
- W2063376192
- Cited by
- 865
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 49 · 2021: 40 · 2020: 45 · 2019: 38 · 2018: 36 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 36 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 43 · 2013: 35 · 2012: 33
- FWCI
- 11.85
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- self-esteem, fear of death, pain anticipation, electric shock, physiological arousal, threat appraisal
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Anxiety, Arousal, Attitude to Death, Humans, Internal-External Control, Male, Personality Development, Self Concept
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