Cited by 2,378Bullying, Victimization, and AggressionPersonality Traits and PsychologyDeath Anxiety and Social Exclusion

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Relation of threatened egotism to violence and aggression: The dark side of high self-esteem.

Baumeister, Roy F., Smart, Laura, Boden, Joseph M.·1996·Psychological Review

DOI 10.1037/0033-295x.103.1.5

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Abstract

Conventional wisdom has regarded low self-esteem as an important cause of violence, but the opposite view is theoretically viable. An interdisciplinary review of evidence about aggression, crime, and violence contradicted the view that low self-esteem is an important cause. Instead, violence appears to be most commonly a result of threatened egotism--that is, highly favorable views of self that are disputed by some person or circumstance. Inflated, unstable, or tentative beliefs in the self's superiority may be most prone to encountering threats and hence to causing violence. The mediating process may involve directing anger outward as a way of avoiding a downward revision of the self-concept.

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“This step is important because the social psychology literature has demonstrated that a threat to a person’s self-esteem can influence their decision to engage in aggressive behavior ( Baumeister, Smart, & Boden, 1996; Caprara, et al., 1987; Salmivalli, 2001).”
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“Ego threats presented to high selfesteem individuals may provoke self-righteous anger and hostility (Kernis et al., 1989; Baumeister et al., 1996).”
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“The current investigation provided an initial test of a central tenet of threatened egotism theory (Baumeister et al., 1996), namely, that narcissists react aggressively to interpersonal insult because of a heightened discrepancy between their grandiose self and the now threatened self.”
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“In light of prior work documenting a link between positively biased self-perceptions and aggression and conduct problems (Baumeister et al., 1996; Kaiser, Hoza, Pelham, Gnagy, & Greiner, 2008) we expected that the ADHD+PIB group would show higher rates of most negative behaviors (e.”
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“Specifically, some individuals possess secure high self-esteem, whereas other individuals possess fragile high self-esteem (see also Baumeister, Smart, & Boden, 1996; Kernis, 2003a, 2003b; Kernis, in press; Kernis & Goldman, 1999; Kernis & Paradise, 2002).”
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Authors: Baumeister, R. F., Smart, L., & Boden, J. M.
Affiliations: Case Western Reserve University (US)
ORCID: Baumeister, Roy F.
Boden, Joseph M.
Venue: Psychological Review
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 1996
Volume: 103
Issue: 1
Pages: 5-33
ISSN: 0033-295X (ISSN-L)
1939-1471
DOI: 10.1037/0033-295x.103.1.5
OpenAlex: W2100354065
Cited by: 2,378
References: 183
Citations by year: 2026: 35 · 2025: 57 · 2024: 65 · 2023: 97 · 2022: 96 · 2021: 97 · 2020: 75 · 2019: 86 · 2018: 90 · 2017: 111 · 2016: 113 · 2015: 125 · 2014: 122 · 2013: 139 · 2012: 130
FWCI: 55.15
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Psychological Review (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: National Institutes of Health (5r01mh043826-02, 5r01mh051482-03)
National Institute of Mental Health (MH 43826, MH-51482)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
Keywords: self-esteem, aggression, violence, crime, self-concept, anger
MeSH terms: Aggression, Anger, Crime, Defense Mechanisms, Dominance-Subordination, Humans, Internal-External Control, Power, Psychological, Self Concept, Violence

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Relation of threatened egotism to violence and aggression: The dark side of high self-esteem.

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