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Cited by 883Personality Traits and PsychologySocial and Intergroup PsychologyEmotions and Moral Behavior

Self-Enhancement: Food for Thought

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Sedikides, Constantine, Gregg, Aiden P.·2008·Perspectives on Psychological Science
DOI 10.1111/j.1745-6916.2008.00068.x
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Abstract

Self-enhancement denotes a class of psychological phenomena that involve taking a tendentiously positive view of oneself. We distinguish between four levels of self-enhancement—an observed effect, an ongoing process, a personality trait, and an underlying motive—and then use these distinctions to organize the wealth of relevant research. Furthermore, to render these distinctions intuitive, we draw an extended analogy between self-enhancement and the phenomenon of eating. Among the topics we address are (a) manifestations of self-enhancement, both obvious and subtle, and rival interpretations; (b) experimentally documented dynamics of affirming and threatening the ego; and (c) primacy of self-enhancement, considered alongside other intrapsychic phenomena, and across different cultures. Self-enhancement, like eating, is a fundamental part of human nature.

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Authors
Sedikides, C., & Gregg, A. P.
Affiliations
University of Southampton (GB)
Corresponding author
Gregg, Aiden P.
ORCID
Venue
Perspectives on Psychological Science
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2008-03
Volume
3
Issue
2
Pages
102-116
ISSN
  • 1745-6916 (ISSN-L)
  • 1745-6924
DOI
10.1111/j.1745-6916.2008.00068.x
OpenAlex
W2023041445
Cited by
880
References
228
Citations by year
2026: 43 · 2025: 52 · 2024: 42 · 2023: 38 · 2022: 49 · 2021: 64 · 2020: 100 · 2019: 50 · 2018: 82 · 2017: 48 · 2016: 43 · 2015: 39 · 2014: 42 · 2013: 56 · 2012: 43
FWCI
31.97
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Perspectives on Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (acceptedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
Keywords
self-enhancement, self-enhancement motive, ego threat

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