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On the Confluence of Self-Esteem Maintenance Mechanisms
Abstract
A case is made for the substitutability of self-esteem regulation mechanisms such as cognitive dissonance reduction, self-affirmation, and social comparison. For example, a threat to self via cognitive dissonance might be reduced by a favorable social comparison outcome. To explain substitution, it is suggested that self-esteem regulation mechanisms inevitably produce affect and that affect mediates the completion of various self-esteem regulation processes. Substitution can be understood in terms of the transfer of affect from the initial mechanism to the substitute mechanism. To be effective, this transfer must take place without awareness. Also discussed is the substitution of self-esteem regulation mechanisms across different self-domains versus within a single self-domain. Current theory suggests that substitution might be more effective within domain; that is, it is better to bolster the aspect of self that has been threatened. It is suggested here, however, that substitution across self-domain might be relatively resilient and easier to accomplish.
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“Research has shown that adults have a complex, multifaceted self-concept and can draw upon alternative domains of self-views to buffer against threat in a specific domain (41).”
From Development of self-protective biases in response to social evaluative feedback (2017) · cites this paper as [41]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Tesser, A.
- Affiliations
- The Ohio State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Tesser, Abraham
- Venue
- Personality and Social Psychology Review
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2000-11
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 290-299
- ISSN
- 1088-8683 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-7957
- OpenAlex
- W2172118262
- Cited by
- 521
- References
- 70
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 38 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 35 · 2012: 28
- FWCI
- 14.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Personality and Social Psychology Review (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Keywords
- self-esteem regulation, dissonance reduction, self-affirmation, social comparison, affect transfer, self-threat, self-esteem maintenance
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