| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 948197 | Journal of Experimental Social Psychology | 2011 | 4 Pages |
The reactivity of state self-esteem has been linked to a number of important psychological outcomes, ranging from general well-being to psychological dysfunction. The present research aimed to identify a cognitive factor underlying state self-esteem reactivity by exploring how construal levels influence the extent to which state self-esteem reacts to positive and negative experiences. It was hypothesized that abstract construals would mitigate the effects of evaluative information on state self-esteem. The results of two studies supported this hypothesis. Participants in an abstract mindset did not differ in state self-esteem after receiving positive, negative, or no evaluative information. Participants in a concrete mindset, in contrast, experienced lower levels of state self-esteem following negative evaluative information. The significance of these findings for understanding the link between abstraction and psychological vulnerability is discussed.
Research Highlights► Experimentally induced abstract mindsets reduce self-esteem reactivity. ► Abstract mindsets appear to de-contextualize self-evaluations. ► Extends construal level theory account of attitude consistency to self-attitudes.
