TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of self-esteem on vulnerability-denying defensive distortions
T2 - Further evidence of an anxiety-buffering function of self-esteem
AU - Greenberg, Jeff
AU - Pyszczynski, Tom
AU - Solomon, Sheldon
AU - Pinel, Elizabeth
AU - Simon, Linda
AU - Jordan, Krista
PY - 1993
Y1 - 1993
N2 - Two 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 the need to deny vulnerability to early death. In support of this hypothesis, positive personality feedback eliminated subjects′ tendency to bias emotionality reports to deny vulnerability to a short life expectancy-except when mortality had been made salient to the subjects. Study 2 conceptually replicated this effect by demonstrating that whereas subjects low in trait self-esteem biased emotionality reports to deny vulnerability to a short life expectancy, subjects high in trait self-esteem did not exhibit such a bias. Thus, converging evidence that self-esteem reduces vulnerability-denying defensive distortions was obtained.
AB - Two 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 the need to deny vulnerability to early death. In support of this hypothesis, positive personality feedback eliminated subjects′ tendency to bias emotionality reports to deny vulnerability to a short life expectancy-except when mortality had been made salient to the subjects. Study 2 conceptually replicated this effect by demonstrating that whereas subjects low in trait self-esteem biased emotionality reports to deny vulnerability to a short life expectancy, subjects high in trait self-esteem did not exhibit such a bias. Thus, converging evidence that self-esteem reduces vulnerability-denying defensive distortions was obtained.
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U2 - 10.1006/jesp.1993.1010
DO - 10.1006/jesp.1993.1010
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:38249002495
SN - 0022-1031
VL - 29
SP - 229
EP - 251
JO - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
JF - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
IS - 3
ER -