Self Defence and Self affirmation

Question 1

Explain ‘positive illusions’, and name the theorists

Answer 1

Taylor and Brown 1988 - 
high self esteem results in:
-unrealistic positive views of self 
-exaggerated perceptions of personal control
-unrealistic optimism

Question 2

describe a critique of the ‘positive illusion’

Answer 2

colvin and block 1994 -
research on uni students in north america in lab settings
are they really illusions? reality is defined by the experimenter. it is subjective
depression has been linked to negativity, not accuracy
these benefits have only been studied short-term, not long term

Question 3

describe a study researching self-esteem and aggression

Answer 3

baumeister, smart, boden 1996-

-no evidence of ‘low self esteem’ in violent perpetrators

Question 4

describe stability as a factor for self-esteem- include a study

Answer 4

kernis, granneman, barclay 1989

• self report
• no relationship between self esteem and hostility until stability was taken into account
• highest hostility = high, unstable self esteem
• lowest hostility = high, stable self esteem

Question 5

define narcissism

Answer 5

an inflated view of the self
extreme levels of and unstable self esteem
increased sensitivity to ego threats
disregard for others

Question 6

describe a study researching aggression and narcissism

Answer 6

bushman and baumeister 1998
p’s wrote pro-choise or pro-life essays
essays feedbacked - manipulation of ego threat
opportunity to agress with blasts of noise in a competitive task
found that higher levels of narcissism = higher aggression, and when they received ego-threat
self esteem level didn’t predict aggression

Question 7

what is the self-affirmation theory?

Answer 7

describes how people are motivated to reaffirm a sense of personal integrity when it is threatened
-threats to self may promote defensiveness

Question 8

describe a study supporting the self-affirmation theory

Answer 8

reed and aspinwall 1998

self affirmed participants rated risk confirming info as more convincing than non-affirmed participants