Self-Esteem Threat as a Moderator of the Mechanism Underlying Exaggerated Positivity

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This project investigates why people so consistently view themselves through rose-colored glasses. What exactly are people thinking when they claim that their personalities are more desirable then they actually are -- or that they've achieved more than they actually have? Some researchers claim that these rosy views come about because people simply want to feel good. Instead of acknowledging their negative aspects, people focus more on their good qualities when evaluating themselves. Other researchers claim that consistently rosy self-views have less to do with the goal of feeling good and more to do with evaluating one's self in the quickest and easiest manner possible. Many of people's decisions and judgments are based on the first thing that comes to mind. Further, many times, the first thing that comes to mind happens to flatter the self -- which makes it appear as though people are striving to make themselves look good. The proposed project attempts to integrate the "hot" (motivational) perspective and the "cold" ("what's on your mind?") perspectives on overly favorable self-views -- by suggesting that both are correct under different conditions. The key may be that people approach an evaluation of themselves differently depending on whether there is a recent challenge to their positive feelings about themselves. For example, people faced with recent criticism may restore their positive feelings by emphasizing their positive qualities when describing themselves. However, when those same people find themselves in situations that do not challenge their positive feelings, they may use the first thing that comes to mind to describe themselves. If that happens to be self-flattering, they will make the same rosy claims but for very different reasons. The proposed studies will investigate (a) how criticism shapes how deeply people have to think to make rosy claims about themselves, (b) how criticism affects people's willingness to consider information beyond that which comes to mind easily, and (c) exactly which brain regions support people's rosy views of the self. The results will help reconcile the competing views on why people so often make rosy claims about themselves. Additionally, the results may point out an exception to current theories about how people's emotions influence their thoughts (e.g., fear may not always make people think harder) and will expand the psychological understanding of how the brain supports the human sense of self. As shown in past research, the common tendency for people to see themselves through rose-colored glasses has long-term costs for health, education, and workplace performance. For example, people who fail to acknowledge health problems and health risks do not seek appropriate treatment. Further, many clinical disorders involve unrealistic beliefs about the self -- such as substance abusers' beliefs that they can use "just this once" without relapsing or narcissists' beliefs that they are superior to others. People who are overconfident about their academic ability or work skills also perform poorly in school and at work. By identifying exactly when and why people are most likely to view themselves accurately, versus through rosy lenses, this research can inform interventions that will help people better decide when they should seek treatment, study harder, or allow more time to complete an important task. This project will also advance the scientific training of students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In addition, the results will be broadly disseminated because the lab interfaces with psychologists, neuroscientists, economists, and professionals in the fields of medicine and law through publications, academic presentations, Continuing Education (CE) presentations, and training programs.