EMOTION AND SELF ESTEEM CAUSE SELF DEFEATING BEHAVIOR

自我挫败的行为模式构成了一个强大的障碍， 健康的，适应性的功能，以及损害一个人的能力， 有效地竞争和管理一个人的事务在一个理性的，成功的 时尚. 此外，就自我挫败的行为而言， 理性追求自身利益，它挑战了心理学的基本 关于人性的假设。 数十年的研究证实， 怀疑人们是否会有系统的自我挫败模式， 这些模式不符合初步的理论， 死亡的愿望，惩罚的欲望，或自我毁灭的动机。 的 拟议的研究将探讨自我挫败的两个主要原因 行为，即由于自我夸大的反应而产生的过度承诺 以及由情绪困扰引发的风险倾向判断风格。 拟议工作的第一部分调查的假设， 人们有时会因为致力于目标而失败， 超出其能力的义务。 人们通常可以选择自己的 目标和义务;设定过高的目标会导致 灾难 人类普遍存在的高估自己能力的倾向 而优势会增加这种代价高昂的错误的可能性。 在 特别是那些自尊心很强但也得到一些尊重的人， 威胁性的消息，如最初的失败或挫折，往往会作出反应， 通过采取一种极端的自我膨胀模式， 不切实际的承诺。 超出自己能力的目标将会实现 定义导致失败;此外，非常高的目标可能会增加 表现压力的感觉，这反过来可能会阻碍人的 有效执行的能力，从而构成进一步的障碍， 有效和健康的运作。 这项研究还将提供一个 这是一个非常需要的平衡，以对抗将自我看得很高的主导趋势， 尊重是一种绝对的利益，是健康的基础。 加强结构性改革 实验室实验和第一人称叙述 本研究将采用实际经验。 拟议研究的第二部分将展示情绪困扰是如何 改变了判断和风险评估的模式，导致一种倾向， 做出糟糕的、非最佳的决定， 结果。 更准确地说，不愉快的情绪状态会促进偏好 用于带来更大不幸风险的高回报赌博。 在 在这种状态下，人们似乎被吸引到提供机会的活动中， （无论多么小）的一个非常积极的结果，大概是因为这些 结果可能有助于人们摆脱坏情绪。 不幸的是，处于这种状态的人似乎会忽视或忽视 坏结果的可能性，他们做出的许多选择将导致 可能会加剧他的精神痛苦 情感 因此，痛苦可能成为自我延续循环的一部分， 让健康幸福和适应变得不可能 同样，实验室 模拟和第一人称的实际经验将被使用 来做这项研究。

Self-defeating behavior patterns constitute a formidable barrier to healthy, adaptive functioning, as well as impairing one's ability to compete effectively and manage one's affairs in a rational, successful fashion. Moreover, insofar as self-defeating behavior runs counter to the rational pursuit of self-interest, it challenges psychology's basic assumptions about human nature. Decades of research have confirmed beyond a doubt that people do engage in systematic patterns of self-defeat, yet these patterns have failed to conform to preliminary theories based on death wishes, desire for punishment, or self-destructive motives. The proposed research will explore two major causes of self-defeating behavior, namely overcommitment arising from self-aggrandizing responses and risk-prone judgment styles elicited by emotional distress. The first part of the proposed work investigates the hypothesis that people sometimes defeat themselves by committing themselves to goals and obligations that exceed their capabilities. Often people can choose their goals and obligations; setting excessively high goals can lead to disaster. The pervasive human tendency to overestimate one's capabilities and strengths increases the likelihood of this costly mistake. In particular, people who have high self-esteem but receive some esteem- threatening news, such as an initial failure or setback, tend to respond by taking an extremely self-aggrandizing pattern that can lead into unrealistic commitments. Goals that exceed one's capabilities will by definition lead to failure; in addition, very high goals may increase the sense of performance pressure which may in turn hamper the person's ability to perform effectively, thus constituting a further obstacle to effective and healthy functioning. This research will also provide a much-needed counterweight to the predominant tendency to view high self- esteem as an unmitigated benefit and as a foundation of healthy adjustment. Both laboratory experiments and first-person accounts of actual experiences will be used in this research. The second part of the proposed research will show how emotional distress alters patterns of judgment and risk appraisal, leading to a tendency to make poor, nonoptimal decisions that increase the likelihood of bad outcomes. More precisely, unpleasant emotional states foster a preference for high-payoff gambles that carry an increased risk of misfortune. In such states, people seem drawn toward activities that offer a chance (however small) of a very positive outcome, presumably because these outcomes might help the person to escape from the bad mood. Unfortunately, people in such a state appear to discount or ignore the likelihood of bad outcomes, and so many of the choices they make will lead to grief, which would perhaps intensify the emotional distress. Emotional suffering may therefore become part of self-perpetuating cycle which would make health, happiness, and adjustment impossible. Again, both laboratory simulations and first-person accounts of actual experiences will be used to do this research.