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Self-enhancement and self-protection motivation: from the laboratory to an evolutionary context

Self-enhancement and self-protection motivation: from the laboratory to an evolutionary context
Self-enhancement and self-protection motivation: from the laboratory to an evolutionary context
Existing data suggest that the self-enhancement and self-protection motivations (which elevate or protect the positive self-concept) exert a pivotal influence on self-evaluation and behavior. Moreover, these motivations are more potent than the self-assessment motivation (which works to increase the accuracy of the self-concept) or the self-verification motivation (which works to confirm the self-concept). The data also suggest that the self-enhancement and self-protection motivations serve crucial mental health functions and that these functions are apparent across different cultures. This article relates these findings to the possible evolutionary utility of these motivations. It is argued that self-enhancement and self-protection motivations were evolutionarily selected, because they offered personal, relational, and group-rank advantages to species members who possessed these traits.
evolution, mental health, culture, self-enhancement, self-protection, valuation motivation
1589-5254
61-79
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Skowronski, John J.
47eb23aa-177b-4634-b986-5b935998bf6b
Gaertner, Lowell
94e37daf-7d1b-431e-9df3-efad4f0bc91c
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Skowronski, John J.
47eb23aa-177b-4634-b986-5b935998bf6b
Gaertner, Lowell
94e37daf-7d1b-431e-9df3-efad4f0bc91c

Sedikides, Constantine, Skowronski, John J. and Gaertner, Lowell (2004) Self-enhancement and self-protection motivation: from the laboratory to an evolutionary context. Journal of Cultural and Evolutionary Psychology, 2 (1-2), 61-79. (doi:10.1556/JCEP.2.2004.1-2.4).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Existing data suggest that the self-enhancement and self-protection motivations (which elevate or protect the positive self-concept) exert a pivotal influence on self-evaluation and behavior. Moreover, these motivations are more potent than the self-assessment motivation (which works to increase the accuracy of the self-concept) or the self-verification motivation (which works to confirm the self-concept). The data also suggest that the self-enhancement and self-protection motivations serve crucial mental health functions and that these functions are apparent across different cultures. This article relates these findings to the possible evolutionary utility of these motivations. It is argued that self-enhancement and self-protection motivations were evolutionarily selected, because they offered personal, relational, and group-rank advantages to species members who possessed these traits.

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More information

Published date: 2004
Keywords: evolution, mental health, culture, self-enhancement, self-protection, valuation motivation

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 40239
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/40239
ISSN: 1589-5254
PURE UUID: b7110ffb-3fa2-46fe-92ba-1f38adb0ebee
ORCID for Constantine Sedikides: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4036-889X

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 04 Jul 2006
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:08

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Contributors

Author: John J. Skowronski
Author: Lowell Gaertner

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