The why's the limit: curtailing self-enhancement with explanatory introspection
The why's the limit: curtailing self-enhancement with explanatory introspection
Self-enhancement is linked to psychological gains (e.g., subjective well-being, persistence in adversity) but also to intrapersonal and interpersonal costs (e.g., excessive risk taking, antisocial behavior). Thus, constraints on self-enhancement may sometimes afford intrapersonal and interpersonal advantages. We tested whether explanatory introspection (i.e., generating reasons for why one might or might not possess personality traits) constitutes one such constraint. Experiment 1 demonstrated that explanatory introspection curtails self-enhancement. Experiment 2 clarified that the underlying mechanism must (a) involve explanatory questioning rather than descriptive imagining, (b) invoke the self rather than another person, and (c) feature written expression rather than unaided contemplation. Finally, Experiment 3 obtained evidence that an increase in uncertainty about oneself mediates the effect.
783-824
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Horton, Robert S.
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Gregg, Aiden P.
1b03bb58-b3a5-4852-a177-29e4f633b063
August 2007
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Horton, Robert S.
d7fcb13a-501a-4a56-afd4-caf5de442c29
Gregg, Aiden P.
1b03bb58-b3a5-4852-a177-29e4f633b063
Sedikides, Constantine, Horton, Robert S. and Gregg, Aiden P.
(2007)
The why's the limit: curtailing self-enhancement with explanatory introspection.
Journal of Personality, 7 (4), .
(doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2007.00457.x).
Abstract
Self-enhancement is linked to psychological gains (e.g., subjective well-being, persistence in adversity) but also to intrapersonal and interpersonal costs (e.g., excessive risk taking, antisocial behavior). Thus, constraints on self-enhancement may sometimes afford intrapersonal and interpersonal advantages. We tested whether explanatory introspection (i.e., generating reasons for why one might or might not possess personality traits) constitutes one such constraint. Experiment 1 demonstrated that explanatory introspection curtails self-enhancement. Experiment 2 clarified that the underlying mechanism must (a) involve explanatory questioning rather than descriptive imagining, (b) invoke the self rather than another person, and (c) feature written expression rather than unaided contemplation. Finally, Experiment 3 obtained evidence that an increase in uncertainty about oneself mediates the effect.
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unpubSedikides_Horton_Gregg_2007.pdf
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Published date: August 2007
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Local EPrints ID: 45049
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/45049
ISSN: 0022-3506
PURE UUID: 6b224426-3c4c-4531-8ef1-dcd0cc408281
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Date deposited: 26 Mar 2007
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:08
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Author:
Robert S. Horton
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