Discrepancies of Implicit and Explicit Self-Esteem as Predictors of Attributional Bias and Paranoia

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to examine the association of implicit self-esteem, explicit self-esteem and their interaction with paranoia and attributional bias. The relationship of the size and the direction of the discrepancy between implicit and explicit self-esteem with paranoia and attributional bias was examined. METHODS: A total of 128 female college students participated. We administered the Implicit Association Test to assess implicit self-esteem, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale to measure explicit self-esteem. Paranoia Scale was used, and the attributional bias was assessed using the Ambiguous Intentions Hostility Questionnaire. RESULTS: Results showed that explicit but not implicit self-esteem was negatively associated with paranoia, blame bias and hostility perception bias in ambiguous situations. The interaction of implicit and explicit self-esteem was associated with hostility perception in ambiguous situations. As for the discrepancy, the size of the discrepancy between implicit and explicit self-esteem was positively associated with hostility perception in ambiguous situations. Moreover, the direction of the discrepancy was specifically relevant: damaged self-esteem (high implicit and low explicit self-esteem) was associated with increased levels of paranoia, blame bias and hostility perception in ambiguous situations. CONCLUSION: These findings provide new insights into the role of the implicit and explicit self-esteem in attributional bias and paranoia and point to damaged self-esteem as a possible vulnerability marker for illogical attribution of blaming others and perceiving hostility in social situations.

Nossos erros me afetam? Efeito de informações negativas na identificação com endogrupo e na autoestima / Nos erreurs me touchent? Effet des informations négatives sur l'identification avec endogroupe et l'estime de soi / Nuestros errores me afectan? Efecto de la información negativa sobre la identificación con el grupo y en la autoestima / Do our mistakes affect me? Effect of negative information in ingroup identification and self-esteem

Resumo Teorias clássicas sobre consistência cognitiva recentemente têm sido exploradas enquanto processos não apenas intraindividuais, mas influenciados por aspectos grupais. Tendo em vista a tendência humana ao enaltecimento pessoal e grupal e a teoria unificada de cognição social implícita, informações negativas a respeito do endogrupo têm potencial de gerar inconsistência por meio da dissonância cognitiva e de desbalanceamento. Para testar as funções protetivas da consistência cognitiva diante das ameaças à avaliação positiva do endogrupo, 156 participantes passaram por pré e pós-teste de autoestima e por manipulação experimental de ameaça ou neutra. Não houve diferença significativa na autoestima dos participantes, nem no estado afetivo. Nos grupos experimentais, embora apontassem os comportamentos como negativos, muitos alegaram ser esperteza e jeitinho brasileiro. Pesquisas sobre dissonância apontam que, quando o objeto da redação contra-atitudinal é uma norma cultural, os efeitos da dissonância e a possibilidade de mudança de atitude são minimizados. Resultados serão discutidos.

Résumé Les théories classiques de la cohérence cognitive ont été récemment exploré les processus non seulement intra-individuelle, mais influencé par les aspects de groupe. Compte tenu de la tendance humaine à agrandissement personnel et de groupe et théorie unifiée de la cognition sociale implicite, des informations négatives sur l'endogroupe a le potentiel pour générer incohérence en dissonance cognitive et de déséquilibre. Pour tester les fonctions de protection de la cohérence cognitive contre les menaces à l'évaluation positive de l'endogroupe, 156 participants ont subi l'estime de soi pré- et post-test et manipulation expérimentale de la menace ou neutre. Il n'y avait pas de différence significative dans l'estime de soi des participants, ou l'état affectif. Dans les groupes expérimentaux, bien que les comportements pointus comme négatif, beaucoup prétendu être moyen ruse et jeitinho brasileiro. La recherche sur la dissonance souligner que lorsque l'attitude contre l'écriture de l'objet est une norme culturelle, les effets de la dissonance et la possibilité d'un changement d'attitude sont minimisés. On discute les résultats.

Resumen Teorías clásicas sobre consistencia cognitiva recientemente han sido exploradas como procesos no solo intraindividuales, pero también influenciados por aspectos grupales. Reconociendo la tendencia humana al engrandecimiento personal y grupal y la teoría unificada de la cognición social implícita, informaciones negativas sobre el endogrupo tienen el potencial para generar inconsistencia por intermedio de la disonancia cognitiva y del desequilibrio. Para probar las funciones de protección de la consistencia cognitiva contra amenazas a la evaluación positiva del endogrupo, la autoestima de 156 participantes fue medida antes y después de la manipulación experimental de amenaza o neutra. No hubo diferencia significativa en la autoestima de los participantes, o en el estado afectivo. En los grupos experimentales, aunque consideraban los comportamientos como negativos, muchos dijeron que era astucia y el jeitinho brasileiro. Investigaciones sobre disonancia indican que cuando el objetivo de la redacción contra actitudinal es una norma cultural, los efectos de la disonancia y la posibilidad de cambio de actitud son minimizados. Resultados son discutidos.

Abstract Classical theories on cognitive consistency have recently been explored not only as intraindividual processes, but influenced by group aspects. Given the human tendency to personal and group enhancement and the unified theory of implicit social cognition, negative information about the ingroup has the potential of generating inconsistency through cognitive dissonance and imbalance. To test the protective functions of cognitive consistency considering the threats to the positive evaluation of the ingroup, 156 participants underwent pre- and post-test of self-esteem and by neutral or threat experimental manipulation. There was no significant difference in participants' self-esteem nor in their affective state. In experimental groups, although behaviors were pointed as negative, many claimed to be cunning and the jeitinho brasileiro (the Brazilian way of doing things). Research on dissonance point that, when the object of counterattidudinal writing is a cultural norm, the effects of dissonance and the possibility of change in attitude are minimized. Results will be discussed.

Relation of self-esteem, implicit self-esteem and perfectionism in the depressed patients / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

Objective To explore the relationships of self-esteem, implicit self-esteem and perfectionism in the depressed patients. Methods Both of the depression group (n=50) and control group (n=45) completed the self-esteem scale (SES), the self-acceptance questionnaire (SAQ), the Chinese Frost multidimensional perfectionism scale (CFMPS), the implicit association test and the Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices. The implicit association test were performed before (pre-IAT) and after (later-IAT) the Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices. Results The SES score was lower in depression group than in control group (P=0.002). To the IAT score, the interaction effect of group and time achieved no statistically different (P=0.735). The group main effect of IAT was significant (P=0.001). The IAT score was higher in de?pression group than in control group (P=0.013). The time main effect was significant (P=0.033). The pre-IAT was higher than later-IAT (P=0.007). The depression group had higher scores of concern over mistakes (P=0.007) and doubt about action (P=0.006) dimension of CFMPS, and lower score of parental expectations (P=0.038) dimension than the control group. The later-IAT was negatively related with parental expectations dimension and the total score of CFMPS in the de?pression group (P<0.05). Depressed patients’SES and SAQ scores were negatively related with concern over mistakes and doubt about action dimension and the total score of CFMPS (P<0.05). Conclusion The instability of implicit self-es?teem of depressed patients is associated with negative perfectionism.

The relationships between implicit self-esteem, explicit self-esteem and alexithymia in college students / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore the relationships among implicit self-esteem,explicit self-esteem and alexithymia.Methods According to the scores of Toronto Alexithymia Scale(TAS-20),82 tests were divided into the alexithymia group and the control group,which were assessed with Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale(SES) and Implicit Association Test (IAT).Results The level of explicit self-esteem in the alexithymia group was significantly lower than that of the control group((28.57 ±4.57 vs 32.44 ±2.71)),there was significant differences between two groups(P＜ 0.01).Each factor of the alexithymia (as difficulty describing feelings,difficulty identifying feelings and externally oriented thinking) had significantly negative correlation with explicit self-esteem (r =-0.572,-0.52,-0.56,-0.378,P ＜ 0.01),and the alexithymia was positively correlated with the degree of separation in implicit and explicit self-esteem (r =0.421) (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion The alexithymia group has defects in the process of controlling emotional; Alexithymia as a kind of psychological traits may be influence consistency of implicit and explicit self-esteem.

A Study on the Relationship Between Self-esteem and Depression:Mediator Role of Rumination / 中国临床心理学杂志

Objective:To investigate the relationship of explicit self-esteem,implicit self-esteem,rumination and depression in a sample of adolescents.Methods:171 adolescents were investigated by Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale,CES-D,Ruminative Responses Scale and self-esteem IAT.Results:Pearson's correlation analysis showed a significant and negative relationship between explicit self-esteem and rumination (r=-0.394,P

Implicit Self-esteem Level and Stability of Depressive Patients / 中国心理卫生杂志

Objective:To explore the depressive patients'implicit self-esteem level and its stability.Methods: IAT(Implicit Association test)and SES(self-esteem scale)were used to measure the depressive patients'implicit self-esteem and explicit self-esteem(n=30).Both 2?2 design between subjects(patients and normal controls) and the failure feedback task were employed to explore the implicit self-esteem's stability of depressive patients.Re- sults:(1)The implicit self-esteem of the two groups had no difference(270.2?103.7/283.3?172.1,t'=0.35, P=0.72).(2)The explicit self-esteem was lower than the implicit self-esteem in depressed persons(-0.05?0.74/-0.62?0.86,z=2.38,P

Research on Relationship Between Self-esteem Structure and Mental Health / 中国临床心理学杂志

Objective: To explore the relationship between individual's self-esteem structure and mental health. Methods: 136 middle school students were tested with Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale(SES), Implicit Association Test(IAT), Adolescent Self-rating Life Events Checklist(ASLEC) and Mental Health Test-CR(MHT-CR). Results: Compared with implicit self-esteem, explicit self-esteem correlates moderately to mental health. Results of hierarchical multiple regression with metal health as the dependent variables showed that explicit self-esteem, negative life events, explicit self-esteem?implicit self-esteem interaction, implicit self-esteem?negative life events interaction, and explicit self-esteem?implicit self-esteem?negative life events interaction is significant. Conclusion: This research supports the view that implicit and explicit self-esteem are distinct mental structures. Individual's self-esteem structure affects the relationship between negative life events and mental health.