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Responding to Major Threats to Self-Esteem: A Preliminary, Narrative Study of Ego-Shock

2003; Guilford Press; Volume: 22; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1521/jscp.22.1.79.22762

1943-2771

W. Keith Campbell, Roy F. Baumeister, Dawn Dhavale, Dianne M. Tice,

Personality Traits and Psychology

The present research examined individuals' responses to major self-esteem threat. It was predicted that following a major threat to self-esteem individuals would experience ego-shock—a temporary "freezing" of consciousness and emotional numbness. Fifty-two participants wrote a narrative describing a situation where they received a major threat to their self-esteem and a situation where they received a minor threat to their self-esteem. They then answered questions regarding the experience of ego-shock following the event described in each narrative. Ego-shock was reported following major self-esteem threats to a greater degree than following minor self-esteem threats. Additional analyses revealed that ego-shock is an immediate and automatic process. The long-term effects of major self-esteem threats to the individual are discussed.