自尊稳定性的认知神经机制

自尊稳定性(自尊在短期内波动的幅度)是一种具有重要心理功能的人格特质, 它既不同于自尊水平, 也区别于情境性自尊, 但在理论和测量上却与后两者具有密不可分的联系。然而, 由于目前人们对于自尊稳定性的认知神经机制知之甚少, 所以并不清楚它与自尊水平在生理机制上的关系是什么, 更不了解它会如何调节情境性自尊。鉴于此, 本研究计划将自尊稳定性、自尊水平和情境性自尊置于整合的认知神经加工模型(神经内分泌-脑-行为)之中, 通过融合心理测量、脑成像与应激诱发等多种技术指标, 力争全方位、多角度揭示自尊稳定性的认知神经机制, 及其与自尊水平、情境性自尊间的区别和联系。     

自尊的认知神经机制

自尊是个体对自己总体的情感性评价。自尊有助于促进个体的心理健康,帮助个体应对威胁,具有重要的适应价值。近年来随着社会认知神经科学的兴起,关于自尊的认知神经机制的研究日益增多,主要涉及三个方面:1)自尊与大脑的结构(如海马体积、前扣带回等区域的灰质体积)和功能(静息态下的默认网络活动以及脑区之间的功能联结性)存在一定的关联;2)自尊调节大脑对威胁的反应,与高自尊个体相比,低自尊个体面对威胁时产生更强的防御性反应,自尊通过影响个体面对威胁时的大脑活动帮助个体更好地应对威胁;3)自我评价过程涉及大脑前额叶、眶额叶、扣带回等多个脑区,自尊调节个体在自我评价过程中的大脑活动。总之,自尊作为个体重要的人格特质,与大脑的结构、功能以及活动状态等都具有一定的关系;这些发现在一定程度上揭示了自尊的神经机制,加深了对自尊及其功能的理解。     

自尊与心理性应激反应的关系：社会认可需求的中介作用

国外研究者认为高自尊个体的内控性高,因此其在心理性应激情境中的反应不那么强烈,而国内研究者从集体文化(中国)考虑,则认为高自尊个体的社会认可需求较高,因此在心理性应激情境中的反应更强烈.本研究采用特里尔社会应激测试作为应激情境,采集41名中国大学生被试在这一情境下的客观参数(心率)作为心理性应激反应的指标,通过问卷测量被试的自尊水平、内控性水平和社会认可需求水平,考察自尊影响心理性应激反应的机制.结果发现被试的自尊水平与应激情境下的心率呈正相关,并且社会认可需求在自尊与心理性应激的关系中起着显著的中介作用.本文从文化差异角度提出自尊预测心理性应激反应的模型可能需要在不同文化背景下来分别探讨.     

自尊对基于面孔吸引力人格特质推断的影响

自尊影响面孔吸引力刻板印象,然而由于能动性特质自我评价能够预测自尊,高自尊的个体拥有更高的能动性自我评价,因此自尊对面孔吸引力刻板印象的影响是否只体现在能动性特质维度上还未可知。60名女被试分别评价高、低吸引力女性目标在能动性和社群性人格特质维度上的符合程度。结果发现：能动性维度上,高自尊被试对高吸引力目标在积极特质形容词的符合程度评价显著高于低自尊被试,低自尊被试对低吸引力目标在积极特质形容词的符合程度评价显著高于高自尊被试;社群性维度上,高、低自尊被试均认为高吸引力目标与积极特质形容词更符合。研究结果表明,自尊对面孔吸引力刻板印象的影响主要体现在能动性评价上;在社群性评价上,高、低自尊被试都表现出面孔吸引力刻板印象。     

自尊与心理性应激的关系初探

自尊水平影响着个体在应激情境中的内分泌反应,在以人个人主义文化下的研究发现,由于低自尊具有较低的内部控制力,因此在应激情境中的唾液皮质醇反应更强烈。但是在中国集体主义文化中,由于集体性自我的评价是自尊的一个重要组成部分,高自尊更加期望集体或社会的积极性评价,因此假设在心理性应激情境下（即个体的能力被否定的时候）,高自尊的应激反应会比低自尊更加强烈。本研究以健康大学生为被试,分别以Rosenberg自尊量表和特里尔社会应激测试（TSST）为实验手段,以自尊量表得分、主观应激报告（5点量表）和客观应激参数（心率和唾液皮质醇）为指标,在中国文化背景下探讨自尊与心理性应激的关系。结果发现,在TSST开始时（20分钟）自尊与心率呈正相关,自尊水平越高,心率越快;在TSST结束后（60分钟）自尊与唾液皮质醇水平呈正相关,自尊水平越高,唾液皮质醇水平越高。总体来说,相对于低自尊被试而言,高自尊被试在心理性应激情境中的反应更为强烈。     

自尊的认知加工偏向研究述评

随着认识心理学的发展,人们从认知的角度对自尊进行了拓展性的研究。主要揭示不同自尊水平对认知加工偏向的影响,找出低自尊水平的认知加工特点并期望通过选择性训练来提升个体的自尊水平。关于自尊的认知加工偏向的心理机制主要是心境一致性效应和特质一致性效应。虽然这一取向的研究具有巨大的实践意义,但是还没有取得阶段性成果。     

内隐自尊与外显自尊关系的新认识

内隐自尊和外显自尊是自我评价体系中两个非常重要的结构。以往研究基于统计独立性、自身发展性以及双认知系统等角度提出内隐自尊和外显自尊是两个相互独立的结构。但是,越来越多的证据表明,在改善测验工具、动机因素和研究方法之后,内隐自尊与外显自尊显著相关,并且两者之间的关系得到神经机制的佐证。虽然内隐自尊和外显自尊是两个不同的结构,但是它们并不是简单独立关系,而是紧密联系和相互作用于个体的自我评价。     

社会计量器理论的研究进展：社交接纳/拒绝与自尊的关系

社会计量器理论提出自尊是个体对社交接纳或拒绝的主观计量器,它监控和调节着人们的人际关系质量。目前,该领域的研究主要从两方面展开：一方面从社交反馈的角度探讨了社交接纳与人际评价对状态自尊的影响;另一方面从社交行为的角度探讨了特质自尊对社交意愿和社交决策的影响。未来的研究需要对影响自尊的社交情境进行具体区分,并就社交反馈、心理变化与社交行为的关系,任务特性的认知过程对自尊的影响进行综合探讨。     

不同自尊的大学生防御方式及其人际冲突解决方式的比较研究

本研究试图结合自尊这一人格因素来探讨大学生的防御方式及日常人际冲突解决方式,对自尊的划分除传统的高、低自尊外,还把高自尊细分为防御性高自尊和真正性高自尊。结果表明不同水平上自尊的个体在以上两方面都存在一定的差异,防御性高自尊和真正性高自尊的个体仅在一些防御机制上存在差异,在人际冲突解决方式上不存在差异,而在这一点上与国外类似研究结果不同。     

自尊的记忆效应的实验研究

本实验研究证实了自尊的记忆效应的存在,即自尊水平与词性的交互作用对特质形容诃的回忆量有显著影响。具体而言,对于正向词的回忆量,高自尊组显著高于低自尊组。对于负向诃的回忆量,高自尊组与低自尊组无显著差异;而在高自尊组,正向词的回忆量显著高于负向诃的回忆量。在低自尊组,正向词的回忆量与负向诃的回忆量无显著差异。实验结果支持自尊对记忆影响的忽视——不一致模型。     

Using trait–state models to evaluate the longitudinal consistency of global self-esteem from adolescence to adulthood

The present research used a latent variable trait–state model to evaluate the longitudinal consistency of self-esteem during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Analyses were based on ten administrations of the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (Rosenberg, 1965) spanning the ages of approximately 13–32 for a sample of 451 participants. Results indicated that a completely stable trait factor and an autoregressive trait factor accounted for the majority of the variance in latent self-esteem assessments, whereas state factors accounted for about 16% of the variance in repeated assessments of latent self-esteem. The stability of individual differences in self-esteem increased with age consistent with the cumulative continuity principle of personality development.     

Fluctuations in state implicit self-esteem in response to daily negative events

A repeated assessment study examined changes in state implicit self-esteem after negative events. Multilevel analyses revealed that trait explicit self-esteem and self-concept clarity moderated the within-person association between daily negative events and state implicit self-esteem. People with low trait explicit self-esteem or low self-concept clarity experienced decreases in state implicit self-esteem when they experienced negative life events. In contrast, for people with high trait explicit self-esteem or high self-concept clarity, state implicit self-esteem remained stable after negative events. In addition, changes in state implicit self-esteem remained significant after controlling for state explicit self-esteem and daily negative affect. This study is the first to study changes in implicit self-esteem in the context of daily life events.     

Evaluating the temporal structure and correlates of daily self-esteem using a trait state error framework (TSE)

This study evaluates the temporal structure of daily self-esteem and the relative contribution of a range of theoretically motivated predictors of daily self-esteem. To assess self-esteem stability, a daily version of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale (RSE, Rosenberg, 1965) was administered to 278 undergraduates for five consecutive days. These short-term longitudinal data were analysed using the Trait State Error (TSE) modelling framework. The TSE decomposes multi-wave data into three components: (1) a stable trait component, (2) a state component, and (3) an error component. Significant predictors of the trait component of self-esteem observed across five days were: (1) emotional stability, and (2) the congruence between implicit and explicit self-esteem. Significant predictors of the state components of self-esteem were daily positive and negative events. We discuss the implications of these results for future research concerning self-esteem stability.     

问题学生内隐自尊的初步研究

研究结果表明：(1)问题学生和普通学生一样,存在显著的内隐自尊效应。两类学生的内隐自尊效应存在显著的年级差异,但不存在性别差异;(2)总体上问题学生的内隐自尊效应显著高于普通学生,初三阶段,两类学生的内隐自尊的差异显著;(3)问题学生的内隐自尊和外显自尊是相对独立的两个自我评价系统。两类学生内隐自尊和外显自尊的组合状况不同,内隐自尊和外显自尊的分离状况差异显著;(4)问题学生内隐自尊与外显自尊的分离程度与其状态焦虑、特质焦虑和心理健康其他指标存在非常显著相关。     

The stability of self-esteem variability: A real-time assessment

The present study investigates stability and variability as distinct features of state self-esteem change. The amount of variance attributable to stable individual differences, the association between successive self-esteem experiences, and situational and/or person × situation interaction effects were estimated in repeated measures of self-esteem whilst considering measurement invariance. N = 160 adolescents reported momentary self-esteem in an experience sampling study, (i.e., three assessments a day, over a 2-day period). Latent state-trait analysis indicate that change in state self-esteem is a stable process largely determined by interindividual differences in trait self-esteem, while the impact of occasion-specific influences is small. These intrinsic dynamics ensure consistent self-referential experiences. Results reveal experience sampling as a suitable method to track short-term changes of self-esteem.     

Effects of intergroup upward comparison, trait self-esteem, and identity shift on state self-esteem and affect in upward comparison with in-group members

The present study investigated factors that protect people low in trait self-esteem (Low-SEs), who may be less skilled at constructing information in self-enhancing manners, from threats after interpersonal upward comparison with in-group members. We hypothesized that even Low-SEs can maintain their state self-esteem under intergroup upward comparison. Furthermore, this study explored the possibility that individuals used identity-shift, a strategy to maintain their personal identity, even in an intergroup upward comparison condition. The results of a quasi-experiment supported these hypotheses. We further explored the possibility that individuals might use a twofold strategy to protect/enhance their self-esteem based on an interplay of personal and social identity.     

Helping behavior following a failure experience1

Abstract: A study was conducted to reconcile two conflicting models on the relationship of shame to helping. According to the negative-mood relief model, ashamed people try to help others to relieve a negative mood induced by a shameful experience. The self-esteem maintenance model suggests, however, that people whose self-esteem is threatened utilize helping behavior instrumentally to restore self-esteem. In the present study, 84 male subjects took an alleged intelligence test and received fictitious poor results, and in the next experimental stage, set up by a male experimenter who was not an observer of the subject's failure in the former stage, they were requested to help a person also unaware of subject's failure. On the basis of this paradigm for the shame-helping relation, the “ability” of the target person compared to the subject (superior vs. inferior) and the content of helping (meaningful vs. not meaningful) were manipulated. One level of each experimental variable was supposed to serve as an obstacle to maintaining self-esteem. Besides this 2 times 2 factorial design, subjects were classified as high or low in self-esteem; a control condition (with 16 subjects) was also included. The results provided unequivocal support for the self-esteem maintenance model: ashamed subjects were helpful only in the inferior-target/meaningful-help condition. This result did not interact with the relative levels of self-esteem; the lack of this interaction is explained in terms of self-esteem being trait.