Showing papers in "Self and Identity in 2015"
TL;DR: In this article, fixed-effects models were used to estimate the average effect size (ES) of gender differences in self-compassion scores across 71 journal articles and dissertations providing a total of 88 estimates.
Abstract: While research suggests strong associations of self-compassion with mental health and well-being, gender norms may hinder the development of self-compassion by women on one hand, and men on the other. This study represents one of the first systematic analyses of potential gender differences in self-compassion using meta-analytic techniques, including whether such gender differences are moderated by age or ethnic minority status. Fixed-effects models were used to estimate the average effect size (ES) of gender differences in self-compassion scores across 71 journal articles and dissertations providing a total of 88 estimates. Results revealed that males had slightly higher levels of self-compassion than females, with a small ES observed (d = .18). This difference was larger in samples with a higher percentage of ethnic minorities. Researchers and practitioners should take these group differences into account in future studies and interventions focused on self-compassion, while not overemphasizing gender di...
281 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a model linking self-compassion to lower stress through coping styles and coping efficacy was tested across two primarily female chronic illness samples, inflammatory bowel disease (N=155) and arthritis (N =164).
Abstract: A recent review suggested that self-compassion promotes use of adaptive rather than maladaptive coping. Less is known about how self-compassion is linked to stress and coping in the context of a chronic stressor. Across two primarily female chronic illness samples, inflammatory bowel disease (N = 155) and arthritis (N = 164), a model linking self-compassion to lower stress through coping styles and coping efficacy was tested. Path analyses revealed significant indirect effects for adaptive coping styles (active, positive reframing, and acceptance), and negatively for maladaptive coping styles (behavioral disengagement and self-blame) in both samples. Findings suggest that the relative balance of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies used by self-compassionate people is associated with better coping outcomes in the context of chronic illness.
222 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that motivational power lies not in these positive or negative future identities but in the fit between context and future self, and that motivation was higher in success-likely contexts if desired rather than undesired possible futures came to mind.
Abstract: Imagining one's possible future self can motivate action but whether motivational power resides more in positive or more in negative future identities is not clear. We predicted that motivational power resides not in these positive or negative future identities but in the fit between context and future self. We varied fit in four experiments by having students read about college as a success-likely or failure-likely context and then write about their desired or undesired possible future identities. Which aspect of the future self was motivating depended on context. Motivation was higher in success-likely contexts if desired rather than undesired possible futures came to mind and was higher in failure-likely contexts if undesired rather than desired possible futures come to mind.
145 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, affective and psychological correlates associated with gender misclassification of transgender spectrum individuals, referred to as misgendering, were explored from the perspective of low-status, stigmatized groups.
Abstract: Relatively little is known about identity misclassification from the perspective of low-status, stigmatized groups. However, there are compelling reasons to examine misclassification from this perspective. This article reports data from two online studies that explore the affective and psychological correlates associated with gender misclassification of transgender spectrum individuals, referred to as misgendering. Study 1 (N = 115) demonstrates that misgendering is associated with more negative affect, less authenticity, lower appearance, but higher social self-esteem, less identity strength and coherence, but more identity importance and more transgender felt stigma. Study 2 (N = 134) largely replicated these results, while also demonstrating that misgendering is associated with verification and enhancement striving, and self- and other evaluations.
132 citations
TL;DR: This article found that negative reactions to disclosure were associated with higher depression and lower self-esteem, whereas positive reactions did not explain additional variance in well-being, while autonomy need satisfaction following disclosure mediated the relation between negative reactions and lower wellbeing.
Abstract: Though previous research indicates that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals may benefit from disclosing their sexual identity, or coming out, doing so also carries with it significant risks due to its stigmatized status. LGB individuals (N = 108) were surveyed regarding their initial experiences coming out, including the first person to whom they disclosed, their mother, father, and best friend. Results indicated that negative reactions to disclosure were associated with higher depression and lower self-esteem, whereas positive reactions did not explain additional variance in well-being. Autonomy need satisfaction following disclosure mediated the relation between negative reactions and lower well-being. Discussion focuses on the coming out process and the importance of autonomy support in identity integration and well-being.
102 citations
TL;DR: This paper investigated the potential origins of individual differences in self-compassion and found that early childhood experiences and attachment may influence the development of selfcompassion, and this was mediated by attachment anxiety.
Abstract: Much evidence indicates that self-compassion is related to a wide range of positive outcomes, yet remarkably little is known as to the origins of self-compassion. Here we present two studies that investigate the potential origins of individual differences in self-compassion. In Study 1, participants' (N = 329) recall of high parental rejection and overprotection, and low parental warmth in childhood predicted low self-compassion, and this was mediated by attachment anxiety. Attachment avoidance did not mediate any association. Study 2 (N = 32) extended this cross-sectional study by experimentally enhancing attachment security, which led to an increase in state self-compassion. Results suggest that early childhood experiences and attachment may influence the development of self-compassion.
95 citations
TL;DR: It is suggested that self-compassion may serve as a protective factor against stress-induced physiological changes that have implications for health.
Abstract: In this study, we tested the hypothesis that participants higher in dispositional self-compassion would show lower stress-induced reactivity of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), a marker of sympathetic nervous system activation. Thirty-three healthy participants (18–34 years old) were exposed to a standardized laboratory stressor on two consecutive days. Self-compassion, self-esteem, and demographic factors were assessed by questionnaire, and sAA was assessed at baseline and at 1, 10, 30, and 60 min following each stressor. Self-compassion was a significant negative predictor of sAA responses on both days. This relationship remained significant when controlling for self-esteem, subjective distress, age, gender, ethnicity, and body mass index. These results suggest that self-compassion may serve as a protective factor against stress-induced physiological changes that have implications for health.
77 citations
TL;DR: This article found that Americans who were strongly "fused" with their country were especially inclined to provide various forms of support to the bombing victims, and the degree to which participants perceived fellow Americans as psychological kin statistically mediated links between fusion and pro-group outcomes.
Abstract: When tragedy strikes a group, only some group members characteristically rush to the aid of the victims. What motivates the altruism of these exceptional individuals? Here, we provide one set of answers based on data collected before and shortly after the 15 April 2013, Boston Marathon bombings. The results of three studies indicated that Americans who were strongly “fused” with their country were especially inclined to provide various forms of support to the bombing victims. Moreover, the degree to which participants reported perceiving fellow Americans as psychological kin statistically mediated links between fusion and pro-group outcomes. Together, these findings shed new light on relationships between personal and group identity, cognitive representations of group members, and personally costly, pro-group actions.
72 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the role of intrapersonal resilience in moderating the association between exposure-severity and the development of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as assessed in vivo.
Abstract: Among civilians exposed to war trauma, the development of acute anxiety symptoms has been found to be positively associated with the severity of the traumatic exposure but negatively associated with intrapersonal resilience (optimism, hope, and self-esteem). No study to date has examined whether intrapersonal resilience plays a moderating role in the development of acute anxiety among individuals as they are exposed to trauma. This “natural laboratory” study examined the putative role of intrapersonal resilience in moderating the association between exposure-severity and the development of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as assessed in vivo (i.e., under life-threatening conditions during exposure to war). A nonclinical community sample of 251 adults was assessed during real-time exposure to missile and rocket fire during an eruption of violence in the Middle East during July and August 2014. The results indicate that the severity of PTSD symptoms was positively associated with severity of...
67 citations
TL;DR: The more people internalize low subjective social status, the more their basic psychological needs are thwarted, and this effect did not appear among their higher status counterparts.
Abstract: What makes low social status toxic to well-being? To internalize social status is to believe the self is responsible for it. We hypothesized that the more people internalize low subjective social status, the more their basic psychological needs are thwarted. Experiment 1 randomly assigned participants to imagine themselves in low, middle, or high social status, and assessed their subjective social status internalization by independent ratings. The more participants internalized low status, the more they reported their basic psychological needs were thwarted. This effect did not appear among their higher status counterparts. Experiment 2 replicated and extended these findings using a behavioral manipulation of subjective social status and a self-report measure of internalization. We discuss implications for basic and action research.
61 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of identity concealment, personal and group discrimination, and personal and social identifications related to mental illness on psychological well-being were examined among college students with a self-reported mental illness.
Abstract: This study examined how having a mental illness diagnosis indirectly helps versus harms well-being via social-psychological processes. We focused on the effects of identity concealment, personal and group discrimination, and personal and social identifications related to mental illness on psychological well-being. Among college students with a self-reported mental illness (N = 255), we found that personal and group discrimination were each negatively related to well-being. Personal and social identifications were also related well-being, albeit in opposite directions. Personal identification was negatively related to well-being, while social identification with others who have a mental illness was positively related to well-being via access to in-group social support. Several indirect pathways linked concealment and discrimination to well-being via identification and sense of belonging.
TL;DR: The authors examined the relation between self-compassion and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using DSM IV and DSM 5 criteria and found that selfcompassion was negatively correlated with aggregated PTSD symptoms.
Abstract: Self-compassion is posited to protect against posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after exposure to traumatic events. Prior work has suggested self-compassion may only be related to avoidance symptoms using DSM IV criteria. Changes to the diagnosis in DSM 5 may have changed these relations. The current study examined the relation between self-compassion and PTSD symptoms using DSM IV and DSM 5 criteria. PTSD symptoms and self-compassion were evaluated in two trauma-exposed samples using measures that corresponded to DSM IV and DSM 5 criteria. Self-compassion was negatively correlated with aggregated PTSD symptoms for DSM IV and DSM 5. Self-compassion was correlated with avoidance symptoms for DSM IV but was correlated with all symptom clusters for the DSM 5. These results suggest that self-compassion may protect against PTSD symptoms using the most recent diagnostic criteria.
TL;DR: The authors employ a terror management framework to assess the effects of worldview threat, death-thoughts, and trait self-esteem on worldview accommodation, finding that people with low (but not high) selfesteem accommodate their worldview.
Abstract: Although numerous studies have examined compensatory reactions to ideological threats such as derogation, relatively little research has focused on alternative forms of defense. One such alternative, termed accommodation, involves accepting and incorporating parts of the threatening information into existing belief-structures. The present research employs a terror management framework to assess the effects of worldview threat, death-thoughts, and trait self-esteem on worldview accommodation. Five studies demonstrate that accommodation entails selectively modifying only peripheral worldview beliefs, while retaining core beliefs. Study 1 demonstrates that accommodation increases as a function of death-thought accessibility (DTA) aroused by threat. Studies 2–5 show that self-esteem moderates the effects of threat on accommodation, such that people with low (but not high) self-esteem accommodate their worldview. Moreover, accommodation is found to reduce source derogation (Studies 1–3), fluid defensiveness (S...
TL;DR: In this paper, a new measure of goal fusion was proposed and the authors examined how incremental differences in such fusion results in positive and negative goal-relevant consequences, and found that higher goal fusion predicted greater goal investments and goal achievement.
Abstract: Goal fusion refers to the perception that a goal is integrated within one's self-concept. We created a new measure of goal fusion and examined how incremental differences in such fusion results in positive and negative goal-relevant consequences. A pilot study supported the measure's test–retest reliability. Study 1 found that goal fusion uniquely contributed to participants' goal-relevant cognitions and behaviors above and beyond the effects of other related constructs. Study 2 found that higher goal fusion predicted greater goal investments and goal achievement 1 month later. Study 3 found that goal success and failure differentially impacted peoples' self-concept clarity depending on whether they were or were not fused with the goal. Collectively, the findings indicate our goal fusion assessment is a reliable, valid and useful measure.
TL;DR: Gebauer et al. as mentioned in this paper examined whether validating a sense of power affects the communal behavior and self-perceptions of communal narcissists and found that such individuals behave less communally and display less self-enhancement when their need for power is validated rather than threatened.
Abstract: What motivates communal self-enhancement? Paulhus and John [1998. Egoistic and moralistic biases in self-perception: The interplay of self-deceptive styles with basic traits and motives. Journal of Personality, 66, 1025–1060] posit that agentic and communal self-enhancement biases are independently motivated by needs for power and approval, respectively. In contrast, the agency-communion model of narcissism [Gebauer, J. E., Sedikides, C., Verplanken, B., & Maio, G. R. (2012). Communal narcissism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 103, 854–878] posits that communal narcissists’ communal self-enhancement is driven by the need for power. We examined whether validating a sense of power affects the communal behavior and self-perceptions of communal narcissists. We observed that communal narcissists behaved less communally (Study 1) and displayed less communal self-enhancement (Study 2) when their need for power is validated rather than threatened. Consistent with the agency-communion model of narci...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide the first empirical test of the temporal structure of state self-esteem (SSE) variability as a real-time process during parent-adolescent interactions.
Abstract: Research regarding the variability of state self-esteem (SSE) commonly focuses on the magnitude of variability. In this article we provide the first empirical test of the temporalstructure of SSE as a real-time process during parent–adolescent interactions. We adopt a qualitative phenomenological approach, whereby moment-to-moment emotional and behavioral indicators of SSE are measured as they emerged during the interactions, resulting in SSE time series. We conducted detrended fluctuation analyses (DFA) on the SSE time series and found that they exhibited a form of structured variability, called pink noise. The mean DFA exponent differed significantly from that of randomized surrogate data (p < .01), which revealed uncorrelated random variability, called white noise. This finding shows that the temporal structure of SSE variability exhibits self-similarity and is not random. In addition, a weak positive relationship was found between the DFA and context-independent autonomy levels.
TL;DR: Initial evidence of an intervention effect on healthy food consumption is demonstrated and ways to advance research on the self-as-doer identity construct are discussed.
Abstract: We investigated whether the experimental manipulation of a self-as-doer identity predicted improved healthy food consumption immediately and one month post-intervention Women (N = 124), 18–53 years old (M = 221, SD = 58) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (ie, control, education, or education and self-as-doer activity) and recorded their diets over six weeks Repeated measures ANCOVAs were performed to determine if the self-as-doer intervention created change in healthy food consumption Self-as-doer participants ate more healthy foods one month post-intervention than did other participants Self-as-doer participants maintained overall healthy eating behaviors while education and control participants decreased these behaviors over the six-week period Findings demonstrate initial evidence of an intervention effect on healthy food consumption and we discuss ways to advance research on the self-as-doer identity construct
TL;DR: The authors investigated the presentation of self-compassion following an interpersonal transgression and found that more selfcompassionate participants preferred self-Compassionate responses and were just as likely to forgive someone regardless of the type of response.
Abstract: Two studies investigate the presentation of self-compassion following an interpersonal transgression. In study 1 (N = 228), participants imagined letting someone down. Self-compassionate participants were less likely to endorse self-critical statements and more likely to endorse self-compassionate statements. Study 2 (N = 208) investigated people's preference for self-compassionate versus self-critical statements after someone let them down. Less self-compassionate participants preferred and were more likely to forgive someone who made self-critical statements. More self-compassionate participants preferred self-compassionate responses and were just as likely to forgive someone regardless of the type of response. These findings support the hypothesis that self-compassion leads to more self-compassionate presentations and presents a more nuanced understanding of responses to self-compassionate and self-critical presentations in an apology context.
TL;DR: The authors argued that self-uncertainty is a cognitive demand causing low NC participants to use prototypicality as a leadership heuristic, while high NC participants rely less on prototypicalities as a heuristic.
Abstract: Social identity theory of leadership research confirms that followers prefer group prototypical to non-prototypical leaders. Drawing on uncertainty–identity theory, we argue that self-uncertainty interacts with need for cognition (NC) to influence this preference. Student participants (N = 100) reported their self-uncertainty and NC before evaluating a prospective prototypical or non-prototypical student leader. We reasoned that self-uncertainty is a cognitive demand causing low NC participants to use prototypicality as a leadership heuristic—uncertainty strengthens the leader prototypicality advantage. In contrast, high NC participants rely less on prototypicality as a heuristic—uncertainty weakens the leader prototypicality advantage. These hypotheses were supported—elevated uncertainty strengthened the leader prototypicality advantage when NC was low, but weakened it when NC was high.
TL;DR: In this article, the role of family of origin in the formation of couple identity (i.e., considering couplehood as central to one's sense of self) among young adults was investigated.
Abstract: What is the role of family of origin in the formation of couple identity (i.e., considering couplehood as central to one's sense of self) among young adults? Two studies tested and supported the hypothesis that intrusive parenting hinders the couple identity of young adults. In Study 1, intrusive parenting was associated with weaker couple identity in a sample of 702 dating partners (351 couples). In Study 2, intrusive parenting was linked to a confused individual self-concept (i.e., lower self-concept clarity), which in turn was associated with weaker couple identity in a sample of 200 dating partners. Extra-relational factors, such as intrusive parenting, can and do predict the quality of couple identity.
TL;DR: This paper found that heavy metal enthusiasts did often experience traumatic and risky “sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll” lives, however, the “metalhead” identity also served as a protective factor against negative outcomes.
Abstract: Research in the 1980s suggested that young “metalheads” were at risk for poor developmental outcomes. No other study has assessed this group as adults; thus, we examined 1980s heavy metal groupies, musicians, and fans at middle age, using snowball sampling from Facebook. Online surveys assessed adverse childhood experiences, personality, adult attachment, and past and current functioning in 377 participants. Results revealed that metal enthusiasts did often experience traumatic and risky “sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll” lives. However, the “metalhead” identity also served as a protective factor against negative outcomes. They were significantly happier in their youth and better adjusted currently than either middle-aged or current college-age youth comparison groups. Thus, participation in fringe style cultures may enhance identity development in troubled youth.
TL;DR: This article found that social threat during relationship initiation caused higher self-esteem individuals (HSEs) to exhibit a warming-up behavioral response but caused lower SEs to exhibit cooling-down behavioral response, according to both observer-reports and self-reports, which led observers to like HSEs more than LSEs.
Abstract: Social threats during relationship initiation often cause people to engage in cold behaviors that bring about rejection. However, interpersonal risk-regulation theory suggests that such processes will be moderated by global self-esteem. In two experiments that manipulated the threat of rejection, single participants communicated via video camera with an opposite-sex interaction partner (actually a confederate). As expected, social threat caused higher self-esteem individuals (HSEs) to exhibit a warming-up behavioral response but caused lower self-esteem individuals (LSEs) to exhibit a cooling-down behavioral response, according to both observer-reports and self-reports, which in turn led observers to like HSEs more than LSEs. Furthermore, these effects were independent of similar, previously documented, interpersonal risk-regulation effects on participants' perceptions of acceptance from the confederate.
TL;DR: This article explored the associations among perceived selfexpansion opportunities, actual and perceived similarity, and attraction in the context of initial interactions and found that the discussion topic had no effect on attraction or perceived self-expansion.
Abstract: Self-expansion theory [e.g., Aron, E. N., & Aron, A. (1996). Love and expansion of the self: The state of the model. Personal Relationships, 3, 45–58] suggests that people are attracted to those who offer opportunities to enhance the self. Although there is extensive evidence that similarity predicts liking, self-expansion theorists suggest that self-expansion opportunities are greatest with dissimilar others. Using a social interaction experiment, we explored the associations among perceived self-expansion opportunities, actual and perceived similarity, and attraction in the context of initial interactions. In 15-min interactions, 73 unacquainted dyads either discussed their leisure interests, discussed their political beliefs, or simply “became acquainted.” The discussion topic had no effect on attraction or perceived self-expansion. Actual similarity, operationalized by the degree of difference in partners' self-reported leisure interests or political views, was generally unassociated with perceived se...
TL;DR: Processes through which meaning about the self in relation to others is constructed during a critical period of development are illuminated.
Abstract: Self-conscious emotions play a role in regulating daily achievement strivings, social behavior, and health, but little is known about the processes underlying their daily manifestation. Emerging adults (n = 182) completed daily diaries for 8 days and multilevel models were estimated to evaluate whether, how much, and why their emotions varied from day to day. Within-person variation in authentic pride was normally distributed across people and days, whereas the other emotions were burst-like and characterized by zero-inflated, negative binomial distributions. Perceiving social interactions as generally communal increased the odds of hubristic pride activation and reduced the odds of guilt activation; daily communal behavior reduced guilt intensity. Results illuminated processes through which meaning about the self in relation to others is constructed during a critical period of development.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the associations that each romantic love style had with self-esteem level and selfesteem instability among 385 undergraduates and found that individuals with stable high selfesteem reported higher levels of Pragma (love style focused on practicality and suitability) than other men.
Abstract: The purpose of the present study was to examine whether fragile self-esteem was associated with romantic love styles. This was accomplished by examining the associations that each romantic love style had with self-esteem level and self-esteem instability among 385 undergraduates. The results of the present study show that self-esteem instability moderated the associations that self-esteem level had with Eros (love style dominated by passion) and Storge (love style characterized by companionship and trust) such that individuals with stable high self-esteem reported the highest levels of these romantic love styles. Men with stable low self-esteem reported higher levels of Pragma (love style focused on practicality and suitability) than other men. Women with stable self-esteem reported relatively low levels of Ludus (love style focused on game-playing). The pattern of these results suggests that individuals with stable high self-esteem are more likely to engage in romantic love styles that are conducive to e...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine how self-concept clarity moderates the impact of feedback about one's self-knowledge on the experience of self-elaboration under conditions of either doubt or confidence, and find that people with higher selfconcept clarity show greater differences in self-evaluations based on whether their experience of describing the self is nested within ease and confidence or difficulty and doubt.
Abstract: The present research examines how self-concept clarity moderates the impact of feedback about one's self-knowledge. A preliminary study shows that individuals with higher clarity expect the process of defining who they are to be easier than those with lower clarity. Two experiments then test the effect of self-concept clarity on the experience of self-elaboration under conditions of either doubt or confidence. The results suggest that people with higher self-concept clarity show greater differences in self-evaluations based on whether their experience of describing the self is nested within ease and confidence or difficulty and doubt. We suggest that this effect may be a result of the different expectations high- and low-clarity individuals have for the task of describing the self.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the effects of self-discrepancy theory in relation to purpose in life and found negative associations between purpose and discrepancies in perceptions of one's actual and ideal personality and body image.
Abstract: The present investigation (total N = 643) sought to examine for the first time self-discrepancy theory in relation to purpose in life. Negative associations were found between purpose and discrepancies in perceptions of one's actual and ideal personality (Study 1) and body image (Study 2). Study 3 further demonstrated experimentally that individuals describing differences between their actual and ideal physique reported less purpose than those describing similarities. Finally, Study 4 sought to compare the effects of actual/ideal and actual/ought self-discrepancies on purpose in life. Participants who wrote about differences between their actual/ideal or actual/ought selves subsequently reported less purpose than those who wrote about similarities between these domains. However, neither a main effect nor an interaction emerged between actual/ideal versus actual/ought conditions, thereby suggesting that greater discrepancy denigrated purpose independent of self-domain. Importantly, agency emerged as a mech...
TL;DR: Results indicate that when exercising is perceived as difficult goal pursuit, effective self-regulators prioritize that difficult goal pursuits by planning to exercise earlier in the day whereas less-effective self-Regulators plan exercise for later in theday.
Abstract: Identifying and understanding the goal pursuit strategies that distinguish effective self-regulators from less effective self-regulators is important for elucidating how individuals achieve their goals. We suggest that the timing of plans for difficult goal pursuits is one differentiation. A pilot study shows that effective self-regulators tend to believe they are best suited to pursue difficult goals earlier in the day, and two studies provide evidence that effective and less effective self-regulators differ in the timing of their plans for difficult goal pursuits. Results indicate that when exercising is perceived as difficult goal pursuit, effective self-regulators prioritize that difficult goal pursuit by planning to exercise earlier in the day whereas less effective self-regulators plan exercise for later in the day.
TL;DR: This article found that men disproportionately worked in 11 traditionally male occupations whose titles matched their surnames (e.g., baker, carpenter, farmer), and showed that people disproportionately married others who shared their birthday numbers.
Abstract: Implicit egotism is an unconscious preference for things resembling the self. Four studies provided unprecedented evidence for implicit egotism. Study 1 used census data to show that men disproportionately worked in 11 traditionally male occupations whose titles matched their surnames (e.g., baker, carpenter, farmer). Study 2 used statewide marriage records to show that people disproportionately married others who shared their birthday numbers. Study 3 showed that men named Cal and Tex disproportionately moved to states resembling their names. Study 4 showed how it is possible to reverse implicit egotism in naming preferences. All four studies controlled for important confounds (e.g., gender, ethnicity, education), identified theoretically predictable moderators (e.g., implicit self-esteem, social status), or both. Future research should focus on other theoretically derived moderators of implicit egotism.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify self-related risk factors for depression and dyadic and sexual dissatisfaction in female medical students in Israel, including self-criticism, self-concept clarity, and silencing the self.
Abstract: Female physicians, residents, and medical students commonly suffer from depression and dyadic and sexual dissatisfaction. To identify self-related risk factors for depression and dyadic and sexual dissatisfaction in female medical students in Israel. In Study 1, 194 female medical students were assessed twice over a 1-year interval. Depressive symptoms, dyadic, and sexual dissatisfaction, and three self-concept factors—self-criticism, self-concept clarity, and silencing the self—were measured twice. Physical symptoms were also assessed at Time 2. In Study 2, 14 female medical students with elevated levels of depression were interviewed, and their narrative accounts were analyzed qualitatively. Elevated baseline levels of silencing the self predicted an increase in depressive symptoms and dyadic and sexual dissatisfaction over time, and high levels of physical symptoms at Time 2. The effect of silencing the self on depression was particularly pronounced under low self-concept clarity. All 14 interviewees a...