Contingent Self-worth and Self-handicapping: Do Incremental Theorists Protect Self-esteem?

Niiya, Yu; Brook, Amara T.; Crocker, Jennifer

doi:10.1080/15298860903054233

Cited by 42 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Research on mindsets and blame attribution over longer periods of time suggests an even more complex relationship between implicit theories, control, and blame. Incrementalists, while more self‐forgiving after single failures, are harsher on themselves after multiple failures to improve (Niiya, Brook, & Crocker, ). Incrementalists likewise exhibit greater negative affect than entity theorists do when seeing a person fail to improve despite showing effort to do so (Plaks, Grant, & Dweck, ) and blame others more for continual failures (Ryazanov & Christenfeld, ).…”

Section: Emerging Nuance In Trait Essentialismmentioning

confidence: 99%

The strategic value of essentialism

Ryazanov

Christenfeld

2017

Social & Personality Psych

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Social essentialism—the belief that individuals contain an underlying essence determined by the social categories they belong to—has generally been regarded as a harmful cognitive process that results in prejudice and other forms of injustice at the group level. Trait essentialism, also termed a fixed mindset—the belief that people's trait levels are determined and relatively unchangeable—has been construed as a parallel impediment to self‐improvement at the individual level. However, each of these domains contains findings that do not fit this narrative, suggesting that such essentialized thinking is not always detrimental at either the group or individual level and that its effects may instead depend on motivation and context. Incorporating advances in research on moral judgment and identity allow for a reconciliation of the variable effects of social and trait essentialism. In some instances, essentialism can be a strategy for reducing blame over uncontrollable aspects of individuals and groups and for identity formation.

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Section: Emerging Nuance In Trait Essentialismmentioning

confidence: 99%

The strategic value of essentialism

Ryazanov

Christenfeld

2017

Social & Personality Psych

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“…In contrast, Niiya et al (2007) hypothesized that students who base their self-esteem on academics would be more likely to self-handicap, but only if they held incremental theories of intelligence. They reasoned that for contingent incremental theorists, failure following investment of effort or performance under optimal conditions is especially threatening, because incremental theorists believe they should do better with effort or under better performance conditions.…”

Section: Costs Of Contingent Self-worth For Self-regulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Using different self-handicapping behaviors, and either measuring or priming entity and incremental theories of intelligence, Niiya et al (2007) showed in two studies that highly contingent students with incremental theories self-handicap by choosing to listen to performance-impairing music and by avoiding practice before a difficult task, but not before an easy task. Using different self-handicapping behaviors, and either measuring or priming entity and incremental theories of intelligence, Niiya et al (2007) showed in two studies that highly contingent students with incremental theories self-handicap by choosing to listen to performance-impairing music and by avoiding practice before a difficult task, but not before an easy task.…”

Section: Costs Of Contingent Self-worth For Self-regulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Costly Pursuit of Self‐Esteem

Crocker

Moeller

Burson

2010

Handbook of Personality and Self‐Regulation

Self Cite

167

284

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“…For example, incremental theorists with contingent self-esteem did not show resiliency in the face of adversity relative to entity theorists. Rather, they used self-handicapping strategies to help protect their sense of self in the face of complex academic tasks (Niiya et al, 2010). Additional work suggests that theory violations and incongruent goal contexts (e.g., incremental theorists in performance settings) can be detrimental to incremental theorists' emotions, motivations, and performance (e.g., Plaks & Stecher, 2007).…”

Section: Limitations and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

I Can Do That

Hoyt

Burnette

Innella

2011

Pers Soc Psychol Bull

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This research investigates the role of implicit theories in influencing the effectiveness of successful role models in the leadership domain. Across two studies, the authors test the prediction that incremental theorists ("leaders are made") compared to entity theorists ("leaders are born") will respond more positively to being presented with a role model before undertaking a leadership task. In Study 1, measuring people's naturally occurring implicit theories of leadership, the authors showed that after being primed with a role model, incremental theorists reported greater leadership confidence and less anxious-depressed affect than entity theorists following the leadership task. In Study 2, the authors demonstrated the causal role of implicit theories by manipulating participants' theory of leadership ability. They replicated the findings from Study 1 and demonstrated that identification with the role model mediated the relationship between implicit theories and both confidence and affect. In addition, incremental theorists outperformed entity theorists on the leadership task.

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Contingent Self-worth and Self-handicapping: Do Incremental Theorists Protect Self-esteem?

Cited by 42 publications

References 36 publications

The strategic value of essentialism

The strategic value of essentialism

The Costly Pursuit of Self‐Esteem

I Can Do That

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