Implicit but not explicit self-esteem predicts future depressive symptomatology

Implicit and explicit self-esteem as concurrent predictors of suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, and loneliness

“…The results show that implicit self-esteem was not directly associated with depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and loneliness (no main effects). These results are consistent with previous research (De Raedt et al, 2006;Franck, Dereu et al, 2007;Franck, De Houwer et al, 2007;Franck, Barbez et al, 2008;Gemar et al, 2001) finding positive implicit self-esteem within (depressed) individuals in the absence of direct associations with depressive symptoms. Recent research conducted with adolescents (Bos et al, 2010) and children (Huijding, Bos, & Muris, 2011) revealed similar Fig.…”

“…In contrast to the cognitive theory, high levels of implicit self-esteem seem to be associated with depression in adults (De Raedt et al, 2006;Franck, De Raedt, Dereu, & Van den Abbeele, 2007;Franck, De Raedt, & De Houwer, 2008;Gemar, Segal, Sagrati, & Kennedy, 2001). Similarly, implicit self-esteem, but not explicit self-esteem, has been found to relate positively to future depressive symptoms at six months follow-up (Franck, De Raedt, & De Houwer, 2007). On the other hand, recent findings of Bos, Huijding, Muris, Vogel, and Biesheuvel (2010) suggest there is no association between implicit self-esteem and internalizing problems (e.g.…”

“…Franck, De Houwer et al (2007) suggested that implicit self-esteem might be indicative of the 'ideal self,' whereas explicit self-esteem may represent the 'actual self.' People with damaged self-esteem feel trapped between their goals and the 'reality.'…”

A First Test of the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure as a Measure of Self-Esteem: Irish Prisoner Groups and University Students

“…If the IRAP functions as a valid measure of implicit self-esteem, shorter response latencies on consistent relative to inconsistent blocks would indicate higher levels of self-esteem. Furthermore, based on previous IAT studies (e.g., Bosson, Swann, & Pennebaker, 2000;Franck, De Raedt, & De Houwer, 2007;Franck, De Raedt, Dereu, & Van den Abbeele, 2007;Glen & Banse, 2004;Greenwald & Farnham, 2000;Karpinski & Steinman, 2006;Nosek, Greenwald, & Banaji, 2007), it was anticipated that there would be a weak to moderate positive correlation between the IRAP and the explicit measure of self-esteem. …”

Evidence that Social Comparison with the Thin Ideal Affects Implicit Self-Evaluation

“…Indeed, if explicit but not implicit self-image is protected in older women, thin-ideal exposure may foster discrepancy between these two constructs. Such a discrepancy may, in turn, produce other effects documented in the extant literature such as, for instance, depressive symptomatology (Franck, De Raedt, & De Houwer, 2007), increased processing of discrepancy-related information (Briñol, Petty, & Wheeler, 2006), or certain mental health problems (Schröder-Abé, Rudolph, & Schütz, 2007;Zeigler-Hill, 2006).…”