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

Abstract

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.Being an academic success is of central importance to Lisa's self-concept. Lisa was a star student in high school and never received a grade below an A-. As a result of her consistently excellent academic performance, Lisa enrolls in a highly selective private university. The first semester she takes a class in geology where she feels certain to get a grade of A. Unfortunately, the results of the midterm exam (that are posted in the hallway) do not meet expectations. Lisa's grade is a D: the first D she has ever received. When Lisa sees the grade she freezes. For almost a full minute the world seems distant and unreal. Soon Lisa starts to think 79

When the tables are turned: The effects of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election on in-group favoritism and out-group hostility

“…Second, in line with previous research on intergroup emotions [ 35 ], we asked participants to indicate on a 7-point scale (1 = not at all , 7 = very much ) the extent to which they felt the following six positive emotions ( hope , pride , happiness , pleasantness , enthusiasm , gladness ) and six negative emotions ( hatred , hostility , anger , fear , paranoia , suspicion ) since the election results had been confirmed. Third, using four items of Campbell et al’s [ 25 ] measure of ego shock (α = .94), we asked participants to rate on a 7-point scale (1 = not at all , 7 = very much) their endorsement of items such as, “Did you feel yourself “freeze up” or find yourself unable to act at any time immediately after the election results were announced?”. Fourth, in order to better capture the effect of the election results on participants’ self-esteem after the election results were announced, we asked participants to respond to Heatherton and Polivy’s [ 36 ] 20-item state self-esteem scale (SSES) (α = .94).…”

“…One way to think about the extremely negative surprise this election outcome represented for Democrats is as an ego-shock . An ego-shock is caused by a major rejection, failure or traumatic event that ultimately shakes one’s self-esteem [ 25 ]. Indeed, people consistently report lower self-evaluations in losing situations than in winning situations [ 26 ].…”

Testing competence and acceptance explanations of self-esteem

“…Study 4 therefore examined participants' retrospective accounts of events that affected their self-esteem. Previous research has employed retrospective accounts to examine numerous psychological phenomena, including teasing (Kowalski, 2000), unrequited love (Baumeister, Wotman, & Stillwell, 1993), interpersonal rejection (e.g., , and ego-shock (Campbell, Baumeister, Dhavale, & Tice, 2003). Although some research suggests that people often emphasize social acceptance or rejection in accounts of events that changed their self-esteem (e.g., Baumeister, Dori, & Hastings, 1998), this research did not probe for other types of events that reportedly affected self-esteem.…”

Prepared and Still Surprised

“…During the very first days after an individual have been exposed to a trauma, the state of shock and bewilderment still exist in his or her life narrative (Campbell, Baumeister, Dhavle, & Tice, 2003). Patients need direction, support, a sense of safety, calming, and hope to take the first steps towards rewriting their new story, and hence facilitating recovery (Hobfoll et al 2007).…”