Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: A large body of literature has documented the existence of numerous strategies designed to protect and promote the self-concept.Indeed, a number of researchers have viewed affirming and asserting self-aspects as the primary vehicle for promoting resilience in the face of threat and maintaining positive overall self-evaluations.The present studies depart from this approach and instead propose an alternative means by which one may alleviate the personal impact of negative life events-diminishing one's perceived importance.It is argued that diminishing one's perceived importance by viewing oneself within the context of a broader life perspective (i.e., within "the grand scheme of things") can help ameliorate the deleterious psychological consequences of negative events.Study 1 demonstrated that the construct of diminished self-importance can be manipulated by video exposure to nature images in a laboratory setting.Study 2 examined whether diminishing the perceived self-importance would help alleviate stressful reactions to hypothetical negative events.Study 3 and 4 attempted to show that diminished self-importance induced by other manipulation techniques would buffer the impact of actual negative events and that the effects were moderated by levels of state self-esteem.The results provided partial support for the hypothesis that diminished selfimportance serves as a buffer against negative events.Discussion focuses on issues
Author: Nobuko Mizoguchi
Institution: Ohio University
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2724840427