Contempt and Self-Esteem: The Effect of the Contempt Expression on Self-Enhancing Behaviors
Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: The characteristics, antecedents, and consequences of emotions have been studied extensively in psychological research. It is widely established that there are a number of “basic” emotions which are distinct in their expression, physiology, antecedent events, and subjective experience (Ekman, 1999). While emotions such as happiness, sadness, fear, and anger are commonly acknowledged among the set of basic emotions, some researchers extend the set to include emotions such as guilt, shame, and contempt. Although emotions are most simply understood as internal experiences, they also play a significant role in social interactions (Keltern & Kring, 1998). Furthermore, emotional states have been shown to drive basic moral judgments against ourselves and other individuals (Rozin et al., 1999). In this paper, we investigate the emotion of contempt and its effects on behavior. In particular, we wish to examine how individuals in a controlled laboratory setting alter their behavior after being exposed to a display of contempt.
Author: Yixue Tiffany Zhou
Institution: University of Pennsylvania
Language: English
Topic: Emotions and Moral Behavior
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W16779458