title: Why do people need self-esteem? Converging evidence that self-esteem serves an anxiety-buffering function.
abstract: Three studies were conducted to assess the proposition that self-esteem serves an anxiety-buffering function. In Study 1, it was hypothesized that raising self-esteem would reduce anxiety in response to vivid images of death. In support of this hypothesis, Ss who received positive personality feedback reported less anxiety in response to a video about death than did neutral feedback Ss. In Studies 2 and 3, it was hypothesized that increasing self-esteem would reduce anxiety among individuals anticipating painful shock. Consistent with this hypothesis, both success and positive personality feedback reduced Ss' physiological arousal in response to subsequent threat of shock. Thus, converging evidence of an anxiety-buffering function of self-esteem was obtained.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson 85721.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pyszczynski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenblatt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burling
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lyon
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pinel
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001143:Arousal; D001293:Attitude to Death; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D010553:Personality Development; D012649:Self Concept