title: Calibrating the sociometer: the relationship between interpersonal appraisals and state self-esteem.
abstract: Four experiments examined the functional relationship between interpersonal appraisal and subjective feelings about oneself. Participants imagined receiving one of several positive or negative reactions from another person (Experiments 1, 2, and 3) or actually received interpersonal evaluations (Experiment 4), then completed measures relevant to state self-esteem. All 4 studies showed that subjective feelings were a curvilinear, ogival function of others' appraisals. Although trait self-esteem correlated with state reactions as a main effect, it did not moderate participants' reactions to interpersonal feedback.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27109, USA. leary@wfu.edu
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Leary
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Haupt
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Strausser
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Chokel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D012928:Social Desirability; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires