title: Exaggerating current and past performance: motivated self-enhancement versus reconstructive memory.
abstract: The authors propose distinct reasons why individuals exaggerate their current and past performance. Current performance is of motivational and self-evaluative significance, and exaggerations of current performance often stem from motivated self-enhancement concerns. Self-reports of past performance are influenced less by motivated self-enhancement, instead reflecting more subtle biases in reconstructive memory. For students currently in college, grade point averages (GPAs) reflect a currently important goal pursuit, whereas Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores reflect a goal that was important in the past. Study 1 demonstrated that dispositional self-enhancement predicted greater GPA (but not SAT) exaggeration, whereas advanced class standing predicted greater SAT (but not GPA) exaggeration. Study 2 demonstrated that a self-affirmation manipulation attenuated the association between dispositional self-enhancement and GPA exaggeration but not the association between class standing and SAT exaggeration. The distinction between motivated self-enhancement and reconstructive memory bias has important implications for the broader literature on self-evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA. r.gramzow@neu.edu
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Gramzow
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Willard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D009042:Motivation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept