Self-esteem memories: feeling good about achievement success, feeling bad about relationship distress.
College students and middle-aged adults provided memories of occasions when they felt especially good or especially bad about themselves. Probes directed the memory search to several age intervals during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Predominant themes represented in self-esteem memories differed consistently as a function of emotional valence. Memories of positive self-worth frequently focused on achievement/mastery themes, whereas memories of negative self-worth frequently focused on interpersonal/affiliation themes. When people evaluate the self through the lens of autobiographical memory, interpersonal distress is portrayed as especially damaging and achievement success is portrayed as especially enhancing. The asymmetry between positive and negative self-esteem memories is explained using multiple theoretical perspectives within social and personality psychology.
Pillemer
David B
DB
Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, NH 03824, USA. david.pillemer@unh.edu
Ivcevic
Zorana
Z
Gooze
Rachel A
RA
Collins
Katherine A
KA
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States