title: The impact of unfair treatment on depressive mood: the moderating role of self-esteem level and self-esteem instability.
abstract: This research examines the moderating roles of self-esteem level and self-esteem instability in the relationship between perceived unfair treatment and depressive mood. Based on the assumption that unfairness is a threat to one's social standing and self-esteem, the authors proposed that individuals with highly fragile self-esteem (i.e., the combination of unstable and high self-esteem) react more strongly when experiencing unfair treatment. This hypothesis was tested in a real-world setting using cross-sectional and diary data of 101 employees. As expected, unfair treatment was related to depressive mood among individuals with unstable high self-esteem but not among individuals with stable high self-esteem. This pattern of results held for both cross-sectional and diary data. In contrast, unfairness was not related to depressive mood among individuals with unstable low self-esteem.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Switzerland. laurenz.meier@psy.unibe.ch
authors.forename: Laurenz L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: Norbert K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Semmer
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hupfeld
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D004648:Employee Grievances; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006608:Hierarchy, Social; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012649:Self Concept; D055815:Young Adult