Valence focus and self-esteem lability: reacting to hedonic cues in the social environment.
Individuals differ in the extent to which they emphasize feelings of pleasure or displeasure in their verbal reports of emotional experience, termed valence focus (VF). Two event-contingent, experience-sampling studies examined the relationship between VF and sensitivity to pleasant and unpleasant social cues. It was predicted, and found, that individuals with greater VF (i.e., who emphasized feelings of pleasure/displeasure in reports of emotional experience) demonstrated greater self-esteem lability (i.e., larger changes in self-esteem) to pleasant and unpleasant information contained in social interactions than did those lower in VF. These effects held even after statistically controlling for possible confounding variables (neuroticism, affect intensity). Implications for understanding the psychological impact of valenced interpersonal events are discussed.
Pietromonaco
Paula R
PR
Department of Psychology, Unversity of Massachusetts, Ahherst. monaco@psych.umass.edu
Barrett
Lisa Feldman
LF
D000293:Adolescent; D003463:Cues; D004644:Emotions; D005149:Facial Expression; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012649:Self Concept; D012931:Social Environment; D012938:Social Perception; D014705:Verbal Behavior