Effect of Social Exclusion on State Explicit & Implicit Self-Esteem and the Moderating Role of Trait  Self-Esteem

Farkhondehfal, Mona; Nejat, Pegah

doi:10.30473/sc.2023.66488.2835

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Mona Farkhondehfal ¹
Pegah Nejat ²

¹ Ph.D. Student in Health Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

² Associate Prof., Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.30473/sc.2023.66488.2835

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to examine the effect of social exclusion on state self-esteem at both implicit and explicit levels and the moderating role of trait implicit and explicit self-esteem in this relation. Method: It was an experimental study with one between-subjects factor (acceptance, rejection). Participants were 110 individuals (80% women) with a mean age of 27.4 years who participated in this study voluntarily and online in fall 1400. They first responded to measures of explicit and implicit trait self-esteem then received the social exclusion manipulation by "writing about previous experience" and finally responded to measures of explicit and implicit state self-esteem. Rosenberg self-esteem scale (Rosenberg, 1965) and single-item self-esteem scale (Donnellan et al., 2015) were used to measure explicit self-esteem. Implicit Association Test (Greenwald & Farnham, 2000) and Name-Letter Test (Kitayama & Karasawa, 1997) were used to assess implicit self-esteem. Results: Consistent with sociometer theory, implicit state self-esteem was lower in response to the rejection condition compared to the acceptance condition. In contrast, explicit state self-esteem was not different between the acceptance and rejection conditions. One possible explanation for this finding is the activation of conscious defense mechanisms to protect self-esteem in response to the experience of social rejection. The effect of social exclusion on implicit state self-esteem was not moderated with either explicit or implicit trait self-esteem. whereas the effect of social exclusion on explicit state self-esteem was moderated with both explicit and implicit trait self-esteem. Conclusion: The effect of social exclusion on explicit state self-esteem was moderated such that explicit state self-esteem of participants with either high implicit or low explicit trait self-esteem was less vulnerable to the experience of social exclusion. Differences of explicit and implicit state self-esteem in response to social exclusion in different levels of explicit and implicit trait self-esteem need further investigation.

Keywords

Main Subjects

social Psychology

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Social Cognition

Effect of Social Exclusion on State Explicit & Implicit Self-Esteem and the Moderating Role of Trait Self-Esteem

References

References

Volume 11, Issue 21 - Serial Number 21
May 2022
Pages 131-145

Effect of Social Exclusion on State Explicit & Implicit Self-Esteem and the Moderating Role of Trait Self-Esteem

References

References

Volume 11, Issue 21 - Serial Number 21May 2022Pages 131-145

Volume 11, Issue 21 - Serial Number 21
May 2022
Pages 131-145