Abstract
The present studies examined the association between self-concept structure and stability of self-esteem. In two daily diary studies, evaluative integration (organizing positively and negatively valenced self-beliefs into the same self-aspects) was associated with more stable self-esteem than evaluative compartmentalization (organizing positively and negatively valenced self-beliefs into separate self-aspects) among individuals with generally high self-esteem. Moreover, analyses of self-esteem reactivity confirmed that the sensitivity of state self-esteem to daily events was greater for compartmentalized individuals than for individuals with relatively integrative self-concept structures. Compartmentalization also was associated with greater sensitivity to experiences of social rejection in the laboratory, consistent with the view that integration affords greater stability of self-evaluations. These results suggest that some of the benefits believed to be associated with compartmentalization (such as high self-esteem) may have hidden costs that have not previously been considered.
Highlights
The present studies examined the association between self-concept structure and stability of self-esteem
If structural features of the self can moderate the impact of negative content in the selfconcept, they may act as buffers for daily life events, Keywords: compartmentalization; evaluative organization; self; self-concept; self-esteem; self-esteem stability
To examine the patterns of these cross-level interactions, simple slopes tests were employed that have been adapted for multilevel models (Curran, Bauer, & Willoughby, 2006). These analyses showed that individuals with compartmentalized self-concept structures experienced a significant increase in daily state self-esteem on days with relatively high numbers of positive events, B = 0.74, p < .001, as well as a significant decrease in daily state self-esteem as their number of negative events increased, B = –0.59, p
Summary
The present studies examined the association between self-concept structure and stability of self-esteem. Compartmentalization was associated with greater sensitivity to experiences of social rejection in the laboratory, consistent with the view that integration affords greater stability of self-evaluations. Self-beliefs that matters for an individual’s functioning and moderating features of self-organization such as compartmentalization and integration (Showers, 1992), self-concept clarity (Campbell, 1990), or differential importance (Pelham & Swann, 1989). Another recent set of approaches to the self highlights the possibility that some individuals who appear to hold very positive self-views have quite fragile selves. The compartmentalization model of self-structure makes clear predictions for day-to-day stability in response to life events, even though previous research has emphasized global correlations between self-concept structure and self-esteem or mood (e.g., Showers, 1992, 1995)
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