Self-esteem modulates the time course of self-positivity bias in explicit self-evaluation

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 5;8(12):e81169. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081169. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Researchers have suggested that certain individuals may show a self-positivity bias, rating themselves as possessing more positive personality traits than others. Previous evidence has shown that people evaluate self-related information in such a way as to maintain or enhance self-esteem. However, whether self-esteem would modulate the time course of self-positivity bias in explicit self-evaluation has never been explored. In the present study, 21 participants completed the Rosenberg self-esteem scale and then completed a task where they were instructed to indicate to what extent positive/negative traits described themselves. Behavioral data showed that participants endorsed positive traits as higher in self-relevance compared to the negative traits. Further, participants' self-esteem levels were positively correlated with their self-positivity bias. Electrophysiological data revealed smaller N1 amplitude and larger late positive component (LPC) amplitude to stimuli consistent with the self-positivity bias (positive-high self-relevant stimuli) when compared to stimuli that were inconsistent with the self-positivity bias (positive-low self-relevant stimuli). Moreover, only in individuals with low self-esteem, the latency of P2 was more pronounced in processing stimuli that were consistent with the self-positivity bias (negative-low self-relevant stimuli) than to stimuli that were inconsistent with the self-positivity bias (positive-low self-relevant stimuli). Overall, the present study provides additional support for the view that low self-esteem as a personality variable would affect the early attentional processing.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Behavior* / physiology
  • Electrophysiological Phenomena
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Prejudice
  • Self-Assessment*
  • Time Factors
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (SWU1309105) and the Team Research Project of Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University (TR201202-5). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.