Acceptance Is in the Eye of the Beholder: Self-Esteem and Motivated Perceptions of Acceptance From the Opposite Sex

Social risk elicits self-esteem differences in signature social motivations and behaviors during the relationship-initiation process. In particular, the present research tested the hypothesis that lower self-esteem individuals' (LSEs) motivation to avoid rejection leads them to self-protectivel...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality and social psychology 2010-09, Vol.99 (3), p.513-529
Main Authors: CAMERON, Jessica J, STINSON, Danu Anthony, GAETZ, Roslyn, BALCHEN, Stacey
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acceptance
Adolescent
Adult
Behavior
Biological and medical sciences
Cognition & reasoning
Courtship - psychology
Cues
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Humans
Interpersonal Relationships
Male
Male Female Relations
Mental Recall - physiology
Motivation
Motivation - physiology
Objectives
Perceptions
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Rejection (Psychology)
Self Concept
Self esteem
Social Acceptance
Social Desirability
Social interactions. Communication. Group processes
Social Perception
Social psychology
Students - psychology
Task Performance and Analysis
Young Adult
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Summary:Social risk elicits self-esteem differences in signature social motivations and behaviors during the relationship-initiation process. In particular, the present research tested the hypothesis that lower self-esteem individuals' (LSEs) motivation to avoid rejection leads them to self-protectively underestimate acceptance from potential romantic partners, whereas higher self-esteem individuals' (HSEs) motivation to promote new relationships leads them to overestimate acceptance. The results of 5 experiments supported these predictions. Social risk increased activation of avoidance goals for LSEs on a word-recall task but increased activation of approach goals for HSEs, as evidenced by their increased use of likeable behaviors. Consistent with these patterns of goal activation, even though actual acceptance cues were held constant across all participants, social risk decreased the amount of acceptance that LSEs perceived from their interaction partner but increased the amount of acceptance that HSEs perceived from their interaction partner. It is important to note that such self-esteem differences in avoidance goals, approach behaviors, and perceptions of acceptance were completely eliminated when social risk was removed.
ISSN:0022-3514
1939-1315
DOI:10.1037/a0018558