Boosting self-esteem reduces measurable physiological anxiety responses
Evidence
The findings were, in fact, astonishing. Participants who received no feedback on the anagram task perspired considerably more if they expected to receive shocks than if they expected to see colored lights; no surprise there. However, participants like George who received the self-esteem boost perspired substantially less while anticipating the shocks, and were no sweatier than participants who watched the colored lights. — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core, 219
Categorization
- XREF: Connects to the terror management theory framework from chapters 1-2, where death reminders provoke worldview defense.
- DEEPTHINKING: The finding that a purely social/psychological manipulation — a fabricated test score — physically lowers skin conductance is a dense point: self-worth is literally felt in the body.
Related
- Self-esteem is embodied, not just mental, and blunts death-anxiety (similarity 0.83)
- Self-esteem acts as a physiological vaccine against fear and adversity (similarity 0.80)
- Self-esteem buffers people against death-related anxiety. (similarity 0.79)