Reasserting the Self: Blocking Self-verifying Behavior Triggers Compensatory Self-verification

Author： Brooks Matthew Swann William Mehta Pranjal

ISSN： 1529-8868

Source： Self and Identity, Vol.10, Iss.1, 2011-01, pp. : 77-84

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Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that when people receive self-discrepant feedback from their interaction partners, they respond by engaging in compensatory self-verification. We sought to extend this work by determining if merely preventing people from behaving in a self-verifying manner would trigger compensatory self-verification. Consistent with this possibility, when deprived of the opportunity to demonstrate their assertiveness, participants who perceived themselves as assertive subsequently compensated by displaying increased assertiveness in a subsequent interaction. In addition, self-perceived unassertive participants reported negative affect when forced to act in an assertive manner. Evidence that these effects were predicted by a measure of identity but not a measure of behavioral propensity diminished the plausibility of rival accounts such as ego depletion. We conclude that compensatory self-verification emerges even when people's self-views are indirectly challenged by depriving them of the opportunity to self-verify.