Effect of state self-esteem on self-enhancement

Self-enhancement is the tendency to view one's self in overly positive terms. People engage in self-enhancement as a way to maintain their level of self-esteem. Trait self-esteem refers to an individuals overall general level of self-worth, while state self-esteem refers to short-lived fluctuations in emotional states. Generally people with high trait self-esteem self-enhance more than people with low trait self-esteem, especially after receiving negative feedback. The level of state self-esteem was manipulated by feedback. Participants were assigned to one of three groups in which they received negative, average, or positive feedback. The level of state self-esteem and the level of self-enhancement were measured before and after the feedback manipulations. State self-esteem did not have an effect on the level of self-enchancement. A significant positive correlation was found between the level of trait self-esteem and the level of state self-esteem.