Consistency and self‐enhancement: Coexistent or mutually exclusive?

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Abstract
It is suggested that neither the need for self‐consistency nor the need for self‐enhancement operates alone within an individual and that both may mediate a subject's reaction to an evaluation. In order to test this hypothesis, low, medium and high self‐esteem subjects were given either positive, neutral or negative feedback. Evidence for both needs was found, the dominant one varying according to which aspect of the subject's reaction to the feedback was being assessed. This supports the coexistence hypothesis, with low self‐esteem subjects attempting to partially satisfy both needs rather than to sacrifice entirely satisfaction of either one.

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