The Effects of Positive and Negative Self- Presentation on Female Self- Esteem and Relationship Choices

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The Effects of Positive and Negative Self-
Presentation on Female Self- Esteem and
Relationship Choices

• Stephanie Gunderson
• Robyn Hooker
• Hanover College

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Self-Presentation and Women

• The statements individuals make about themselves
  that reflect upon their self-concept and
  self-esteem.
• Womens self-presentation is synonymous with
  their actual self-concept when talking to other
  females and they tend to disclose more about
  themselves (Leary et al., 1994) .

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Consequences of Self-Presentation

• Also aids in forming the impressions that others
  can make about the speaker (Leary, Nezlek,
  Downs, 1994).
• Positive self-presenters expect others to like
  them, causing negative opinions (Baumeister,
  1982).

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Self-Concept as Tool for Judgment

• Children named as friends those classmates who
  performed at a lower level than they themselves
  did on activities they considered important to
  them due to comparison processes (Tesser,
  Campbell, Smith, 1984).

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Perceptions of Womens Self-Presentation

• Britton, Martz, and Bazzini (2006)
• Participants were shown fat talk dialogue and
  were asked how would a woman respond
• Self-Accepting of her body
• No information provided about body
• Self-degrading about her body

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Hypotheses

• We expect that participants will rate as more
  likeable and more likely want to be friends with
  those individuals who displayed more negative
  self- presentations rather than those who
  displayed positive self- presentation.
• We also expect that participants with high
  self-esteem will prefer a person who displayed
  positive self-presentation and those with low
  self-esteem will prefer a person who displayed
  negative self-presentation.

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Participants

• 33 female college students
• Ages 18-22
• Ethnicity Mostly Caucasian

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Procedure

• Listen and read dialogue situation between four
  women
• First woman puts herself down
• Three Responders
• Self-degrading
• Self-accepting
• No information about self-concept

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The Dialogue

• Abby Ugh, I am so fat.
• Ashley Please, do you see how unattractive I
  am?
• Emily I am so lucky to have good genes to keep
  me pretty.
• Hannah Can we please get back to studying?

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Method Questionnaires

• The Likeability Questionnaire
• To measure the perceptions that the participants
  had towards each confederates likeability in the
  study.
• How likely is it that you would be friends?
• Do you feel this person is genuine?
• Do you think this person has a number of good
  qualities?

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Method Questionnaires

• The Rosenberg Self- Esteem Scale
• On the whole, I am satisfied with myself.
• I feel that Im a person of worth.
• I wish I could have more respect for myself.

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Likeability Means
More Likeable
Less Likeable
Self- accepting
Self- degrading
Neutral
F(2,30) 8.49, p .001
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Likeability by Self-Esteem Levels
Neutral
Self- accepting
Self- degrading
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Likeability by Self-Esteem Levels
p .208
Neutral
Self- accepting
Self- degrading
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Friendship Choice
More likely
Less likely
Self-accepting
Self-degrading
Neutral
F(2,31) 27.73, p lt .001
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Friendship Choice by Self-Esteem Levels
Neutral
Self-accepting
Self-degrading
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Friendship Choice by Self-Esteem Levels
p .05
Neutral
Self-accepting
Self-degrading
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Discussion

• Hypothesis supported Participants preferred
  self- degrading over self- accepting individual.
• Neutral individual received highest likeability
  ratings.
• Preference for neutral individual could be due to
  participants not having enough information about
  her to make strong judgment.

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Discussion

• Hypothesis about participants self- esteem not
  supported.
• Marginal significance with high self- esteem and
  liking Emily (self- accepting individual).
• Comparison processes evident in friendship choice
  for Ashley (self-degrading).

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Limitations

• Small sample size
• Self-accepting woman may have been seen as
  narcissistic by participants and therefore a flaw
• Participants could be responding differently than
  they would in actual situations.
• More qualitative studies with small groups of
  friends may be beneficial.
• Homogeneity of sample All Caucasian
• Different ethnicities could give different
  responses.

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• Questions
• ?