Misanthropic person memory when the need to self-enhance is absent

This research examined the role that the removal of the need or ability to self-enhance can play in the misanthropic processing of attributed behavior al information (i.e., remembering best negative, internally attributed beha viors and positive externally attributed behaviors). Experiment I demonstra ted that removing a person ts need to self-enhance by increasing his or sel f-esteem eliminated misanthropic memory, whereas misanthropy was preserved for control participants and perceivers who had experienced a decrease in s elf-esteem. Furthermore, controling for participants' self-evaluations elim inated the memory pattern differences between the two experimental conditio ns. Experiment 2 demonstrated that canceling the ability to self-enhance by having perceivers form. an impression of themselves eliminated the misanth ropy effect. However the misanthropy effect was replicated when perceivers learned about an unknown other The results were discussed with regard to th e situations and factors that can increase or reduce the need to self-enhan ce and their implications for social information processing.