ASSOCIATIVE AND COMPETITIVE INDIRECT SELF-ENHANCEMENT IN CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS MODERATED BY TRAIT SELF-ESTEEM

Subjects wrote (free-format) descriptions of themselves and of their r omantic partners. Self-esteem and publicness moderated these descripti ons. In addition to a tendency of high self-esteem subjects to avoid s elf-derogatory statements more than low self-esteem subjects, qualitat ive differences in favourable self-presentation were observed While hi gh self-esteem subjects emphasized their abilities (self-promotion), l ow self-esteem subjects focused instead on their social qualities and described themselves as altruistic (exemplification). Both groups desc ribed their partners positively and used indirect self-enhancement. Ho wever, the specific strategies of self-enhancement differed between th e groups, such that high self-esteem subjects emphasized their superio r abilities compared to their partners while low self-esteem subjects enhanced their self-worth by associating with a partner whom they desc ribed more positively than themselves.