Confluence of self-esteem regulation mechanisms: On integrating the self-zoo

The current literature describes a number of mechanisms by which self-estee m is affected and regulated. Using exemplars from three different families of such mechanisms-cognitive consistency, social comparison, and value expr ession-the three studies reported here (in addition to others in the litera ture) indicate that these qualitatively different mechanisms are not indepe ndent of one another: The evidence is interpreted as showing the unitary na ture of self-esteem regulation and that individuals tend to be satisficers rather than maximizers regarding self-esteem.