ABSTRACT
Most people seem to have a good sense of their own self-esteem (SE). If you were to ask your hair stylist, bus driver, neighbor, or family doctor how they feel about themselves, each could probably give you a fairly quick and straightforward response. If you then, however, asked them whether they believe they have self-feelings of which they are not aware, you would probably be greeted by a polite smile and sheer bewilderment. We suspect that most people feel so well-attuned to their own inner experiences that they would strongly doubt that they possess any nonconscious self-feelings. Psychologists, on the other hand, are more divided on this point. In this chapter, we review evidence that people possess highly efficient self-evaluations of which they may be largely unaware, and which may affect their psychological functioning in significant ways. We note, however, that controversies persist around these issues and we strive to specify areas where clear evidence is lacking.
