ABSTRACT
Although most people enjoy and benefit from praise, people with negative self-views may not. In particular, when people with negative self-views receive unexpected praise, they worry that they have been misperceived and may even come to question the veracity of their self-views. To avoid such concerns, they may seek verification of their firmly held negative self-views. Self-verification strivings are adaptive when negative self-views are appropriate (e.g., a mathematically challenged person who perceives himself or herself as such). Nevertheless, when negative self-views are inaccurate (e.g., a talented, likable man whose unhappy history causes him to regard himself as worthless), self-verification strivings can cause people to eschew praise that could be beneficial. Self-verification strivings are particularly problematic for people with low self-esteem and depression, as their negative self-views can be wholly or partially unwarranted. We discuss ways of addressing these difficulties through the development of strategies for enabling people with low self-esteem to cope with praise.
