SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
At the University of Texas
Self-Verification in Everyday Life
Self-verification theory holds that people are seekers of (subjective) truth and that they take their search into every aspect of their lives. Recent work on the theory has emphasized the ways in which self-verification strivings play themselves out in people's ongoing relationships. Some recent twists include:
Several studies of married couples by Bill Swann and his students have revealed the people with negative self-views are more inclined to remain in relationships with spouses who think poorly of them. Also, people with low self-esteem are more inclined to quit their job if they are receiving pay increases as compared to pay decreases. Similarly, people with low self-esteem are relatively unperturbed when they are treated unfairly in the workplace. Current efforts are focused on understand the nature and consequences of these effects, including the emotional mechanisms that cause people with negative self-views to embrace negative evaluations.