PSY325 Reading #6

sociometer, increase, decrease

1. What was the hypothesis of the study?

   1. The study tested _________ theory, which proposes that self-esteem monitors social acceptance and rejection. The researchers predicted that personal acceptance would _______ self-esteem and personal rejection would _______ self-esteem, compared with random inclusion or exclusion.

included, preferences, chance, esteem

1. How did the researchers test the hypothesis?

   1. Participants were either _________ in a group or excluded, and the outcome was supposedly based on either other people's ____________ or random ______. They then rated their current self-________ using scales measuring feelings such as competence, confidence, and personal value.

rejection, random, acceptance, less

1. Did the results support or refute the main hypothesis? What were the main findings?

   1. The results partially supported the hypothesis. Personal _______ significantly lowered self-esteem compared with _______ exclusion, but personal ________ did not significantly increase self-esteem compared with random inclusion. Rejected participants also rated the other group members ___ positively and showed less interest in joining the group.

strangers, meaningful, varied, genuine

1. What were the limitations of the study and how were they addressed?

   1. Study 3 involved permanent rejection by ________ whom participants would never see again, so the findings might not reflect __________ relationships. Also, participants might have changed their self-ratings to manage their image rather than because their self-esteem genuinely changed. 

   2. Study 4 used an intercom interaction with an anonymous partner and ______ who would see the ratings. Since self-esteem ratings changed regardless of the audience, this supported the idea that the changes were _______. However, Study 4 did not fully address the limitation of rejection by strangers.