
Self-enhancement can manifest in several ways. A few instances include exaggerating one's positive attributes, attributing successes to personal abilities while blaming external circumstances for failures, and selectively remembering positive information about oneself while neglecting the negative.
Self-enhancement strategies encompass any intentional behaviors aimed at boosting one's self-esteem or the esteem of others. These strategies may involve striving for success or distorting events to portray oneself in a better light. Self-protection can be compared to self-enhancement in this context.
While self-improvement focuses on genuine personal growth, self-enhancement revolves around creating the perception of competence and capability, regardless of the actual reality.
Among various explanations, one of the most impactful and intriguing ones lies in individuals' motivation to feel positive about themselves and be positively perceived by others. This motive is known as self-enhancement.
The self-enhancement theory draws on various personality theories and suggests that individuals have an innate drive to perceive themselves positively and receive positive evaluations from others. The desire for positive feedback intensifies when positive evaluations are lacking.
Both self-enhancement values and self-transcendence values involve social comparison and the motivation to perceive oneself or one's group as superior to others. According to Schwartz's value theory, self-enhancement values are in contrast with self-transcendence values.
Illusory superiority bias, illusion of control, optimism bias, confirmation bias, hindsight bias, and self-serving bias collectively contribute to a mental construct known as self-enhancement bias. As the name suggests, it amplifies one's positive self-perception.
In psychology, self-enhancement can encompass various levels. These levels include observed effects, ongoing processes, personality traits, and underlying motives. These distinctions aid in organizing the abundance of relevant research.
Self-enhancement bias refers to the tendency to describe oneself in a more positive manner than what a normative standard would predict. This article examines the common-rater and common-target paradigms for assessing enhancement bias, proposing a social-normative paradigm as an alternative approach.
The four approaches—Avoid, Alter, Adapt, and Accept—provide useful strategies for managing stress. These strategies can be effectively implemented through emotional intelligence, specifically social awareness and self-awareness. Proficiently managing the four As also enhances negotiation skills, requiring practice.