Wood, J. V., Heimpel, S. A., & Michela, J. L. (2003). Savoring Versus Dampening: Self-Esteem Differences in Regulating Positive Affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(3), 566-580.

Five studies examined the hypotheses that when people experience positive affect, those low in self-esteem are especially likely to dampen that affect, whereas those high in self-esteem are especially likely to savor it. Undergraduate participants’ memories for a positive event (Study 1) and their reported reactions to a success (Study 2) supported the dampening prediction. Results also suggest that dampening was associated with worse mood the day after a success (Study 2), that positive and negative affect regulation are distinct, that self-esteem is associated with affect regulation even when Neuroticism and Extraversion are controlled (Studies 3 and 4), and that self-esteem may be especially important for certain types of positive events and positive affect regulation (Study 5).

 

 

Wood, J. V., Heimpel, S. A., & Michela, J. L. (2003). Savoring Versus Dampening: Self-Esteem Differences in Regulating Positive Affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(3), 566-580.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.3.566