Self-Enhancement Styles Sorting Out Conflicting Evidence on the Effects of Self-Enhancing

Two distinct styles of self-enhancement were proposed, an Offensive Self-Enhancement Style which consisted of people exaggerating their abilities, putting themselves above others and being sensitive to failures, and a Defensive Self-Enhancement Style which consisted of acknowledgment of abilities in response to successes while buffering against failure. It was proposed that Offensive Self- Enhancement would be detrimental to happiness while Defensive Self-Enhancement would promote happiness. To test the theory, participants performed a word-arranging task and then were given either positive or negative false feedback. Participants\u27 self-ratings of their ability at the task were analyzed and compared with various measures of happiness to determine whether the proposed self-enhancement styles exist. Results failed to support the existence of self-enhancement styles. Results were found to support a theory that accurate self-assessment acts to improve self-enhancement through motivated selection of behaviors and experiences