Self-Construal as a Moderator in the Relationship between Self-Enhancement/Protection and Psychological Well-Being

The purpose of the proposed study was to investigate the relationship between self-enhancement/protection and psychological well-being and to test if these relationships differ depending on whether one has a more independent or more interdependent self-construal. Two hundred and fifty-two participants who were residents of the United States were recruited from Amazon Turk. They responded to scales that measured their self-enhancement/self-protection strategies, independent/interdependent self-construals, positive-negative affect, level of life satisfaction, and psychological distress. The study sample was predominantly White, and participants were significantly more independent than interdependent in their self-construal. Results indicate that self-enhancement was positively associated while self-protection was negatively associated with psychological well-being. Independent/interdependent self-construal did not moderate these relationships. Clinical implications of self-enhancement indicate that even though it is helpful in the short term (increased psychological and social resources), it can be detrimental in the long term. The clinical implications of self-protection suggest that people benefit from self-improvement but can have the psychological cost of not being able to form close relationships when they engage in self- protection strategies. The limitations of the study and directions for future research were discussed