Responding to major threats to self-esteem: a preliminary, narrative study of ego-shock

The present research examined individuals' responses to major self-esteem threat. It was predicted that following a major threat to self-esteem individuals would experience ego-shock - a temporary "freezing" of consciousness and emotional numbness. Fifty-two participants wrote a narrative describing a situation where they received a major threat to their self-esteem and a situation where they received a minor threat to their self-esteem. They then answered questions regarding the experience of ego-shock following the event described in each narrative. Ego-shock was reported following major self-esteem threats to a greater degree than following minor self-esteem threats. Additional analyses revealed that ego-shock is an immediate and automatic process. The long-term effects of major self-esteem threats to the individual are discussed