A number of social psychology theories have been proposed to explain how people maintain and adjust self-conceptions. Which theory explains the following situation? Someone with low self-esteem seeks out or encourages negative feedback.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The self-verification theory posits that people are motivated to confirm self-conceptions whether they are negative or positive and will filter feedback accordingly. So someone who is depressed will ignore positive feedback and focus on negative feedback that seems to confirm their distorted self-perceptions.

A Number of Social Psychology Theories Have Been Proposed to Explain