Testing Sociometer Theory

From the perspective of evolution theory and symbols interaction theory, sociometer theory had explained the nature and function of self-esteem, and has important clinical practical significance. However, it is not enough about the system of self-esteem, there is research background westernized and type of social feedback simplify and so on. in allusion to the shortcomings , author gives full consideration to the type of social feedback and explore social feedback on individuals with different self-esteem for social decision-making processes in the Eastern cultural backgrounds.This study conducted three experiments. Experiment 1 compares the importance of social interaction of internal trait and external trait. Experiment 2 examines the relationship of social trait and self-esteem through explicit and implicit self-report method. Experiment 3 explore social feedback on individuals with different self-esteem for attention bias an emotive face, self-evaluation and social behavioral intention to study individual social decision-making process through improved the type of social feedback . The results showed that:First, social importance of internal trait was higher than external trait in the context of Eastern culture.Second, in explicit self-evaluation, the high-external, internal quality group's self-esteem scores were significantly higher than those with low external and internal quality, whereas in implicit measurements, the high-external, internal quality group's self-esteem scores and low external, internal quality group's self-esteem scores was no significant difference.Third, Self-esteem regulated social feedback to individual three cognitive processes of social decision-making as a moderator: From acceptance to rejection, high self-esteem's recognition reaction time shortened to happy emotional face, while the pair's angry recognition reaction time did not change significantly. Low self-esteem's recognition reaction time has changed long to happy emotions and angry face. High self-esteem's self-evaluation scores have changed low with from accept to rejection, however the scores hasn't change significantly by from external trait feedback to internal trait feedback. Low self-esteem's self-evaluation scores have changed low by from accept to rejection, and external trait feedback to internal trait feedback. High self-esteem's social behavior intention has changed from high to low by from accept to rejection, but it ha has changed from low to high from external trait feedback to internal trait feedback. Social behavior intention of those with low self-esteem has slow down as from accept to rejection, but it hasn't change significantly by from external trait feedback to internal trait feedback.