自我彰顯或自我超越：不同自我價值肯定策略對整合過往經驗之影響

Abstract

個體如何看待自己過往重大的生命經驗，並且與自我身分認同適切地整合，不僅提供自我認同上的連貫性，也在諸多複雜層面上影響人們的幸福感。然而面對不同的生命經驗時，通常正向的過往經驗較易被人們接納，但要去面對負向的重大生命經驗則往往令人感到威脅，因此要如何降低過往負向經驗對自我認同的防衛反應、進而達到整合的目標，對個體而言是重要的課題。過去自我肯定理論文獻指出透過肯定對個體而言重要的價值觀，可有效降低對自我產生威脅之訊息的防衛反應；此外，近年來的自我肯定理論將價值觀區分為強調聚焦於自我之自我彰顯價值與強調弱化自我之自我超越價值，但至於這兩種價值觀如何驅動自我歷程，進而緩衝面對過往自我認同之威脅，在文獻中仍缺乏著墨。本研究將148位受試者隨機分派到自我彰顯與自我超越的的兩種價值肯定操弄實驗組與控制組，讓受試者回憶並書寫過往正向與負向重大事件，探討透過不同策略之自我價值肯定歷程操弄如何影響個體面對過往正向、負向身分認同的整合程度。研究發現經由自我彰顯價值觀操弄，相較於自我超越與控制組，在正向與負向重大過往事件中的自我身分認同整合程度差異最大。此外，且此兩種策略可呼應到關愛目標、自我形象目標的人際互動動機，可進一步探討個體本身的人際目標透過不同策略價值觀操弄後如何影響後續的過往事件整合。透過自我超越價值觀的操弄後，低關愛目標特質者在負向事件中也可達到較好的過往事件特質整合。以上結果顯示，在整合過往正、負向事件中，若能採取自我超越的自我歷程，較能有較佳的整合結果。

Is redefining meaningful value helpful when people struggle with painful past experience? Positive memories are easy to accept, but negative life experiences are more difficult to integrate; integrating positive and negative past identities is important for lasting well-being. According to self-affirmation theory, writing important values buffers people from threatening self-relevant material by affirming self-integrity and restoring positive self-images, which facilitates people integrate past identities. However, we argue whether the buffering effect of value-affirmation can reduces defensiveness to negative past experiences depends on what types of value is affirmed. We hypothesized that affirming self-transcendent values (ex. compassion) leads people to better integration of positive and negative past identities than self-enhancement values (ex. power).148 participants recruited in the study were randomly assigned to different value-affirmation groups (self-transcendent, self-enhancement, and control group), and reported their past significant life events (positive and negative) past identities integration, which included two concepts: past event integration and past characteristic integration. The results showed that after affirming self-enhancement value, participants were more likely to defense negative past life event and embrace positive life event than other groups. In particular, the effect showed on past characteristics integration. In addition, the two different value-affirmation strategies had moderating effect on the relationship between compassionate goal and past negative event characteristic integration.