Psychological Development and Education ›› 2021, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (4): 568-575.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2021.04.13

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The Fusion of Small-ego and Large-ego: The Positive Implications of Syncretic Self-esteem

WANG Yinan, LIU Jia   

  1. Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875
  • Published:2021-07-26

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Abstract: Identity modulation theory suggests that self-esteem is a function of finding harmony between the two competing values of uniqueness and similarity. We refer to the form of self-esteem that is built on balance between uniqueness and similarity as syncretic self-esteem. As a "just-right" expression of self-esteem, syncretic self-esteem is proposed to facilitate individuals' intrapersonal, interpersonal, and collective well-being. The results of two studies support our hypothesis:(1) Syncretic self-esteem was positively correlated with adolescents' subjective well-being, and it can boost the positive effects of parents' syncretic self-esteem on adolescents' subjective well-being; (2) Syncretic self-esteem predicted university freshmen's basic needs satisfaction through collective self-esteem and personal self-esteem in a longitudinal study. Overall, the present research on syncretic self-esteem has important theoretical and practical implications for understanding self-esteem among Chinese individuals and finding ways to promote their well-being.

Key words: identity modulation theory, syncretic self-esteem, zhongyong, large-ego, small-ego

CLC Number: 

  • B844
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