Discrepancies Between Implicit and Explicit Self‐Esteem: Implications for Narcissism and Self‐Esteem Instability

Abstract

There appear to be two forms of high self‐esteem: secure high self‐esteem (which is often linked with psychological health) and fragile high self‐esteem (which is generally associated with poor psychological adjustment and impaired interpersonal relationships). Discrepant high self‐esteem is a form of fragile self‐esteem characterized by high explicit self‐esteem and low implicit self‐esteem. The present study examined whether discrepant high self‐esteem was associated with narcissism and self‐esteem instability in an undergraduate sample. Using multiple measures of implicit self‐esteem, two basic findings emerged from the present study. First, participants with discrepant high self‐esteem possessed the highest levels of narcissism. Second, participants with high explicit self‐esteem and high implicit self‐esteem displayed the most stable self‐esteem. Findings are discussed in terms of secure and fragile high self‐esteem.