Self-Esteem Research, Theory, and Practice Toward a Positive ...

126 SELF-ESTEEM RESEARCH, THEORY, AND PRACTICEIn addition, what is commonly called trait self-esteem—a person’s typicalor chronic level of self-esteem—is also relevant to the workings ofthe sociometer and interpersonal self-regulation. If we think of thesociometer as a meter or gauge that assesses relational value, trait selfesteemmay be conceptualized as the resting position of the sociometerin the absence of incoming interpersonal feedback. (Leary, 2004a,p. 381)This aspect of Sociometer Theory is also used to account for typesand degrees of self-esteem and differences in behavior associated withthem. For example, people for whom the “resting point” of the gauge ishigh because of their developmental history are able to afford a widerange of behavior before the gauge will reach the danger zone. Such individualsmay be reasonably confident, fairly spontaneous, relatively open,and able to take risks more freely than others, all of which are advantageousand often associated with high self-esteem. People whose needle isalready set to a lower point to begin with, however, must be more cautiouslest it fall farther. In this case, they would tend to monitor social situationsmore critically, hold back on initiative, or be more anxious thantheir counterparts who are higher on the sociometer.In addition, the metaphor of a gauge allows Sociometer Theory toaccount for various self-esteem problems in this way. For example, Leary(2004a) noted that one common type of “miscalibration” occurs whenthe sociometer is set too low. In this case, the individual is likely to beoverly sensitive, seek out negative social cues, brood about them longerthan necessary, and perhaps even become depressed. Conversely, the restingpoint of the sociometer can also be too high, which means that peoplemay act as though they have more social value than they actually do.Here, the person is likely to run afoul of social mores or damage relationshipsbefore they take notice of what is happening. Still other metersmay be hypersensitive, which could result in frequent wide swings frommedium to low and back or from one end of the scale to the other.If hypersensitivity is possible, then so is hyposensitivity. People withhyposensitive sociometers, which is to say sociometers that are “stuck,”as Leary described it, do not experience much in the way of fluctuationsand are not likely to see the need to change behavior quickly. It is evenpossible to think of several personality disorders in terms of having defectivesociometers, such as the schizoid or anti-social types. The metaphorof a gauge can also be applied to normal interpersonal situations andhuman relationships, such as a sexual one. In this case, mutual attractioncan be seen as moving the needle to higher regions of self-esteem, therebypromoting social risk taking; or the interaction may move the pointerdown, such as after an argument, thereby encouraging the developmentof better communication skills in the future.