RESEARCH_FILE
Joanne V. Wood
University of Waterloo
Known for:Research on self-esteem, social comparison, and the effects of positive self-statements — including the landmark 2009 finding that positive self-statements help high-self-esteem individuals but hurt those with low self-esteem
Key findings
- 2009
With W.Q.E. Perunovic and John Lee, Wood ran controlled experiments showing that positive self-statements ('I am a loveable person') reliably improved mood and state self-esteem for high-self-esteem participants, and reliably lowered mood and state self-esteem for low-self-esteem participants compared to controls. Positive Self-Statements: Power for Some, Peril for Others ↗
Research areas
Related old scripts
If he's doing better, I'm falling behind: why a friend's progress can feel like a lossWhen You're Measuring Yourself Against an Imagined VersionThe 'Should Have Been' Thought: Why Prestige Paths Feel Like the Only Real ChoiceThey'd Be Hurt If I Was Honest: Why honesty can feel dangerousThe paper trail will look worse for me than for him: testing that fear