Participants scoring high in narcissism maintained high self-esteem in the face of negative feedback, but nonetheless experienced heightened anxiety. Three projects investigated the antecedents and consequences of the need to belong. The reults showed that, as expected, participants with low self-esteem preferred a worthless to a worthwhile group, but that this preference was not mediated by the perception that worthless groups are less rejecting. This experiment investigated the moderating effects of people's need to belong on the interpersonal tactics they use to avoid social rejection. A Need to Belong Scale was constructed to assess individual differences in the motivation to be included by others.
People differ in the degree to which they enjoy doing things by themselves.
This study examined factors that predict people's participation in and enjoyment of solitary activities. The data showed that people differ greatly in their need for solitude, and that this need is predicted by a variety of factors. Although nearly everyone seeks social approval, people differ in the routes they favor. Some people seek approval through accomplishments, some through their physical appearance, others through athletics, and so on. Given that others' impressions of them have important implications for how they are perceived and treated, people are understandably interested in conveying impressions that help them to achieve their social goals.