Organization of Self-Knowledge: Implications for Recovery from Sad Mood

In compartmentalized self-organization, positive and negative self-beliefs are separated into distinct categories (i.e., self-aspects), so that each self-aspect contains primarily positive or primarily negative beliefs. In evaluatively integrative organization, self-aspect categories contain a mixture of positive and negative beliefs. Positive-compartmentalized individuals recovered easily from a sad mood when they could reflect on personally important, pure positive self-aspects. When situational factors maintained the activation of pure negative self-aspects, compartmentalization seemed to perpetuate the negative mood. These studies suggest that people with a positive-compartmentalized self (who usually report high self-esteem and positive mood) have a hidden vulnerability to intense negative states. The advantages of an evaluatively integrated self may require having the opportunity to reflect on (and integrate) positive and negative beliefs about the self.