IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT SELF-ESTEEM AND IRRATIONAL BELIEFS

Abstract

The relationship between irrational beliefs and explicit and implicit selfesteem was examined in two consecutive studies (N1 = 117; N2 = 102) conducted on undergraduate university students. Two robust findings were the negative correlation between explicit self-esteem and self-downing, a particular type of irrational belief and the absence of a correlation between implicit self-esteem and any type of irrational belief. These findings suggest that disputing irrational beliefs within therapeutic interventions may affect explicit cognitions only, while implicit cognitions remain unaffected.