Title:
The Aftermath of Humblebragging: Examining the Paradoxical Effects of Humblebragging on Individual’s Job Search
The Aftermath of Humblebragging: Examining the Paradoxical Effects of Humblebragging on Individual’s Job Search
Author(s)
Lee, Min Young
Advisor(s)
Badura, Katie
Baker, Bradford
Baker, Bradford
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Abstract
Humblebragging has become a widely recognized form of self-promotion that has permeated our everyday interactions. Although research has largely deemed this ubiquitous strategy as ineffective, wherein humblebragging elicits dislike and negative emotions in observers, little is known about the emotional experience of humblebraggers or why they continue to engage in this form of erroneous impression management. Leveraging an approach-avoidance framework and appraisal theory of emotions, I focus on the aftermath of humblebragging in a job search context (which provides fertile ground for impression management) and propose that humblebragging elicits feelings of pride that enhance subsequent engagement in job search for individuals high in approach motivation. Alternatively, I propose that humblebragging engenders feelings of dirtiness that discourage subsequent engagement in job search for individuals high in avoidance motivation.
A multi-study approach was utilized to test these propositions. The results from Study 1 (scale development study) provide evidence for the validity and reliability of a 6-item humblebragging scale across four different samples (N = 1050). Study 2 (experimental study) results revealed that humblebragging did not predict feelings of pride and dirtiness. In contrast, Study 3 (a multi-wave field study of job seekers in the United States) revealed a more complex pattern of relationships than previously theorized. Humblebragging was positively related to hubristic pride and feelings of dirtiness, but negatively related to authentic pride. Approach-avoidance motivation operated in a direction contrary to hypothesized where it enhanced the negative effect on authentic pride and attenuated the positive effect on hubristic pride. Support for the proposed moderated mediation relationship on job search behaviors was not found. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.
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Date Issued
2022-07-29
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Text
Resource Subtype
Dissertation