People are often motivated to enhance or protect their self-images. In what circumstances are self-image enhancement and protection especially important?

Describe three cognitive or behavioral strategies that people use for boosting and protecting their self-images.

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: Circumstances include various threats to self-esteem such as poor performance, negative interpersonal feedback, thinking about one's death, fragile or unstable self-esteem. Strategies include upward and downward social comparison, self-serving attributions, exaggerating our strengths, diminishing our weaknesses, believing we have control when it is possible, but giving up this perception when it is not possible.