Effect of Trait-Self-esteem on Smooth Social Interactions during Repeated Settoku Nattoku Games

Abstract

The “Settoku Nattoku Game” (SNG; Sugiura, 2003) was used to investigate differential approaches to interacting with others selected by people with high (HSE) and low self-esteem (LSE). University freshmen (n=22) participated in the SNG game twice. The dependent variables, chosen according to the requirements of the game included, (1) the number of close and non-close interaction partners selected by the persuader, (2) negotiation time when selecting partners for interaction, and (3) the ratio of repeatedly selecting the identical interaction partners. Results indicated that LSE people, in comparison to HSE people, tended to more often (1’) select close others as interaction partners, (2’) spend more time in negotiations, and (3’) repeatedly select the identical people as interaction partners. On the basis of these results, we have concluded that HSE and LSE people may take different approaches when interacting with others. We have also discussed the methodological efficacy of SNG.