BERKELEY -- While a healthy dose of self-esteem can absorb the shock of rejection, poor self-esteem can trigger the primal fight-or-flight response, according to a new University of California, Berkeley study.

That doesn't mean people with low self-esteem are doomed to respond defensively to criticism and rejection, according to the study, which was released this week. The report suggests rather that those who are better at controlling their impulses are less vulnerable to rejection.

"Low self-esteem is heavy baggage that plagues people with feelings of inferiority and inadequacy," said Anett Gyurak, a graduate student who co-authored the study with Ozlem Ayduk, a Berkeley assistant professor of psychology. "This study suggests that improving concentration and focusing abilities could stop this negative cycle."

For the study, 38 females and 29 males filled out a questionnaire known as the Rosenberg self-esteem scale. Next, they completed a questionnaire on their ability to focus on tasks. The participants were then organized into two groups - low self-esteem and normal-to-high self-esteem. They went on to do activities like viewing images showing positive, neutral, negative and rejection themes while being subjected to sporadic loud noises.

"Social rejection is inevitable in society," said Gyurak. "But our findings suggest that if people with low self-esteem can improve their attention control skills, they might feel less terrible about themselves and counter the negative effects of rejection."

The study, funded by a National Institutes of Mental Health grant, is published in the October issue of the journal Psychological Science.