Although self-concept is traditionally viewed as being fairly stable over time and situations, a more recent position takes note of the variability or inconsistency characteristic of certain aspects of the self-concept. To determine whether spontaneous self-esteem (SSE) increases when a valued aspect of self is made salient, college students completed a questionnaire dealing with level of satisfaction with personal physical attractiveness and academic progress. From these responses, subjects were divided into two groups. Students in the High Academic group (N=13) had positive feelings about their academic progress, but negative feelings about their physical attractiveness. Students in the High Attractive group (N=8) had positive feelings about their physical attractiveness, but negative feelings about their academic progress. In later sessions, the SSE of both groups was assessed in situations that made either physical attractiveness or academics salient. The High Academic group had greater SSE in the academic than the attractiveness situation, whereas the High Attractive group tended to have greater SSE in the attractiveness rather than the academic situation. (Author/NRB)