The Interactive Effect of Individual Differences in Goal Strength and Self-Discrepancies: Examining Negative Affective Outcomes

Self-discrepancy theory postulates that negative affective states (e.g., depression and anxiety) may be a consequence of discrepancies between individuals' goals and their self-perceptions. One theoretical construct that has been hypothesized to influence the magnitude of the association betwee...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of social and clinical psychology 2015-02, Vol.34 (2), p.161-180
Main Authors: Stevens, Erin N, Bardeen, Joseph R, Pittman, Laura D, Lovejoy, M Christine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anxiety
Conceptualization
Depression
Mental depression
Objectives
Organizational goals
Self image
Social influence
Social psychology
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Summary:Self-discrepancy theory postulates that negative affective states (e.g., depression and anxiety) may be a consequence of discrepancies between individuals' goals and their self-perceptions. One theoretical construct that has been hypothesized to influence the magnitude of the association between self-discrepancies and negative affect is goal strength, or how cognitively accessible individuals' goals are. The current study employed a computerized lexical decision task to measure goal strength. We hypothesized that goal strength would moderate the discrepancy-negative affect association, even after controlling for general mental processing speed. Over the course of two assessment sessions, participants (N = 162) completed self-report measures assessing self-discrepancies, depression, and anxiety symptoms, and were administered a lexical decision task which assessed the strength, or accessibility, of their self-identified goals. Consistent with hypotheses, results suggest that goal strength is a moderator of the discrepancy-depression relationship, above and beyond what can be accounted for by general reaction times and mental processing speed. The implications of these results for the conceptualization of self-discrepancies and the emergence of depressive symptoms are discussed.
ISSN:0736-7236
1943-2771
DOI:10.1521/jscp.2015.34.2.161