Self-Discrepancy and Distress: The Role of Personal Growth Initiative

Higher levels of personal growth initiative (PGI; C. Robitschek, 1998 ) are associated with lower negative and higher positive affect (e.g., C. Robitschek & S. Kashubeck, 1999 ; C. Robitschek & C. L. M. Keyes, 2004 ). Two hypotheses that have been suggested for such findings are that (a) PGI...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of counseling psychology 2007-01, Vol.54 (1), p.86-92
Main Authors: Hardin, Erin E, Weigold, Ingrid K, Robitschek, Christine, Nixon, Ashley E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Affect
Anxiety
Biological and medical sciences
College Students
Coping Behavior
Development
Distress
Emotional disorders
Emotional States
Female
Human
Hypotheses
Hypothesis Testing
Individual Development
Initiative
Interpersonal Relationship
Male
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous
Personal development
Personal growth
Personality
Problem Solving
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Self Concept
Self-Congruence
Selfdiscrepancy
Social Anxiety
Stress Variables
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Higher levels of personal growth initiative (PGI; C. Robitschek, 1998 ) are associated with lower negative and higher positive affect (e.g., C. Robitschek & S. Kashubeck, 1999 ; C. Robitschek & C. L. M. Keyes, 2004 ). Two hypotheses that have been suggested for such findings are that (a) PGI moderates the relation between problems and affect and (b) successful resolution of potential problems mediates the relation between PGI and affect ( C. Robitschek & S. Kashubeck, 1999 ). The current research tested these two hypotheses, using self-discrepancies ( E. T. Higgins, 1987 ) as problems or sources of distress. Using a sequential design and a sample of predominantly European American college students ( N = 134), the authors found that PGI was associated with lower social anxiety and negative affect, higher positive affect, and lower self-discrepancies. No support for the first (moderation) hypothesis was found. However, there was partial support for the second (mediational) hypothesis. The results suggest that those higher in PGI experience less social anxiety in part by maintaining lower self-discrepancies.
ISSN:0022-0167
1939-2168
DOI:10.1037/0022-0167.54.1.86