Self-discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect

This article presents atheory of how different types of discrepancies between self-state representa-tions are related to different kinds of emotional vulnerabilities. One domain of the self (actual; ideal; ought) and one standpoint on the self (own; significant other) constitute each type of self-state representation. It is proposed that different ypes of self-discrepancies r present different types of negative psychological situations that are associated with different kinds of discomfort. Discrepan-cies between the actual/own self-state (i.e., the self-concept) and ideal self-states (i.e., representations of an individual's beliefs about his or her own or a sitmifieant o her's hopes, wishes, or aspirations for the individual) signify the absence of positive outcomes, which is associated with dejection-related emotions (e.g., disappointment, dissatisfaction, sadness). In contrast, discrepancies between the ac-tual/own self-state and ought self-states (i.e., representations f an individual's beliefs about his or her own or a significant other's beliefs about he individual's duties, responsibilities, orobligations) signify the presence of negative outcomes, which is associated with agitation-related emotions (e.g., fear, threat, restlessness). Differences in both the relative magnitude and the accessibility ofindividu-als ' available types of self-discrepancies are predicted to be related to differences in the kinds of discomfort people are likely to experience. Correlational nd experimental evidence supports the predictions ofthe model. Differences between self-discrepancy theory and (a) other theories of in-compatible s lf-beliefs and (b) actual self negativity (e.g., low self-esteem) are discussed. The notion that people who hold conflicting or incompatible beliefs are likely to experience discomfort has had a long history in psychology. In social psychology, for example, various early theories proposed a relation between discomfort and specific kinds of"inconsistency " among a person's beliefs (e.g., Abelso