Incongruence between implicit and self-attributed affiliation motives, and life satisfaction: the moderating role of pure-hearted principles

Recent research (Langan-Fox, Canty, and Sankey, 2008; Langan-Fox, Sankey, and Canty, 2009) showed that the negative effect of implicit and self-attributed achievement motive incongruence on psychological well-being can be moderated by self-directedness, self-disclosure and locus of control. The current research tested whether the relationship between affiliation motive incongruence and life satisfaction was moderated by pure-hearted principles. It was predicted that the negative effects (i.e. low life satisfaction) of motive incongruence would be reduced at higher levels of pure-heartedness. Secondary data analyses conducted on the Eugene Springfield Community Sample longitudinal dataset (N = 441) tested this hypothesis. The predicted pattern of results was found, demonstrating that, relative to individuals who were congruent in their implicit and self-attributed affiliation motives, the negative effects of motive incongruence were reduced at higher levels of pure-heartedness. Findings have implications for understanding how psychological well-being can be promoted in individuals with incongruent motive systems