Self-awareness and the emotional consequences of self-discrepancies.

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Paul Silvia, Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: Several self theories explore the effects of discrepant self-beliefs on motivation and emotion. This research intersected two self theories: self-discrepancy theory and objective self-awareness theory. Self-discrepancy theory predicts that ideal and ought discrepancies cause different negative emotions; objective self-awareness theory predicts that high self-awareness will strengthen the relationship between self-discrepancies and emotions. People (N = 112) completed measures of self-discrepancies and emotions (dejection, agitation, positive affect, and negative affect). Self- focused attention was manipulated with a large mirror. When self-awareness was low, self-discrepancies had weak, nonsignificant relations to emotion. When self-awareness was high, however, self-discrepancies strongly predicted emotional experience. These effects were general—ideal and ought discrepancies affected emotions because of their substantial shared variance, not their unique variance. Implications for theories of self- discrepancies and emotions are considered.

Additional Information

Publication
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 703-713
Language: English
Date: 2005
Keywords
Self-awareness, Self-concept, Self-focused attention, Emotions, Self-discrepancy, Motivation

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