1. Self-discrepancies in the Social Role of Mother: Associations between Self-discrepancies and Negative Affect
Nicole J. Holmberg, Laura D. Pittman, Emily E. Stewart, Micah Ioffe
Northern Illinois University
Background
Results
Self-discrepancy theory (SDT) predicts that differences between individuals’ perceived actual selves and the way they ideally would like to be (i.e., ideal discrepancies) are associated with depression, whereas differences between their actual selves and the way they think they should be (i.e., ought discrepancies) are associated with anxiety (Higgins, 1987).
Relevant literature has largely examined self-discrepancies from a global, “self-as-person” perspective. Applying SDT to social roles may facilitate greater understanding of self-evaluation in more specific contexts, such as that of “mother.”
The social role of mother may be especially relevant, as 10% of American mothers reported experiencing major depression in the past year, and 43% of those mothers also had an anxiety disorder (Ertel, Rich-Edwards, & Koenen, 2011). Maternal depression has wide-ranging negative associations with marital relationship quality, parenting behaviors, and child outcomes (Burke, 2003). Subclinical maternal depression also has similarly negative associations with parenting behavior and child outcomes (e.g., Downy & Coyne, 1990).
Therefore, investigating whether SDT can be applied to the role of mother is a worthwhile empirical pursuit, as it may have significant clinical implications related to the development of symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Two studies were conducted to test whether self-discrepancies from the “self-as-mother” perspective predicted dejected and agitated affect. While these studies unsuccessfully attempted to manipulate accessibility to the motherhood construct (Study 1) and accessibility to specific self-discrepancies (Study 2), this poster focuses on whether self-discrepancies from the self-as-mother perspective are associated with dejected and agitated affect.
Study 2 Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analyses Predicting Dejection
from Ideal Self-Discrepancies
Descriptives and Correlations
Note. Means and standard deviations reflect values for total study sample.
* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p <.001.
Study 1 correlations are presented above the diagonal and Study 2 correlations are presented below. In Study 1, both types of discrepancies were positively correlated with both types of affect, but ideal discrepancies were more strongly associated with dejection. In Study 2, the only significant affect-discrepancy correlation was between ideal discrepancies and dejection.
Study 1 Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analyses Predicting Dejection
from Ideal Self-Discrepancies
Note. Self-discrepancy is abbreviated as SD. Romantic relationship status groups were coded as 0 = single/dating/divorced and 1= married/cohabitating.
* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001.
Participants and Procedure
Study 2 results showed that ideal discrepancies predicted dejection when controlling for ought discrepancies and agitation.
Data for both studies was collected via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, and participants were compensated $0.50.
Study 1 unsuccessfully attempted to manipulate the accessibility of the motherhood construct, and Study 2 unsuccessfully attempted to manipulate the accessibility of specific self-discrepancies (i.e., either ideal discrepancies or ought discrepancies). Details are available from the first author.
Study 1 N = 97. Participants had a mean age of years (SD = 7.88), were mostly White (77%), and married (68%). Most were college educated (58% associate’s degree or higher). The modal reported household income was $51,000-$70,000. Most participants indicated that they did not have a history (60%) of or current diagnosis (76%) of a depressive or anxiety disorder. Participants had an average of 1.84 children (SD = 1.12) with an average age of 7.95 years (SD = 5.16).
Study 2 N = 147. Participants had mean age of years (SD = 7.20), were mostly White (74%), and married (66%). Most were college educated (associate’s degree or higher, 61%). The modal reported household income was $31,000-$50,000. Most indicated that they did not have a history (68%) of or current diagnosis (79%) of a depressive or anxiety disorder. Participants had an average of 1.78 children (SD = 1.10) with an average age of 7.42 years (SD = 4.97).
Study 2 Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analyses Predicting Agitation
from Ought Self-Discrepancies
Note. Self-discrepancy is abbreviated as SD. Romantic relationship status groups were coded as 0 = single/dating/divorced and 1= married/cohabitating.
* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001.
Study 1 results showed that ideal discrepancies predicted dejection when controlling for ought discrepancies and agitation.
Study 1 Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analyses Predicting Agitation
from Ought Self-Discrepancies
Measures
Self-discrepancy measurement combined two published methods (Hardin & Lakin, 2009; Stevens et al., 2014). First, participants supplied idiographic traits that described their ideal and ought selves. They then rated the degree of consistency between their actual selves and their ideal and ought selves. The difference between their actual selves and ideal or ought selves reflected the magnitude of their self-discrepancies.
Affect was assessed by participants’ ratings of the degree to which they felt emotions related to dejection (e.g., sad, disappointed, blue, discouraged, low, happy [reverse coded], enthusiastic [reverse coded], satisfied [reverse coded]) and agitation (e.g., quiet, afraid, agitated, desperate, tense, nervous, calm [reverse coded]; Higgins et al., 1986).
Note. Self-discrepancy is abbreviated as SD. Romantic relationship status groups were coded as 0 = single/dating/divorced and 1= married/cohabitating.
* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001.
Note. Self-discrepancy is abbreviated as SD. Romantic relationship status groups were coded as 0 = single/dating/divorced and 1= married/cohabitating.
* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001.
Study 1 results showed that ought discrepancies did not predict agitation when controlling for ideal discrepancies and dejection.
Study 2 results showed that ought discrepancies did not predict agitation when controlling for ideal discrepancies and dejection.
Discussion
Analyses
Some support was found for extending SDT to the social role of mother, given that ideal discrepancies from the “self-as-mother” perspective predicted dejection in both Studies 1 and 2. This finding is robust, as the analyses controlled for the variance shared by ought discrepancies and agitation. However, SDT was not fully supported since no support for the ought discrepancy-agitation relationship was found.
Correlational results suggest that self-discrepancies relate to negative affect in general, which is shared between depression and anxiety (Watson et al., 1988), rather than to specific types of negative affect (e.g., dejection or agitation). This idea is supported by previous research that found relationships between self-discrepancies and negative emotion (e.g., Ozgul et al., 2003; Tangney et al., 1998) and may explain the partial support for SDT.
Given the impact maternal mental health has on family functioning and child outcomes (e.g., Benazon &, Coyne 2000), clinicians treating depressed mothers should consider cognitive factors that contribute to their clients’ symptoms, such as the standards against which clients measure themselves.
The current samples featured White, educated, middle class mothers, so findings may not generalize to mothers of different socioeconomic groups. Participants’ had children of varying ages, which likely resulted in heterogeneous experiences of parenting. It is unknown how this may have influenced mother’s ideal and ought self-guides and self-discrepancies.
Preliminary analyses were conducted to survey the data and identify control variables.
Hierarchical multiple regressions were run in both studies controlling for the alternate self- discrepancy and affect type.
Romantic relationship status was controlled for in Study 1 and maternal age, number of children, child age, maternal education level and romantic relationship status were controlled for in Study 2.
Please contact Nicole J. Holmberg with comments, questions, or feedback about this poster at or via the Psychology Department, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL