Escape from an unclear self: Escapism mediates the association that self-concept clarity has with psychological distress

Abstract

We investigated whether the associations that self-concept clarity had with indicators of psychological distress were mediated by the forms of escapism referred to as self-suppression (engaging in activities in an effort to avoid unpleasant mental processes) and self-expansion (engaging in activities in order to experience growth). The indirect associations that self-concept clarity had with psychological distress through self-suppression and self-expansion were examined in college students (Study 1; N = 270), Cosplayers (Study 2; N = 45), and Furries (Study 3; N = 191). Across these three studies, self-concept clarity had very large associations with psychological distress and negative associations with self-suppression that ranged from small to large in magnitude. Further, engaging in activities for the purpose of self-suppression mediated the associations that self-concept clarity had with various indicators of psychological distress with the most consistent associations emerging for depression. In contrast, self-concept clarity did not have consistent associations with the motivation to engage in activities for the purpose of self-expansion nor did self-expansion consistently mediate the associations that self-concept clarity had with the indicators of psychological distress. These findings indicate that engaging in activities for the purpose of self-suppression may play an important role in the link between low self-concept clarity and psychological distress.