The Undesired Self and Emotional Experience: A Latent Variable Analysis

Abstract

Many self-theories presume that discrepancies between the self and goals for the self influence emotional experience. The present research compared how discrepancies from ideal selves, ought selves, and undesired selves predict negative emotions. In particular, the research tested Ogilvie's (1987) claim that the undesired self has stronger effects on well-being relative to ideal and ought selves. A total of 231 participants completed several measures of self-discrepancies and negative emotions. Consistent with Ogilvie's hypothesis, discrepancies from the undesired self significantly predicted negative emotions, whereas discrepancies from the ideal and ought selves did not. No type of discrepancy, however, predicted negative affect when global self-esteem was entered as a predictor, indicating a lack of incremental validity for self-discrepancies.