Self-image Goals Research Articles

Perfectionism, Self-Image Goals and Compassionate Goals in Health and Mental Health: A Longitudinal Analysis.

This research focuses on ego-focused self-image goals as central to understanding the vulnerability inherent in perfectionism and the link that perfectionism has with poorer health and emotional well-being. The present study expands theory and research on perfectionism from a unique motivational perspective through a longitudinal investigation of perfectionism, the pursuit of self-image goals related to self-improvement, and mental and physical health among 187 university students. Our central finding was that trait and self-presentational perfectionism were associated longitudinally with self-image goals and poorer mental and physical health. Longitudinal analyses showed that perfectionistic self-presentation predicted subsequent self-image goals, controlling for initial self-image goals. Additionally, self-image goals were associated with worse mental and physical health and greater loneliness and social anxiety. Collectively, our results illustrate the benefits of assessing problematic personal goals in perfectionism and the need to revise existing motivational accounts by recognizing the important role ego-involved goals play in guiding much of what perfectionists do and how they act in their daily lives.

A Study on Compassionate and Self-Image Goals in relation to Academic Resilience among Undergraduate Students

The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between compassionate and self-image goals with academic resilience among undergraduate students. For this study, Compassionate and Self-Image Goals Scale developed by Crocker and Canevello (2008) and Academic Resilience Scale developed by Cassidy (2016) were used. The study was conducted with 140 undergraduate students at Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India. Participants were selected through a simple random sampling method. The correlation technique was used to analyze the data. The results revealed that more females had compassionate goals in comparison to males. The findings also revealed that students having compassionate goals were highly academically resilient. The result also highlighted that students belonging to science faculty having compassionate goals were highly academically resilient in comparison to students belonging to non-science faculty. It further revealed that students having self-image goals belonging to science and non-science faculties were not highly academically resilient.

Relationships between Interpersonal Goals and Loneliness in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Loneliness is linked to many physiological and psychological issues and disproportionately affects older adults. Interpersonal goals (compassion and self-image) are essential to interpersonal relationships; however, how they relate to loneliness in older adults is unknown. We investigated the impact of interpersonal goals on loneliness using the Ecosystem-Egosystem Theory of Social Motivation. This study, adopting a descriptive cross-sectional correlational design, used data from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study. Participants (n = 3212) included people aged >65 years (mean age: 75; female: 60.1%). We performed exploratory factor analysis with principal axis factoring and varimax rotation to examine the suitability of compassionate and self-image goals as separate factors. The complex samples general linear model was used to assess the relationship between loneliness and interpersonal goals. Interpersonal goals were significantly negatively associated with loneliness. Respondents with higher compassion and self-image goals reported lower loneliness levels. Our results contribute to understanding how interpersonal goals relate to loneliness in older adults. These initial findings warrant further investigation.

Is that Insta worthy? Predicting content sharing behavior on social media through interpersonal goals

What motivates people to share contents that promote the image of the self versus the well-being of others on social media? Two studies examined how interpersonal goals, namely self-image goals and compassionate goals, influence intentions of sharing different contents on Instagram. According to research on interpersonal goals, self-image goals motivate people to maintain and demonstrate their desirable qualities to others; compassionate goals energize people to promote the well-being of others. Based on this research, we hypothesized that self-image goals (vs. compassionate goals) would propel people to have higher intentions to share contents that are self-promoting relatively more than contents that are prosocial. A correlational study that measured participants’ chronic (i.e., stable) interpersonal goals (Study 1; n = 126) and an experiment that manipulated participants’ incidental (i.e., momentary) interpersonal goals (Study 2; n = 201) confirmed these hypotheses. These results highlight the role of motivation in content sharing on social media and shed light on psychological mechanisms that help shape the social environment on Instagram.

When do innovators flourish? The role of interpersonal goals in the relationship between innovative work behavior and flourishing

The idea that innovative work behavior (IWB) can be a source of well-being is a prominent theme in the innovation literature. However, the potential bright side of IWB for employee well-being is overlooked. Building on the egosystem-ecosystem perspective, we theorize and empirically test individual differences in two interpersonal goals, namely compassionate and self-image goals, as boundary conditions upon which IWB can positively relate to flourishing. Using cross-lagged data from 477 employees from different organizations in three countries (Brazil, Canada, and Portugal), we found that IWB had a positive relationship with flourishing only for employees with high compassionate goals and low levels of self-image goals. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and practice.

Compassionate Goals, Facebook Use, and Subjective Well-Being: Examining the Roles of Relationship Maintenance and Connectedness

Past research found that compassionate goals were associated with more responsive behaviors on Facebook, which in turn were associated with greater social capital. The current study aimed to examine whether compassionate goals were associated with greater well-being, through greater efforts to visibly attend to Facebook friends and feeling more connected to Facebook friends. We predicted that there would be an indirect effect of compassionate goals on satisfaction with life through Facebook relationship maintenance behaviors and Facebook social connectedness. Two hundred sixty-two adult Facebook users completed an online questionnaire containing measures of compassionate goals, Facebook relationship maintenance behaviors, Facebook social connectedness, satisfaction with life, and various control variables (Big Five personality traits, self-image goals, frequency and duration of Facebook use, number of Facebook friends, age, and gender). A serial mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of compassionate goals on satisfaction with life through Facebook relationship maintenance behaviors and Facebook social connectedness. Higher levels of compassionate goals predicted more Facebook relationship maintenance behaviors, more Facebook relationship maintenance behaviors predicted greater Facebook social connectedness, and greater Facebook social connectedness predicted higher satisfaction with life. The indirect effect was significant with and without controlling for other aspects of Facebook use, self-image goals, Big Five personality traits, gender, age, and recruitment method. These findings replicate and extend past research by establishing new pathways and outcomes associated with compassionate goals. Overall, this study contributes important insights into supportive and beneficial ways of using social media.

Self-image goals, compassionate goals and innovative work behavior: The role of organizational support for innovation across countries

The present study examines the relationship between interpersonal goals – i.e., self-image and compassionate goals – and innovative work behavior by taking into account the organizational context and the country as boundary conditions. By integrating self-presentation theory with cross-cultural research on innovation, we hypothesized that in high innovation-supportive organizations, employees from more collectivistic, higher power distance and higher uncertainty avoidance countries (Brazil) would be more engaged in innovative behaviors when they hold self-image goals, whereas those from more individualistic, lower power distance and lower uncertainty avoidance countries (Canada) would be more innovative when they are driven by compassionate goals. The results from moderated regression analyses on two independent samples – i.e., 291 Brazilian employees and 114 Canadian employees from different organizations – supported our predictions. We conclude that the organizational context and the country play a key, synergistic role in shaping costs and benefits of interpersonal goals for employee innovativeness.

Apology in close relationships: The role of transgression-related self-esteem and self-image goals

Little research has examined the role of the self in relation to apologies in close relationships. This study (N = 77 couples) tested how self-esteem following a relational transgression predicts apology, and whether this association is moderated by self-image goals toward partners. Results indicated that self-esteem after committing a transgression and self-image goals did not uniquely predict apology. However, self-image goals and self-esteem interacted, such that those with lower transgression-related self-esteem were more likely to apologize when they had lower self-image goals; self-esteem was unrelated to apology when self-image goals were higher. These findings suggest that there is a synergistic effect between self-esteem and self-image goals that may facilitate apology. Future research should further consider the role of multiple aspects of the self in apologies in close relationships.

Pursuing interpersonal value: An interdependence perspective.

The current research examined the interpersonal implications of pursuing goals to be valued by others as a relationship partner, termed interpersonal value goals. Across 3 experiments, a large cross-sectional study, 2 daily experience studies, and a 1-year longitudinal study with behavioral observation of conflict interactions, the pursuit of interpersonal value was associated with higher quality interactions and relationships, as suggested by multiple outcomes, including responsive and prosocial behavior, adoption of compassionate goals, confidence in being valued, more positive sentiments from interaction and relationship partners, and judgments of relationship quality. Relationship commitment predicted adoption of interpersonal value goals, which partially mediated effects of commitment on these outcomes. Effects of interpersonal value goals on responsive and prosocial behavior were especially strong when participants perceived that prosocial behavior was instrumental to obtaining interpersonal value, and when participants had relationship partners who responded favorably to prosocial behavior. New measures of pursuing interpersonal value appeared valid and reliable. These results contradict prior research on self-image goals, which suggests that trying to be seen by others in desirable ways is interpersonally destructive. The discrepancy appears to be attributable to the inclusion of items assessing perfectionism and dominance tactics in the self-image goals measure. Taken together, these findings suggest that pursuing interpersonal value usually promotes close relationships, but that some means to achieving interpersonal value, such as perfectionism and dominance, may often undermine relationship quality. Implications are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

College students’ mental illness disclosure and self-esteem: a moderating role of self-image goals

Objective: A link between the disclosure of a concealable stigma such as mental illness and enhanced psychological well-being tends to be weak and sometimes non-significant, pointing to the importance of examining potential moderators. This study aims to examine how self-image goals moderate the effect of mental illness disclosure on self-esteem. Participants and Methods: College students who self-identified as having been diagnosed with mental illness (N = 174) completed an online survey regarding their mental illness disclosure, self-image goals, and self-esteem. Results: Self-image goals and mental illness disclosure interacted to predict self-esteem such that the positive association between disclosure and self-esteem was significant only among those who had low self-image goals (i.e., not overly focused on protecting idealized self-image). Conclusions: The relationship between mental illness disclosure and self-esteem is dependent on students’ self-image goals. Goal-setting may be a promising target for future intervention programs for students living with mental illness.

Influence of self-esteem, compassionate, and self-image goals on reassurance seeking tweets

Influence of self-esteem, compassionate, and self-image goals on reassurance seeking tweets

The Role of Compassionate and Self-Image Goals in Predicting Psychological Controlling and Facilitative Parenting Styles.

People enter into parental roles with a range of different motivations for parenting. To date, however, there is limited research assessing maternal motivations, concerns, and anxieties in their parenting styles. While some mothers are confident and child focused, others have concerns with performing parenting behaviors, and can be self-focused, shame prone, and self-judgmental. Two studies explored these two dimensions in relation to degree of controlling and facilitative parenting styles in the mothers of 3–9-year-old children. In study one, 151 mothers took part in an online survey measuring these two dimensions using the compassionate goals and self-image goals scales (Crocker and Canevello, 2008), in relation to facilitative and controlling parenting styles. As predicted, after controlling for child behavior, parental mental health, and parental self-efficacy, self-focused and shame avoidant concerns were associated with greater psychologically controlling parenting. In contrast a compassionate focused orientation was associated with greater facilitative parenting. In study two, 198 mothers were randomly assigned to either compassion focused goals, self-image goals, or control condition, which was manipulated by varying the instructions provided to participants. Emotional responses (e.g., angry, sad, and shame) to difficult parenting scenarios did not differ depending on whether participants were prompted with compassionate goal, self-image goal, or control condition instructions. The findings from study 1 demonstrate how goal motivation can influence parenting style, with the results from study 2 suggesting that instruction alone is insufficient to shift goal orientation.

Interdependent = Compassionate? Compassionate and Self-Image Goals and Their Relationships With Interdependence in the United States and Japan.

The pursuit of compassionate goals, which involves focusing on and attending to other people’s needs, has often been described as a defining characteristic of an interdependent self that prioritizes harmonious relationships over individual achievement. This research investigated whether compassionate goals can be empirically distinguished from various indices of interdependence and examined their correlations with interdependence in both American and Japanese adult samples. It further differentiated two types of self-image goals—the goals to appear warm and kind vs. the goals to appear competent and in control—and explored their relationships with interdependence. In Study 1, the 18-item scale showed a clear four-factor structure that distinguished (a) compassionate goals, (b) approach-worded likable self-image goals, (c) approach-worded competent self-image goals, and (d) avoidance-worded self-image goals. Study 2 confirmed the equivalence of the four-factor structure and the equivalence of factor loadings in the United States and Japan. Finally, Study 3 showed that the items of compassionate goals and those of various measures of interdependence loaded onto separate factors with only negligible cross-loadings. Study 3 further found that the indices of interdependence reflecting connection with others showed moderately positive correlations with compassionate goals whereas indices of interdependence reflecting conformity showed moderate correlations with likable, competent, and avoidant self-image goals, indicating that the pursuit of compassionate and self-image goals reflect different aspects of interdependence.

My Time, Your Time, or Our Time? Time Perception and Its Associations with Interpersonal Goals and Life Outcomes

Time spent with others may be perceived as a limited resource that one can gain or lose or as a nonzero-sum resource that people share and co-create. Is perceiving time as a nonzero-sum resource associated with better life outcomes and how do interpersonal goals shape how one perceives time? What are the predictors of these time perceptions? A sample of 501 Japanese adults completed measures of time perception, compassionate and self-image goals, basic needs satisfaction, subjective well-being, perceived stress, time affluence, and objective time scarcity. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the newly developed time perception scale had four correlated factors: time taken, taking time, offering time, and nonzero-sum time. A structural equation modeling further showed that nonzero-sum time perception was associated with basic needs satisfaction, greater subjective well-being, and lower perceived stress. In contrast, zero-sum time perception (more specifically the perception that one is taking others’ time) was negatively associated with basic needs satisfaction and subjective well-being, and positively with perceived stress. Compassionate goals to support others were associated negatively with zero-sum time perception and positively with nonzeo-sum time perception whereas self-image goals to project a desirable image of the self were correlated with zero-sum time perception and unexpectedly, also with nonzero-sum time perception. This research points to the possibility that perceiving time as nonzero-sum resource rather than a zero-sum resource promotes happiness.

Compassionate and self-image goals as interpersonal maintenance factors in clinical depression and anxiety.

Interpersonal models of depression and anxiety have not examined the role of interpersonal goals in shaping relationships and symptoms. Striving to promote/protect desired self-images (self-image goals) may undermine relationships and increase symptoms, whereas striving to support others (compassionate goals) may be protective, but clinical relevance is unknown. We tested effects of compassionate versus self-image goals on interpersonal functioning and symptoms in clinically depressed and/or anxious participants (N=47) during 10 days of experience sampling, over a 6-week follow-up, and in a dyadic relationship. Participants reported higher conflict and symptoms on days that they most pursued self-image goals, but noted higher perceived support and lower symptoms when pursuing compassionate goals. Goals prospectively predicted symptom changes 6weeks later. Lastly, informant-rated interpersonal goals predicted relationship satisfaction of both patients and significant others. Results suggest the relevance of self-image and compassionate goals for the interpersonal maintenance of depression and anxiety.

Viral videos and virtue: Moral elevation inductions shift affect and interpersonal goals in daily life

Laboratory studies suggest that witnessing virtuous acts triggers moral elevation, an emotion characterized by feeling uplifted and increased prosocial motives. However, it remains unknown whether regular inductions can increase elevation and prosocial motives in daily life without being vulnerable to habituation or adaptation effects. Participants (total N = 181) were randomly assigned to elevating vs. neutral or amusing inductions (video or recall tasks) for seven days (Study 1), ten days (Study 2), or 12 days over one month (Study 3). Multilevel growth models showed that relative to comparison conditions, elevation inductions increased daily elevation, positive affect, and prosocial outcomes (compassionate goals and affiliation), and decreased self-protective motives (self-image goals). Adaptation effects occurred for immediate responses when exercises occurred daily, but not when spaced out over time, and not for outcomes measured later each day. Results suggest benefits of brief, regular elevation experiences and have implications for interventions targeting specific emotions.

Relating to Self and Other: Mindfulness Predicts Compassionate and Self-Image Relationship Goals

In three studies, we tested the hypothesis that mindfulness is associated with and predicts the relationship goals to be compassionate and to bolster one’s self-image. In the first two studies, both cross-sectional, mindfulness was associated with higher compassionate goals and lower self-image goals. Study 3 replicated these findings both before and after a 2-week daily diary exercise. In addition, mindfulness at pretest predicted change in compassionate and self-image goals over the course of the study. Aggregating across studies, controlling for negative affectivity, mindfulness, and several of its facets were uniquely associated with compassionate goals. Mindfulness and non-judging of experience were each uniquely associated with lower self-image goals. These findings suggest that how people relate to their own experiences—namely, the extent to which they attend to present-moment experiences without judgment—is associated with their intentions toward others.

The Quiet Ego: Motives for Self-Other Balance and Growth in Relation to Well-Being

The quiet ego is a way of construing the self that transcends egotism, not by neglecting the self but rather by facilitating a balance of concerns for the self and others as well as by facilitating the growth of the self and others. This study examines whether the Quiet Ego Scale (QES—Wayment et al. in J Happiness Stud 16:999–1033, 2015) correlates significantly with measures that specifically reflect balance and growth in terms of value orientations and motivation, and whether these values and motives can help explain the relation between QES and well-being. We randomly split our sample of 1117 college students into five groups (Ns ranged from 213 to 231) and examined the correlations between QES and measures of values and motives (Ego and Ecosystem Goals—Crocker and Canevello in J Personal Soc Psychol 98:1009–1024, 2008; Growth Motivation Index (GMI)—Bauer et al. in J Happiness Stud 16:185–210, 2015; Universal Values—Schwartz et al. in J Personal Soc Psychol 103:663–668, 2012). As predicted, QES was strongly related to compassionate goal motives, experiential and reflection GMI subscales, and weakly and negatively related to self-image goals. QES was most strongly and consistently correlated with values of universalism, benevolence, and self-direction that reflecting a balance of self- and other-concern. QES was positively (but somewhat inconsistently) correlated with stimulation, achievement, power, security, and tradition, and with hedonism, albeit weakly. QES was unrelated to conformity. A regression analysis found growth and balance motives significantly accounted for much of the shared variance between QES and well-being. Our results underscore the centrality of growth and balance values to the quiet ego construct.

No thanks! Autonomous interpersonal style is associated with less experience and valuing of gratitude

ABSTRACTGratitude has been promoted as a beneficial emotional experience. However, gratitude is not universally experienced as positive. The current work examines whether an autonomous interpersonal style is associated with differential experience of gratitude. Study 1 found an inverse relationship between trait autonomy and both trait gratitude and positivity of response to receiving a hypothetical benefit from a friend. Study 2 replicated the finding that those higher in autonomy report less trait gratitude, and also demonstrated an inverse relationship between autonomy and valuing gratitude. Study 3 found that those higher in autonomy had more self-image goals and reduced compassionate goals in relationships, and that valuing gratitude mediated the relationship between autonomy and relationship goals. These results show a consistent inverse relationship between autonomy and the experience and valuing of gratitude, suggesting that degree of autonomy is one determinant of whether gratitude is experienced as positive.

Shifts in Attitudes, Knowledge, and Social Goals in Nursing Students Following Structured Contact With Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Traditional nursing pedagogies have not systematically addressed the ageist perspectives students bring into training that threaten competent care for older adults. The current study evaluated nursing students' shifts in attitudes, knowledge about aging, and social goals during a program of repeated and structured social interactions with community-dwelling older adults. Beginning nursing students in pairs met with high-functioning older adults four times over 8 months to provide brief health promotion activities. Students' knowledge and attitudes on aging were assessed at baseline and prior to each visit; social goals were assessed after each visit. Multilevel growth curves revealed increases in students' knowledge about aging and positive views on caring for older adults. Motivation to help older adults (i.e., compassionate goals) did not change, but students' motivation to defend their competence (i.e., self-image goals) declined. A relational contact-based program may shift knowledge, attitudes, and social goals in nursing students, complementing traditional classroom nursing education. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(10):569-573.].