Self-discrepancies, depression proneness, and current mood state : a test of Higgins'and Ogilvie's theories

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Date
1999-04-01Author
Baskerville, Shannon Lee
Type
ThesisDegree Level
DoctoralMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Higgins (1987) argued that perceived discrepancies between actual-self and ideal-self increase vulnerability to depression. Ogilvie (1987) argued that discrepancies between actual-self and undesired-self are more powerful determinants of depression. To test these claims, and to assess the effects of mood on reported discrepancies, 190 psychology undergraduates completed measures of their actual, ideal, and undesired selves, along with measures of depression (Depression Adjective Checklist and Beck Depression Inventory) and depression proneness (Depression Proneness Rating Scale). Approximately 3 weeks later, 147 of these participants were assigned to either a positive, negative, or no mood induction procedure, and again completed measures of actual, ideal, and undesired selves. Actual-ideal discrepancies were associated with current depression (' r' =.19, 'p' =.008) and with depression proneness ('r' =.28, 'p' =.001). More importantly, the relationship between actual-ideal discrepancies and depression proneness was, to some extent, independent of current mood, as measured by the DACL (partial ' r' =.19, 'p' =.008). Nevertheless, induced moods also affected the reporting of actual-ideal discrepancies, with negative mood induction increasing discrepancy scores and positive mood induction decreasing discrepancy scores ( b =.49, 'p'
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)Department
PsychologyProgram
PsychologyCommittee
Cheesman, James E. (Jim)Copyright Date
April 1999Subject
mood induction
depression
Ogilvie's undesired-self theory
Higgins' self-discrepancy theory
self-perception
E. Tory Higgins 1946-
Daniel M. Ogilvie