Understanding the relationship between actual:ideal discrepancies and depressive symptoms: A developmental examination

Autor: Laura D. Pittman, M. Christine Lovejoy, Erin N. Stevens
Rok vydání: 2014
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Adolescence. 37:612-621
ISSN: 1095-9254
0140-1971
DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.04.013
Popis: Self-discrepancy theory (SDT) is one framework for understanding how goal failure is associated with depressive symptoms. The present studies sought to examine the variance in depressive symptoms explained by actual:ideal discrepancies, beyond what is accounted for by actual-self ratings. Additionally, gender and grade were examined as potential moderators in the relationship. In Study 1 ( N = 228), discrepancies accounted for additional variance in the level of depressive symptoms beyond what was explained by actual-self ratings in a college sample. In Study 2 ( N = 192), while similar global patterns were found, gender and grade differences emerged. For boys, the relationship between actual:ideal discrepancies and depressive symptoms was due to actual-self ratings. For girls, a developmental pattern suggested that actual:ideal discrepancies become more important to the prediction of depressive symptoms among older girls. Implications for the emergence of the discrepancy–depression association are discussed.
Databáze: OpenAIRE