Type of self-discrepancy and relationships to components of the tripartite model of emotional distress

Based on Higgins’ Self-Discrepancy Theory, two types of discrepancies (i.e., actual/own: ideal/own: AI and actual/own: ought/other: AOO) were examined for their specificity in relating with either anxious or depressive mood. The study assessed whether the predicted relationships between the AI discrepancy and dejection-related emotions and the AOO discrepancy and agitation-related emotions would extend to Clark and Watson’s tripartite model of anxious and depressed mood, a measure of clinical symptoms of depression, and to a measure of dispositional shyness. Results showed that the AI discrepancy was consistently related with the hypothesized tripartite components of depressive affect and with symptoms of clinical depression. In sharp contrast the AOO discrepancy was unrelated to tripartite components of anxious affect and with shyness. Additional findings, issues, and implications for the self-discrepancy theory are discussed.