University:
Arizona State University
Course:
PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology
Academic year:

2024
Views:

436

Pages:

1
Author:

Xavier Vigil

Xavier Vigil Dr. Mae PSY101 16 April 2025 SONA Research Summary 4: “Self-Discrepancies in Clinically Anxious and Depressed University Students” This study by Lane Scott and Michael W. O’Hara builds on self-discrepancy theory, a concept developed by Higgins (1987), which proposes that emotional distress is linked to inconsistencies between how individuals view themselves(actual self) and their self-guides—specifically, who they ideally want to be(ideal self) and who they believe they ought to be(ought self). Previous research has shown that people with depression tend to have larger actual:ideal discrepancies, while those with anxiety exhibit more actual:ought discrepancies. However, earlier studies primarily used non-clinical populations or focused on narrow diagnoses like social phobia. Scott and O’Hara sought to test whether these patterns held in a more diverse, clinically diagnosed student population. The researchers hypothesized three things: (1) clinically depressed and/or anxious students would have higher overall self-discrepancy scores than students without disorders, (2) depressed students would show higher actual:ideal-own discrepancies, and (3) anxious students would show higher actual:ought-other discrepancies. To test these predictions, they recruited 977 undergraduates from an introductory psychology course at the University of Iowa. Based on screening tools and structured interviews, 80 students were divided into four groups: (1) depressed only (n = 18), (2) anxious only (n = 12), (3) both depressed and anxious (n = 10), and (4) normal controls (n = 40). Each participant completed the Selves Questionnaire, listing traits describing their actual self, ideal self, and what they believed their parents thought they ought to be. Discrepancy scores were calculated by comparing matches and mismatches across domains. Findings supported most of the researchers’ hypotheses. Depressed students showed significantly higher actual:ideal discrepancies than nondepressed ones. Anxious students also had higher actual:ought discrepancies than non-anxious students, although these results were less consistent, especially in post hoc comparisons. Interestingly, participants with both anxiety and depression scored highest on overall self-discrepancy. While the Selves Questionnaire showed strong interrater reliability, its test-retest reliability was weaker than expected, especially for the actual:ought dimension. This raised concerns about the stability of that specific measure. What stood out to me was the attempt to expand the theory’s relevance beyond just social phobia and apply it to a more diverse range of disorders. However, the small sample sizes in each group likely reduced the power to detect differences, especially among anxious subtypes. Still, the study provides meaningful support for the idea that internal conflicts between different self-standards can contribute to emotional distress in clinical populations.