| dc.description.abstract |
<p>Theories of self-regulation address the continuous process in which individuals
compare their behavior to salient goals or standards. Two well-known theories of
self-regulation, self-discrepancy theory (SDT) and regulatory focus theory (RFT),
each make distinctions regarding the types of standards and goals in reference to
which individuals self-regulate. Authenticity--the idea of being one's true self--has
the potential to influence the kinds of goals or standards that individuals come to
possess and may have implications for understanding the outcomes of self-regulatory
processes. This research links the construct of authenticity with SDT and RFT, emphasizing
how individual differences in authenticity could influence the motivational and affective
consequences of self-regulation predicted within each theory. Individual differences
in authenticity were expected to influence the nature of the goals and standards that
individuals hold, as well as the acute and chronic affective consequences of discrepancies
between the actual self and the ideal and ought self-guides respectively. Specifically,
individual differences in authenticity were expected to predict magnitude of actual:ideal
and actual:ought self-discrepancy as well as the intensity of distress that individuals
report (acutely as well as chronically) in association with self-discrepancies. More
importantly, self-discrepancies were expected to be less prevalent among individuals
high in authenticity, but more distressing among high-authenticity individuals than
among individuals with lower levels of authenticity. The results of this research
suggest that individual differences in authentic behavior do have a direct influence
on both acute and chronic affect. Authenticity was found to interact with self-discrepancies
in predicting chronic affect. Authenticity has a unique role in the process of self-regulation,
distinct from the contributions of SDT and RFT.</p>
|
|
