Decisional and Behavioral Procrastination: How They Relate to Self-Discrepancies

A self-discrepancy is a gap between the perceived real self and other standards like the ideal self. One hundred and eighty-one college students completed a self-report measure of self-discrepancies and decisional and behavioral procrastination. Regression analysis showed that overall dysfunctional procrastination (the composite measure of both kinds of procrastination) significantly varied as a function of self-discrepancies. The amount of variance explained was small. Those scoring high in self-discrepancies were more likely to be dysfunctional procrastinators than those scoring low. The discrepancy between the actual-self and the ought-to self was the strongest predictor of dysfunctional procrastination. When decisional and behavioral procrastination were analyzed separately, only decisional procrastination significantly varied as a function of self-discrepancies

Construction and validation of a self-discrepancies scale of competence in nursing care

Objetivos: Diseñar y validar una escala para estudiantes de enfermería que identifica las concepciones en las competencias de cuidado y determina las discrepancias que puedan derivarse entre las experiencias actuales en la adquisición de competencias y los estándares o guías establecidos por la propia profesión. Métodos: Estudio transversal con una muestra de 349 estudiantes de primero y cuarto de Enfermería. Se elaboró una primera versión de la escala que fue depurada siguiendo criterios estadísticos y de jueces expertos. La escala definitiva contempla 24 ítems de competencias de cuidado. Resultados: Se aporta una escala con adecuadas propiedades psicométricas. Incluye dos subescalas con dos dominios independientes entre sí (Yo real, Yo debería). Discusión: Se plantea una línea de trabajo que introduce nuevos elementos para el análisis del bienestar y el éxito académico y profesional de los estudiantes de enfermería en función de la concepción real y normativa de las competencias de cuidado.Objectives: To design and to validate a scale for nursing students, that allows to identify the conceptions on nursing care competences and determine any possible discrepancies that may arise between their current experiences in the acquisition of competence and the standards or guidelines established by the own profession. Methods: Cross-sectional study with a sample of 349 first- and fourth-year students of Nursing. A first version of the scale according statistical criteria and expert judges was refined. The final 24-item scale provides nursing care competences. Results: It provides a scale with adequate psychometric properties. It includes two subscales with two domains independent from each other (actual self, ought self). Discussion: There is a line of work, which introduces a new way of analysis to determine the well-being and the academic and professional success of nursing students, based on their actual and normative conception of nursing care competences

Forspárréttmæti Sjálfsmisræmiskvarðans og tengsl sjálfsmisræmis við líðan.

Efst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinnKenning Higgins (1987) um sjálfsmisræmi (Self-Discrepancies) skýrir frá því hvernig misræmi getur myndast á milli ólíkra sjálfskema í huga fólks og valdið vanlíðan. Slíkt sjálfsmisræmi og mælingar á því er meginefni þessarar greinar. Rannsóknir benda til þess að misræmi milli raunsjálfs og óskasjálfs skýri að hluta kvilla sem eiga rætur sínar í óraunhæfum samfélagslegum viðmiðum, svo sem kaupáráttu og líkamsóánægju. Eldri mælingaraðferðir eru þó um margt gagnrýniverðar. Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar var að kanna þáttabyggingu og forspárréttmæti Sjálfsmisræmiskvarðans (Self-Discrepancy Scale) sem var hannaður til að mæta gagnrýni á eldri mælitæki og er ætlað að mæla magn og mikilvægi misræmis milli raunsjálfs og óskasjálfs. Í samræmi við kenningu Higgins og eldri rannsóknir var því spáð að kvarðinn gæti veitt forspá um tilfinningar, kvíða, streitu og lífsánægju. Spurningalistar voru lagðir fyrir þátttakendur (N = 672) á rafrænu formi. Niðurstöður sýndu að atriði mælitækisins mynda einn áreiðanlegan þátt. Tengsl voru öll í þá átt sem spáð var. Meira sjálfsmisræmi tengdist minni lífsánægju og færri jákvæðum tilfinningum. Einnig tengdist meira sjálfsmisræmi meiri kvíða og streitu og fleiri neikvæðum tilfinningum. Mælitækið mætti nýta í rannsóknum og í klínískum tilgangi. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Higgins’ (1987) theory of self-discrepancies explains how discrepancies between different self-schemas can lead to negative emotions. Such self-discrepancies and their measurement are the focus of this article. Research evidence suggests that self-discrepancies might help to explain consumer culture ills, such as bodydissatisfaction and compulsive buying. Previous methods of measuring self-discrepancies are, however, flawed. The aim of the present research is to test the predictive validity and factor structure of the Self-Discrepancy Scale, a scale designed to meet criticism of previous measurements. The scale measures the distance and importance of the discrepancy between ideal and actual self. Following Higgins’ theory and previous research we expected the Self-Discrepancy Scale to predict positive and negative emotion, stress, anxiety and life satisfaction. Participants (N = 672) completed online questionnaires. Results showed that the scale items form one reliable factor. All associations were in the predicted direction. Higher self-discrepancies were associated with lower life satisfaction and fewer positive emotions, more stress and anxiety and more negative emotions. The scale can be used for both clinical and research purposes

Self-Esteem and Locus of Causality as Vulnerability Factors for the Development of Actual/Ideal Self-Discrepancies in Late Childhood

Self-discrepancies influence psychological well-being and self-acceptance across several domains. Middle to late childhood is a critical age for the development of self-discrepancies (SD). The present study was aimed at investigating antecedents of actual/ideal self-discrepancies in 9- to 11-year-old children by adopting a repeated measure design, with two measurement occasions. At the baseline (T1), children (N=261) completed a self-esteem questionnaire, a measure of actual/ideal SDs we developed around the Five Factor Model domains, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; 4 months later (T2) a subsample (N=96) provided self-ratings again. Children's parents (N=195) referred on their own feelings towards their children along the Profile of Mood States as well as on their perceived locus of control of their children's undesirable behaviors; a subsample of parents (N=80) provided ratings again 4 months later. Principal component analyses from children's self-discrepancies at T1 yielded four domains: Intellect, Emotional Stability, Impulse Control, and Sociability. Self-rated discrepancies across time were moderately stable. Concurrently, higher SDs in Intellect were associated with lower children's self-esteem. Cross-lagged pattern analyses showed that lower self-esteem predicted increases in children's SDs, but not vice versa; in addition, change levels in SDs were correlated with change levels in self-esteem. Parents' perceived internal locus of causality of their children's undesirable behaviors also accounted for changes in children's SDs. Parents' feelings of depression accounted for increases in girls' SDs. The present findings further support the association between self-esteem and SDs, indicate the direction of association across time, and suggest possible mechanisms by which parents affect the development of the children's self-views

Relational discrepancies and emotion : The moderating roles of relationship type and relational discrepancy valence

Peer reviewedPostprin

Resisting peer pressure: Characteristics associated with other-self discrepancies in college students’ levels of alcohol consumption

Since college undergraduates tend to increase their use of alcohol to match what they perceive to be normative, the assumption has been that students who believe that others on campus drink more than they do (a common misperception) are in a vulnerable position. Taking a different perspective, we consider large other-self discrepancies in levels of alcohol consumption as indicative of a capacity to resist situational pressures that favor drinking. OLS regression was used to assess the relationship between student background characteristics, self-presentational tendencies, and a gender-specific other-self gap measure. Overall, those individuals who drank closest to what they regarded as typical for same-sex peers at their school were students high in public self-consciousness with a family history of alcohol abuse and males who exhibited a tendency toward cross-situational variability. Students not affiliated with the Greek system who consciously limited their alcohol intake to avoid negative outcomes, on the other hand, drank substantially below what they perceived to be normative for their gender, suggesting that they were the most able to resist peer pressure

Self-concept, emotions and consumer coping : smoking across Europe

Whereas much previous research focuses on the ways consumers strive to gain social approval, consumption that may result in social disapproval must be considered. In order to do so, the purpose of this paper is to explore consumers' self-concepts within a risky consumption context, namely smoking. Self-concept discrepancies and the resulting emotions and coping strategies are identified. A qualitative methodology based on 30 focus groups conducted across ten European countries is employed. Findings demonstrate self-concept discrepancies between both the actual self and ought/ideal guiding end states, as well as between the 'I' and social selves. Such discrepancies generate negative emotions and result in emotion-focused coping strategies. In addition, the accuracy of smokers' social self-concepts with reference to the actual perceptions of non-smokers is discussed. Important implications for the design of effective anti-smoking advertising are discussed, based on the findings. It is suggested that counter advertising should encourage dialogue between smokers and non-smokers and that message themes should centre on building the self-efficacy of smokers. The reason why the social context should be an integral part of consumer self-concept research is highlighted. Moreover, the importance of moving beyond merely understanding the existence of self-discrepancies, to focus on the emotions that are generated by these discrepancies and the consequent coping strategies employed to resolve them is identified. As such, the potential contributions that may arise by recognising the intersection between two bodies of literature that are often treated separately, namely, consumer coping and the self-concept, are highlighted

Images of Person-Organization Fit: Elements Affecting Employee Organizational Behavior

The purpose of the paper is to build upon the existing literature a new approach to personorganization fit, in particular, employees’ perception of the P-O fit, taking into consideration two main criteria: 1) the level of formalization as a company’s characteristics and 2) an employee’s certainty orientation as a person’s characteristics. The congruence between the situational factor (level of formalization) and personal traits (certainty orientation) influence individual organizational behavior. A two-dimension model illustrated by a four-element matrix is created by the author to present the concept and describe employees’ organizational behaviors. There are four images of P-O fit developed in the paper: 1) a kayak on a stormy ocean 2) ferries on a lake, 3) a cruise ship in a pond and 4) yacht on friendly seas