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

The association between body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, body mass index and thin-ideal internalization

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/Open Allur texti - Full textA huge emphasis is placed on the female thin-ideal in contemporary society, especially in popular media. Research evidence shows that internalization of the thin-ideal increases risk for body dissatisfaction and dietary restraint. The aim of the present questionnaire study (N = 303) was to (a) examine the extent of body dissatisfaction and dietary restraint among Icelandic female college students and (b) examine simultaneously the associations between body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, BMI, and thin-ideal internalization, using a structural equation model. More than half of the participants were dissatisfied with their body and restricted their food intake. The conceptual model that was tested received support. Internalization of the thin-ideal was positively associated with dietary restraint, regardless of participants BMI. Furthermore, when the effects of body dissatisfaction and internalization on dietary restraint were controlled for, a previously significant association between BMI and dietary restraint was reduced to non-significance.Mikil áhersla er lögð á ofurgrannan vöxt kvenna í fjölmiðlum. Erlendar rannsóknir sýna að konur sem innfæra gildi fjölmiðla um grannt vaxtarlag eru líklegar til að upplifa óánægju með líkamsvöxt sinn og takmarka fæðuinntöku sína. Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar var að (a) athuga umfang fæðutakmörkunar og óánægju með líkamsvöxt hjá kvenkyns framhaldsskólanemum og (b) skoða samtímis tengsl líkamsþyngdarstuðuls, innfæringar á gildum um grannt vaxtarlag, óánægju með líkamsvöxt og fæðutakmörkunar með formgerðarlíkani. Spurningalisti var lagður fyrir 303 kvenkyns framhaldsskólanema í kennslustund. Niðurstöður sýndu að meirihluti stúlknanna var óánægður með líkamsvöxt sinn og takmarkaði fæðuinntöku sína. Formgerðarlíkan sýndi að líkamsþyngdarstuðull og innfæring á gildum um grannt vaxtarlag veittu sterka forspá um óánægju með líkamsvöxt. Óánægja með líkamsvöxt og innfæring á gildum veittu jafnframt sterka forspá um fæðutakmörkun, en fæðutakmörkun var óháð líkamsþyngd þátttakenda. Niðurstöðurnar benda til þess að innfæring á gildum fjölmiðla um ofurgrannt vaxtarlag sé áhyggjuefni

Individual and culture-level components of survey response styles: a multi-level analysis using cultural models of selfhood

Variations in acquiescence and extremity pose substantial threats to the validity of cross-cultural research that relies on survey methods. Individual and cultural correlates of response styles when using two contrasting types of response mode were investigated, drawing on data from 55 cultural groups across 33 nations. Using seven dimensions of self-other relatedness that have often been confounded within the broader distinction between independence and interdependence, our analysis yields more specific understandings of both individual- and culture-level variations in response style. When using a Likert scale response format, acquiescence is strongest among individuals seeing themselves as similar to others, and where cultural models of selfhood favour harmony, similarity with others and receptiveness to influence. However, when using Schwartz’s (2007) portrait-comparison response procedure, acquiescence is strongest among individuals seeing themselves as self-reliant but also connected to others, and where cultural models of selfhood favour self-reliance and self-consistency. Extreme responding varies less between the two types of response modes, and is most prevalent among individuals seeing themselves as self-reliant, and in cultures favouring self-reliance. Since both types of response mode elicit distinctive styles of response, it remains important to estimate and control for style effects to ensure valid comparisons

On the relation between social dominance orientation and environmentalism: A 25-nation study

International audienc

Beyond the ‘East-West’ dichotomy: global variation in cultural models of selfhood

Markus and Kitayama’s (1991) theory of independent and interdependent self-construals had a major influence on social, personality, and developmental psychology by highlighting the role of culture in psychological processes. However, research has relied excessively on contrasts between North American and East Asian samples, and commonly used self-report measures of independence and interdependence frequently fail to show predicted cultural differences. We revisited the conceptualization and measurement of independent and interdependent self-construals in 2 large-scale multinational surveys, using improved methods for cross-cultural research. We developed (Study 1: N = 2924 students in 16 nations) and validated across cultures (Study 2: N = 7279 adults from 55 cultural groups in 33 nations) a new 7-dimensional model of self-reported ways of being independent or interdependent. Patterns of global variation support some of Markus and Kitayama’s predictions, but a simple contrast between independence and interdependence does not adequately capture the diverse models of selfhood that prevail in different world regions. Cultural groups emphasize different ways of being both independent and interdependent, depending on individualism-collectivism, national socioeconomic development, and religious heritage. Our 7-dimensional model will allow future researchers to test more accurately the implications of cultural models of selfhood for psychological processes in diverse ecocultural contexts

Family first: Evidence of consistency and variation in the value of family versus personal happiness across 49 different cultures

People care about their own well-being, but also about the well-being of their families. It is currently however unknown how much people tend to value their own and their family’s well-being. A recent study documented that people value family happiness over personal happiness across four cultures. In this study, we sought to replicate this finding across a larger sample size (N = 12,819) and a greater number of countries (N = 49), We found that the strength of the idealization of family over personal happiness preference was small (average Cohen’s ds = .20 with country levels varying from -.02 to almost .48), but ubiquitous, i.e., direction presented in 98% of the studied countries, 73-75% with statistical significance and .40 and .30). Importantly, we did not find strong support for traditional theories in cross-cultural psychology that associate collectivism with greater prioritization of the family versus the individual; country level individualism-collectivism was not associated with variation in the idealization of family versus individual happiness. Our findings indicate that no matter how much various populists abuse the argument of “protecting family life” to disrupt emancipation, family happiness seems to be a pan-culturally phenomenon. Family well-being is a key ingredient of social fabric across the world, and should be acknowledged by psychology and well-being researchers, and by progressive movements too

Personal life satisfaction as a measure of societal happiness is an individualistic presumption: Evidence from fifty countries

Numerous studies document that societal happiness is correlated with individualism, but the nature of this phenomenon remains understudied. In the current paper, we address this gap and test the reasoning that individualism correlates with societal happiness because the most common measure of societal happiness (i.e., country-level aggregates of personal life satisfaction) is individualism-themed. With the data collected from 13,009 participants across fifty countries, we compare associations of four types of happiness (out of which three are more collectivism-themed than personal life satisfaction) with two different measures of individualism. We replicated previous findings by demonstrating that societal happiness measured as country-level aggregate of personal life satisfaction is correlated with individualism. Importantly though, we also found that the country-level aggregates of the collectivism-themed measures of happiness do not tend to be significantly correlated with individualism. Implications for happiness studies and for policy makers are signaled

Introduction to a culturally sensitive measure of well-being: Combining life satisfaction and interdependent happiness across 49 different cultures

How can one conclude that well-being is higher in country A than country B, when wellbeing is being measured according to the way people in country A think about wellbeing? We address this issue by proposing a new culturally sensitive method to comparing societal levels of well-being. We support our reasoning with data on life satisfaction and interdependent happiness focusing on individual and family, collected mostly from students, across forty-nine countries. We demonstrate that the relative idealization of the two types of wellbeing varies across cultural contexts and are associated with culturally different models of selfhood. Furthermore, we show that rankings of societal well-being based on life satisfaction tend to underestimate the contribution from interdependent happiness. We introduce a new culturally sensitive method for calculating societal well-being, and examine its construct validity by testing for associations with the experience of emotions and with individualism-collectivism. This new culturally sensitive approach represents a slight, yet important improvement in measuring well-being

Societal emotional environments and cross-cultural differences in life satisfaction: A forty-nine country study.

In this paper, we introduce the concept of ‘societal emotional environment’: the emotional climate of a society (operationalized as the degree to which positive and negative emotions are expressed in a society). Using data collected from 12,888 participants across 49 countries, we show how societal emotional environments vary across countries and cultural clusters, and we consider the potential importance of these differences for well-being. Multilevel analyses supported a ‘double-edged sword’ model of negative emotion expression, where expression of negative emotions predicted higher life satisfaction for the expresser but lower life satisfaction for society. In contrast, partial support was found for higher societal life satisfaction in positive societal emotional environments. Our study highlights the potential utility and importance of distinguishing between positive and negative emotion expression, and adopting both individual and societal perspectives in well-being research. Individual pathways to happiness may not necessarily promote the happiness of others

The relationship of materialism to debt and financial well-being: the case of Iceland’s perceived prosperity

In Iceland, levels of debt had risen to an unprecedented extreme in the years prior to the country’s economic collapse in October 2008. This rise occurred in the context of a consumer culture highlighting supposed psychological benefits of consumer goods. This paper reports findings from two studies, conducted during an economic boom in Iceland, examining the association of materialism and indicators of financial well-being: amount of debt, financial worries, spending tendency, money-management skills and compulsive buying. Study 11 (N = 271) showed that people who endorse materialistic values have more financial worries, worse money-management skills and greater tendency towards compulsive buying and spending. Study 2 (N = 191) replicates the findings of Study 1 and further shows that amount of debt, including mortgage, can be directly linked to materialism, controlling for income and money-management skills. The research contributes to the psychology of materialism and overspending and provides an evidence-based foundation for designing interventions encouraging individuals to improve their financial well-being