7.5
Self-Discrepancy Theory
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that…
According to the self-discrepancy theory, people hold beliefs about what they’re really like, as well as what they would ideally like to be and what they think they should be.
These three interpretations correspond to the actual self—the self that someone thinks they are; the ideal self—the self that one wants to be; and the ought self—the self that a person feels compelled to honor, regarding duties, obligations, and demands.
Ideally, people prefer to close the gap between their actual self and their ideal or ought beliefs. If they fall short, any discrepancies may lead to different emotional and motivational consequences.
For instance, the youngest boy is really a terrible singer—his actual self—but he aspires to be a rock star—his ideal self. When his sister calls him out, he feels dejected and ashamed as a result of the divergence.
In this situation, to pursue his ideal life goals, he uses a promotion focus—an emphasis on positive approaches and outcomes. That is, he concentrates on what it will be like to succeed and optimistically signs up for vocal lessons to improve his singing.
His sister, as her actual self, loses patience with the awful noise. Nonetheless, she feels agitated and guilty because her ought-self grasps being a loving and supporting sister. With respect to her ought self, here she’s motivated to use a prevention focus—an emphasis on avoiding negative outcomes and mitigating potential problems.
Due to her mismatch and sensitivity, she would like to escape and avoid her brother when he’s practicing, so she doesn’t lose her adoration for him.
Living up to ideal and ought standards—along with the self-control that’s involved—can be mentally taxing. As a result, an individual may experience ego depletion—a state in which someone lacks the energy or resources to engage in further acts of self-control.
Fortunately, most situations do not completely drain someone’s self-regulatory resources. For example, as the father enters the room with the pile of donuts, he quickly calls to mind how important it is for him to eat healthily.
His automatic tendency—bringing the goal to mind first—diminished any thoughts about the immediate temptation, and he could achieve his long-term objective of living a wholesome life with his family.
In the end, people can be motivated to regulate their behaviors in several ways.
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Q1: What are the three types of self in self-discrepancy theory?
Self-discrepancy theory identifies three self-representations: the actual self—what someone believes they truly are; the ideal self—what they aspire to become; and the ought self—what they feel obligated to be based on duties and social demands. These three interpretations shape how people evaluate themselves and motivate their behavior.
Q2: How do discrepancies between actual and ideal selves affect emotions?
When people fall short of their ideal self, they experience negative emotions like dejection and shame. For example, a poor singer who dreams of becoming a rock star feels dejected when criticized because his actual self diverges from his ideal self. These emotional consequences motivate people to close the gap through goal-directed behavior.
Q3: What is promotion focus and how does it relate to ideal self goals?
Promotion focus is a motivational strategy emphasizing positive approaches and desired outcomes. When pursuing ideal self goals, people use promotion focus by concentrating on success and optimistically pursuing improvement. For instance, someone aspiring to be a better singer uses promotion focus by optimistically signing up for vocal lessons to achieve their ideal goal.
Q4: What is prevention focus and when do people use it?
Prevention focus emphasizes avoiding negative outcomes and mitigating potential problems, typically motivated by ought self concerns. When someone feels obligated to be a supportive sibling but struggles with their brother's noise, they use prevention focus by avoiding situations that might damage their relationship, protecting their sense of duty.
Q5: What is ego depletion and how does it relate to self-control?
Ego depletion is a state where someone lacks the mental energy or resources to engage in further self-control after exerting effort to meet ideal or ought standards. Living up to these standards is mentally taxing, so individuals may experience reduced capacity for self-regulation. However, most situations do not completely drain self-regulatory resources.
Q6: How can automatic goal reminders help overcome ego depletion?
When people automatically bring important goals to mind, they can diminish immediate temptations without depleting self-control resources. For example, someone focused on eating healthily quickly recalls this goal when facing donuts, reducing temptation thoughts and enabling long-term objective achievement without exhausting mental energy.
Q7: How does self-discrepancy theory apply to procrastination?
Procrastination often reflects a discrepancy between actual and ought selves—people fail to complete tasks they believe they should complete. This mismatch creates dissatisfaction with the self and motivates behavior change. The theory explains why procrastinators experience negative self-evaluation and the emotional consequences that drive them toward task completion.