Aspirations, Social Obligations and Psychological Stress

这项研究将有助于阐明社会角色和心理困扰之间的关系。该研究扩展了身份差异理论，该理论预测抑郁和焦虑的差异是由于个人认为别人如何看待他们（自我相关的感知），他们对特定身份的渴望（愿望）和他们对特定身份的感觉（义务）之间的差异。研究人员假设，自我相关认知和愿望之间的差异与抑郁有关，而自我相关认知和义务之间的差异与焦虑有关。本研究利用1000名成年人的全国代表性样本，改进和测试了更好地区分身份附带的愿望和义务的身份措施，在五种不同身份的背景下检查愿望、义务和福祉之间的关系，并通过检查自尊影响身份差异与心理健康之间关系的程度来扩大身份差异理论的范围。更广泛的影响这项研究有可能帮助学者更好地理解压力对心理健康结果的原因和后果。这些结果可能有助于增加我们对日常生活中成功或不成功的社会角色如何导致心理健康问题的认识。在这样做的过程中，这些发现将拓宽我们对压力和心理健康之间关系的理论理解，也可能对心理健康人群的临床研究和实践产生影响。最后，本研究将提供指导本科生和研究生的机会。学生将参与项目的每个阶段，获得宝贵的研究经验。

SES-1024342Kristen MarcussenRichard SerpeKent State UniversityThis research will help to clarify the relationship between social roles and psychological distress. The study extends identity-discrepancy theory, which differentially predicts depression and anxiety as a result of discrepancies between how individuals believe they are viewed by others (self-relevant perceptions), how they desire to be in a given identity (aspirations) and how they feel they should be with respect to a given identity (obligations). The investigators hypothesize that discrepancies between self-relevant perceptions and aspirations will be associated with depression, whereas discrepancies between self-relevant perceptions and obligations will be associated with anxiety. Using a nationally representative sample of 1000 adults, this research refines and tests measures of identity that better differentiate aspirations and obligations attached to identities, examines the relationship between aspirations, obligations and well-being within the context of five distinct identities, and broadens the scope of identity-discrepancy theory by examining the extent to which self-esteem influences the relationship between identity discrepancies and psychological well-being.Broader ImpactsThis research has the potential to help scholars better understand the causes and consequences of stress on mental health outcomes. The results may help increase our knowledge of how mental health problems result from the successful or unsuccessful enactment of social roles in everyday life. In doing so, the findings will broaden our theoretical understanding of the relationship between stress and psychological well-being, and may also have implications for clinical research and practice in mental health populations. Finally, the study will provide opportunities for mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. Students will be involved in each phase of the project, gaining valuable research experience.