This thesis focuses on the development of negative body image and disordered eating in adolescence. More specifically, on the role of sociocultural influences in individual vulnerability to experiencing negative body image and using disordered eating behaviours.

The problem is to determine if there are discrepancies between self-ideal concept which come about through changes in position with respect to group standing, and to what problems specifically that change is related to.

This study hypothesized a relationship between self-acceptance and acceptance by others. The hypothesis was that patients chosen frequently by other persons on a friendship criterion would have lower self-ideal, self-discrepancy scores than patients chosen infrequently by other persons on a friendship criterion. The study also hypothesized that depressed patients would have higher discrepancy scores than either the psychopathic or situational stress groups.

<p>Higgins' regulatory focus theory (1997) postulates two cognitive/motivational systems for pursuing desired end states: the promotion and prevention systems. The theory predicts that failure in each system is discriminantly associated with dysphoric and anxious affect respectively; and that significant failure in these systems creates vulnerability to depression and anxiety. This study tested these hypotheses among adolescents who took part in the longitudinal Wisconsin Study of Families and Work. We found partial support for the theory's predictions. Specifically, the original adult Selves Questionnaire (SQ), which was administered at age 13, did not demonstrate the expected discriminant associations with dysphoric and anxious affect and symptoms. However, the Selves Questionnaire - Adolescent Version, which was administered at age 15, yielded partial support for the theory. Ideal self-discrepancy was discriminantly associated with depressive affect but ought self-discrepancy was not discriminantly associated with anxious affect. However, feared self-discrepancy was discriminantly associated with anxious affect, which adds to the literature suggesting that feared self-discrepancy might be a better construct to use in measuring prevention failure among adolescents. The association between self-discrepancy and affect was found cross-sectionally but not longitudinally. The study also tested recently formulated predictions of regulatory focus theory which state that significant failure in one regulatory system is likely to negatively impact the other system (Klenk, Strauman, & Higgins, 2011). No support for this prediction was found. Implications of the findings, and aspects of the study that may have reduced our ability to test the hypotheses of interest, are discussed.</p> / Dissertation

国立情報学研究所で電子化したコンテンツを使用している。

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Objective: This study aimed to test predictions made by the self-memory system (SMS) model (Conway & Pleydell-Pearce, 2000), extensions of Williams et al.’s (2007) “capture and rumination” (CaR) mechanism (Debeer, Hermans, & Raes, 2009) and control theories of rumination (Martin & Tesser, 1996, 2006) in a non-clinical sample to further understand the processes underlying overgeneral memory (OGM). It was hypothesised that (i) ruminating on unresolved goals, compared to thinking about resolved goals, would increase OGM, in participants reporting high levels of trait brooding and (ii) that this effect would be greater following goal-cues that are derived from goal cues rated as (a) more important compared to those rated as less important; (b) more progress-discrepant compared to those rated as less progress-discrepant; (c) more relevant to unresolved goals compared to those that are rated as less relevant to unresolved goals. Method: A between-subjects factor of condition (resolved versus unresolved goal-focus induction) and a within-subjects factor of time (pre- and post-manipulation Minimal Instruction Autobiographical Memory Test [MI-AMT; Debeer et al., 2009]) design was utilised with 75 undergraduate and three masters psychology students (86.3 % female [n = 65]; age, M = 20.2 years, range = 18-43, SD = 4.9) from the University of Exeter. The MI-AMT was used to measure autobiographical memory (AM) specificity before and following a manipulation whereby participants were randomly assigned to either a control condition in which participants focussed on a resolved goal or an experimental condition which was designed to induce rumination about an unresolved (i.e., self-discrepant) goal. MI-AMT cues were adjectives relating to nomothetic goal-statements. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression analyses found neither an overall effect of condition nor an interaction between condition and brooding on AM specificity. Thus, induced rumination over unresolved goals did not lead to higher levels of OGM than induced focus on resolved goals amongst individuals high in trait brooding. Multilevel hierarchical regression found that the extent to which people high on brooding were less specific in the unresolved condition did not depend on the importance or progress-discrepancy ratings of the goal-statements from which the MI-AMT cues were developed, nor on the relevance of the goal-cues to the concern identified in the goal cueing task. Goal-cue relevance ratings showed a significant main effect on AM specificity qualified by an interaction with condition whereby participants reported decreasingly specific AMs in response to cues related to the concern after the resolved goal manipulation. Conclusion: These null findings suggest that rumination over unresolved goals may not increase OGM amongst non-clinical samples. A replication of this study should utilise state rumination checks to ensure that the goal cueing task successfully differentially induced state rumination between conditions. Further exploration of the role of reflection might elucidate which qualities of rumination are positively associated with OGM but not present in rumination about unresolved goals. Given that Williams et al.’s CaR mechanism was constructed to understand OGM in clinical depression, a replication of this study using a clinical sample may be a useful next step in testing predictions made by this theory.

Denna studie undersökte hur centralisering av personaladministrationen påverkat tidsåtgång, arbetsuppgifter, roller och självbild hos chefer på Vägverket. Studien genomfördes med utgångspunkt i teorier om organisationsförändring, roller och självbild. Undersökningsdeltagare var sju stycken chefer på Vägverket Väst samt Vägverket Sydöst. Av dessa chefer var tre stycken sektionschefer och fyra stycken var chefer på högre nivå, exempelvis enhetschefer. Data samlades in genom kvalitativa intervjuer. Resultatet visade att chefernas uppfattning om yrkesrollen och deras självbild inte stämde överens med de arbetsuppgifter som organisationsförändringen medfört. Forskning har visat att information i samband med förändringar är mycket viktigt och den har enligt cheferna varit otillräcklig. Med hjälp av tidigare teorier om organisationsförändring, självbild och roller har vi kunnat skapa oss förståelse för förändringsprocessen i Vägverket.

The purpose of the study is to investigate how older adults adjust to getting older and the losses that come with aging. This study examines how E.T. Higgins's theory of self-discrepancy mediates the relationship between role loss and subjective well-being. Subjective well-being (SWB) is defined as overall life satisfaction, the presence of positive affect and the absence of negative affect. This hypothesis, grounded in both self-discrepancy and life span developmental theory, is that the level of discrepancy between the actual and ideal self mediates the relationship between role losses and mental health. This study examined three models with each investigating how self-discrepancy mediates the relationship between role loss and a different outcome variable for each model: positive affect, negative affect, and satisfaction with life. The sample consisted of adults over the age of 60 living in both community and institutional settings. Several path analyses models were run to examine the tenability of the hypotheses within the three models. This study did not support any of its hypotheses of the indirect and direct effects mediation models with the outcome variables of positive affect, negative affect and satisfaction with life scale. However, it did show support for the self-discrepancy theory. Consistent with the theory, this study showed that those reporting more self-discrepancy reported less satisfaction with life, less positive affect, and more negative affect. This study also showed levels of SWB in non-clinical samples of older adults. This study supported the idea that more self-discrepancy is related to lower levels of SWB. This is important in a clinical setting to know for treatment of older adults suggesting that clinicians help their clients work towards less self-discrepancy and in turn, greater SWB.

Limited research has been conducted to examine traditional female Mexican American gender role beliefs and its impact on depression. In order to address the research questions, this dissertation developed two manuscripts. The first manuscript is a literature review that examines research concerning depression, Mexican American female gender role beliefs, and Self-Discrepancy theory. The second manuscript is a quantitative study that investigates the impact gender role beliefs and partner status has on depression in Mexican American women. Furthermore, the second manuscript suggests variables that contribute to depression in Mexican American women and recommendations for clinicians. The aim of the second manuscript is to examine the literature concerning depression in Mexican American women and the ways in which traditional gender role beliefs and self-discrepancies may impact Mexican American women's mental health. This dissertation begins by examining the literature concerning depression in Mexican American women. It then explores Mexican American women's gender role socialization, including a review of the values that are taught through this process. This study then provides an in depth inspection of the ideal of marianismo, which guides traditional Mexican American women's gender role beliefs. Next it progresses to discuss Self-Discrepancy theory and possible mental health outcomes. Examples of possible self-discrepancies related to traditional Mexican American women's gender role beliefs are provided to illustrate how depression may occur when self-discrepancies are present. Finally, it provides recommendations for clinicians who work with depressed Mexican American women. The second manuscript examines the impact of traditional gender role beliefs and partner status on depression in a sample of 325 Mexican American women. It is hypothesized that an interaction effect between partner status and gender role beliefs will be found, whereas Mexican American women who are unpartnered and have traditional gender role beliefs will experience a greater amount of depression, due to the presence of a discrepancy. Contrarily, results from the analysis of variance (ANOVA) found no interaction between partner status and gender role beliefs on depression. The manuscript provides possible explanations for such findings. In addition, results from a hierarchical regression indicate that level of education and the family pillar aspect of marianismo significantly impact depression in Mexican American women.