title: Anxiety, self-discrepancy, and regulatory focus theory: acculturation matters.
abstract: Previous research has found that Asians (vs. Caucasians) exhibit higher levels of ought and undesired self-discrepancies and prevention focus, all of which have been linked with anxiety. We examined these ethnic differences in the context of acculturation. Participants (N=155) completed two sessions scheduled a week apart. In Session 1, participants completed a computer task to measure self-discrepancy and prevention focus. In Session 2, participants' ought self-discrepancies and closeness to an undesired self were primed. Moderation analyses indicated that Asian participants who were highly assimilated to an Asian culture exhibited higher levels of a prevention focus. Acculturation also had significant moderation effects for affect when self-discrepancies were primed. Our results suggest that interventions based on these systems (i.e., self-system therapy) should consider acculturation when treating diverse individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63130, USA. Cherialevinson@wustl.edu
authors.forename: Cheri A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Levinson
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Rodebaugh
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D001007:Anxiety / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult