title: Self-esteem revisited: performance on the implicit relational assessment procedure as a measure of self- versus ideal self-related cognitions in dysphoria.
abstract: Although depression is characterised by low self-esteem as measured by questionnaires, research using implicit measures of self-esteem has failed to reveal the expected differences between depressed and non-depressed individuals. In this study, we used an implicit measure which enables the differentiation of ideal self- and actual self-esteem, through the introduction of propositions: "I am" versus "I want to be". We measured implicit relational associations about actual and ideal self in low (N=27) versus high dysphoric (N=29) undergraduates. Our data revealed that dysphoric individuals have a higher ideal self-esteem, and lower actual self-esteem in comparison to healthy participants. The results underscore the need to go beyond simple associations and suggest that the use of individual-specific propositions could enhance our understanding of the implicit measurement of self-esteem. Furthermore, these results underscore the importance of actual versus ideal self-discrepancy theories, which might guide the content of therapeutic interventions.
authors: a Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology , Ghent University , Ghent , Belgium.
authors: Jonathan
authors: J
authors: Remue
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: De Houwer
authors: Dermot
authors: D
authors: Barnes-Holmes
authors: Marie-Anne
authors: MA
authors: Vanderhasselt
authors: Rudi
authors: R
authors: De Raedt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept