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.

Keywords:

• self-discrepancy
• regulatory focus
• anxiety
• acculturation
• ethnicity
• culture

Notes

1. One participant was removed from data analyses because of scores three standard deviations away from the mean. Further examination of this participant's responses revealed an extreme responding pattern on all items, in that every item was responded to as the highest number on the page.