The Relationship Between Self/Value Discrepancies and Anxiety: The Mediation Effect of Depressogenic Attributional Style

This study examined the mediator role of depressogenic attributional style in the relationship between self/value discrepancies and anxiety. A measurement study was conducted among 160 participants using the Selves Questionnaire, the Adapted Portrait Values Questionnaire, the Depressive Attributions Questionnaire, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results from the polynomial regression with response surface analysis and the structural equation modelling analysis showed that depressogenic attributional style played a mediation effect from both actual-ideal discrepancy and actual-ought discrepancy to anxiety. It suggested that the conflicting beliefs about oneself affected depressogenic attributional style, which in turn affected the level of anxiety. However, contrary to our expectations, there was no significant relation among value discrepancies, depressogenic attributional style, and anxiety. By applying polynomial regression with response surface analysis, this study not only reveals the underlying mechanism linking self-discrepancies and anxiety, but also has theoretical and clinical contributions to the area of individual differences and psychological distress.