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Measuring self-discrepancies on the Big Five personality traits with the repertory grid

McDaniel, B. L., Grice, J. W

Keywords:
Big Five traits, personality, self-discrepancies, repertory grid.

Abstract:
The current paper describes a repertory grid approach for measuring trait-based self-discrepancies. This novel method is strictly empirical and more parsimonious than extant methods for assessing self-discrepancies on personality dimensions. We demonstrated this approach by measuring discrepancies between the actual, ideal, and ought selves on the Big Five personality traits and then assessing their relationships with measures of depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. The results indicated that self-discrepancies on the Big Five personality traits were generally not predictive of psychological well-being. These findings were discussed in the context of previous research and contemporary models that relate self-discrepancies to different emotional states.