Date of Award

2025-05-01

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Psychology

Advisor(s)

Craig A. Field

Abstract

Research indicates that individuals who consume alcohol beyond recommended guidelines are at-risk for harmful health outcomes. Moreover, alcohol is often used as a coping strategy to alleviate negative emotions that stem from self-discrepancies, potentially reinforcing maladaptive drinking behavior and exacerbating alcohol-related problems. Although various motivational theories related to the self-concept have independently contributed to our understanding of drinking behavior, no framework has synthesized these perspectives. Grounded in self-discrepancy theory, self-determination theory, and self-actualization, the present study introduces Authentic Self-Actualization as a comprehensive theoretical framework to examine how motivational aspects of the self-concept influence well-being and alcohol-related outcomes. A total of 421 (69.6% Non-Hispanic White; 53.7% Males; Mean Age = 39.28, SD = 11.32) adult at-risk drinkers were recruited through Prolific to complete an online survey. Participants responded to measures assessing self-discrepancies (ideal-actual, ought-actual) and values importance (both intrinsic and extrinsic), as well as negative emotions (depression, anxiety), well-being (basic psychological need satisfaction, meaning in life), alcohol-related outcomes (alcohol use, related problems), and sociodemographic variables. Structural equation modeling was used to test direct, indirect, moderated, and moderated mediation effects across four models. Results largely supported the hypotheses, such that ideal-actual discrepancies were associated with greater depressive symptoms, while ought-actual discrepancies were linked to elevated anxiety symptoms. Moreover, values importance amplified these relationships, as larger discrepancies involving more personally important values elicited stronger negative emotions. In turn, symptoms of depression were associated with lower well-being and increased alcohol-related outcomes. However, symptoms of anxiety were unexpectedly associated with slightly improved well-being, and was not linked to alcohol-related outcomes. Lastly, highly important intrinsic ideal-actual discrepancies were associated with lower well-being and greater alcohol-related outcomes to a greater extent compared to highly important extrinsic ought-actual discrepancies. These results underscore the importance of considering the magnitude of self-discrepancies and the motivational nature of the values they represent, especially highly important and intrinsically oriented values. Failing to meet personally significant aspirations appears to undermine well-being and foster maladaptive drinking to a greater extent compared to not fulfilling external obligations. These findings point to the potential psychological toll of neglecting ones deeply held values, highlighting the intensified distress that arises from failing to realize one's authentic self. By integrating self-discrepancy, self-determination, and self-actualization, the Authentic Self-Actualization framework offers a robust lens through which to understand and address negative emotions, well-being, and alcohol-related outcomes among adult at-risk drinkers. Future studies should refine these measures to increase reliability, and use both experimental and longitudinal designs to examine the causal and temporal nature of these relationships.

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

128 p.

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Rebeca Fierro Perez-Martinez

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