(PS2-A14) The Mental Health Costs of Discrepancies Between Ideal and Actual Emotions

Emotions are central to mental health and well-being. An emerging area of research suggests that people’s attitudes and beliefs about emotions influence how they experience emotions. In particular, a person’s ideal emotional state (i.e., the emotions they want to feel) is linked to emotions they actually feel. Large discrepancies between ideal and actual emotions can create psychological distress.

As a result, people are motivated to reduce these affect discrepancies, and the ways in which they attempt to do so may be driven by the behavioral activation (BIS) and inhibition (BIS) systems. People with high BAS tend to pursue behaviors that increase positive affect (PA), whereas people with high BIS tend to pursue behaviors that increase negative affect (NA). Given these tendencies, these motivational systems may have an impact on the relationship between affect discrepancies and mental health outcomes.

In this study, we examined whether participants’ ideal affect predicted their actual affect, and whether a discrepancy between the two was associated with social anxiety and depression symptoms. We also assessed whether the relationship between affect discrepancy and symptoms varied as a function of BIS and BAS. Participants were 361 adults (Mage = 43.1 years) who completed a survey assessing social anxiety and depression symptoms, ideal and actual PA and NA, and BIS/BAS. Linear regression models were used to analyze the data.

On average, participants reported experiencing less PA and more NA than they desired. Participants’ ideal affect positively predicted their actual affective experiences (PA: b = .45, t = 7.34, p < .001; NA: b = .50, t = 8.27, p < .001). Participants with higher affect discrepancies reported higher social anxiety (PA: b = 7.51, t = 7.40, p < .01; NA: b = 13.03, t = 11.06, p</span> < .001) and depression symptoms (PA: b = 2.30, t = 7.53, p < .001; NA: b = 4.71, t = 11.96, p < .001) than those with lower discrepancy. The relationship between PA discrepancy and depression symptoms varied as a function of BIS, such that the relationship was weaker for participants with higher than lower BIS (b = –1.14, t = –2.64, p < .01). BAS did not moderate the relationship between affect discrepancy and social anxiety or depression.

Our findings suggest that discrepancies between ideal and actual emotions play a role in the experience of social anxiety and depression, perhaps because they serve as a reminder that one is not living in accordance with their desires or values. People with higher BIS may be less influenced by PA discrepancies because their motivational focus is more so on avoiding negativity (e.g., threat, failure) than obtaining rewards. Future research can explore how intersections between affect discrepancies and motivational systems exacerbate or protect against mental health symptoms over time. For example, while elevated BIS may lower social anxiety and depression in the short term, repeated avoidance of behaviors that cultivate wellbeing may have an impact in the long term. Efforts to improve wellbeing should involve considerations of ideal and experienced affect, as both may have significant consequences on mental health.