Implicit theories and the experience of self-discrepancies :

Two studies examined the role of implicit theories of personality on the relation between actual-ideal self-discrepancies and self-esteem. Replicating previous work, we found that those with greater actual-ideal self-discrepancies reported lower self-esteem. Moreover, we hypothesized that this outcome would be especially stronger for those possessing an entity theory of personality (i.e., believing that personality is relatively fixed and unchangeable) than those possessing an incremental theory of personality (i.e., believing that personality is relatively flexible and malleable). Both studies supported this prediction, using either a nomothetic measure of actual-ideal self-discrepancy (Study 1) or an idiographic measure of actual-ideal self-discrepancy (Study 2). Implications of these findings for topics ranging from emotional regulation to educational settings are discussed.