The Real-Ideal Self-Concept Discrepancy and its Relation to Guilt

Abstract

Previous research on the discrepancy between real and ideal self-concepts has shown this gap to be related to neuroticism and various forms of emotional discomfort. Although authors have speculated about the relation between guilt and the real-ideal gap, no previous study has directly explored this relationship. The current study specifically examined the relationship of conscience-guilt to self-reported discrepancies between real and ideal self-concepts in 57 adults (24 to 38 yr. old). A significant positive correlation of .5 between these sets of scores indicates that greater real-ideal self-concept discrepancy tends to be associated with greater self-report of guilt.