Self-esteem revisited: Performance on the implicit relational assessment procedure as a measure of self-versus ideal self-related cognitions in dysphoria

Although depression is characterised by low self-esteem as measured by questionnaires, research using implicit measures of self-esteem has failed to reveal the expected differences between depressed and non-depressed individuals. In this study, we used an implicit measure which enables the differentiation of ideal self- and actual self-esteem, through the introduction of propositions: "I am" versus "I want to be". We measured implicit relational associations about actual and ideal self in low (N=27) versus high dysphoric (N=29) undergraduates. Our data revealed that dysphoric individuals have a higher ideal self-esteem, and lower actual self-esteem in comparison to healthy participants. The results underscore the need to go beyond simple associations and suggest that the use of individual-specific propositions could enhance our understanding of the implicit measurement of self-esteem. Furthermore, these results underscore the importance of actual versus ideal self-discrepancy theories, which might guide the content of therapeutic interventions. © 2013 Taylor & Francis.