Not as Good as I’d Like to Be: Moral Self-Discrepancy, Religiosity, and Mental Health

Moral self-discrepancy is the difference between how moral a person is (i.e., moral-actual self) and how moral they want to be (i.e., moral-ideal self). In a sample of 2,426 U.S. college students, this study examined how religiosity and spirituality associate with moral self-discrepancy, and how moral self-discrepancy associates with mental illness symptoms. Multiple regression analyses found that religiosity was associated with higher moral self-discrepancy, whereas spirituality was associated with lower moral self-discrepancy. Secure attachment to God moderated the relation between religiosity and moral self-discrepancy, such that less secure attachment to God was associated with higher moral self-discrepancy. Additionally, moral self-discrepancy was associated with higher anxiety and depression symptoms. Implications of promoting moral self-concepts and meeting unmet moral standards are discussed.