| dc.description.abstract | LITERATURE REVIEW: The Role of Inter-goal Conflict in Depressive Symptomatology: A Systematic Review
Objective: Intra-psychic conflict underpins theories of motivation; however, its mechanisms and correlates remain poorly understood. Goals represent a broad category of motivational constructs which are conceptualised hierarchically, according to their specificity (level of abstraction), from low-level, action-oriented, goal-tasks to high-level, organising values. The goals literature has investigated the links between inter-goal conflict and a broad range of outcomes, including depression, well-being and psychopathology. This review set out to synthesise existing evidence for a relationships between inter-goal conflict and depressive symptoms.
Method: Studies exploring the relationship between inter-goal conflict and depression in adults were selected from multi-disciplinary and subject-specific databases, published prior to the 20th of March 2021. A systematic search yielded 122 records with 79 non-duplicated results. Screening of 28 full-text publications led to 10 eligible studies, from which data were synthesised in narrative form.
Results: The evidence reviewed indicates that inter-goal conflict is positively correlated with depressive symptoms in adults, although findings were mixed and longitudinal studies did not support a causal association. Effect sizes of eligible studies ranged from small to medium, with some controlling for covariates. Studies were predominantly cross-sectional; therefore, scope for casual inference was limited.
Conclusions: At present, evidence supporting the hypothesis that inter-goal conflict is associated with depressive symptoms in adults is modest. More longitudinal investigations are needed to determine the presence and direction of causality. Construct specificity, implicit motivation and rumination also require further investigation to understand their relationship to inter-goal conflict and depression.
EMPIRICAL PAPER: The Relationship Between Intrapersonal Goal-Value Conflict and Depressive Symptomatology
Background: Intrapsychic goal-conflict underpins classical and contemporary theories of motivation; however, its mechanisms and correlates remain poorly understood. Motivational conflict is associated with a broad range of outcomes, including depression, well-being and psychopathology. It is hypothesised that rumination mediates the link between cognitive-motivational conflict and depression. To date, research has focused on horizontal conflict between motivational constructs with similar specificity. Little is known about vertical relationships between motivational constructs with divergent specificity. Values are thought to be central to conceptions of personal identity because they serve as high-level, organising reference points for low-level action-oriented goal constructs; thus, clarifying vertical relationships may shed light on the mechanisms of depression, well-being and psychopathology. The present study investigated the relationship between goal-value conflict and depressive symptoms with rumination hypothesised as a partial mediator of the relationship.
Method: This cross-sectional, correlational study recruited a non-clinical, unselected sample of 218 adult participants from the student population of Exeter University. Participants were assessed on measures of depressive symptomatology, rumination, personal strivings, values and goal-value conflict using matrix methods. Trait rumination and striving importance were entered as covariates in the mediation analysis.
Results: A significant association was not found between striving-value conflict and depressive symptomatology. Depressive symptoms were positively associated with trait and striving rumination; however, striving rumination was not found to mediate a relationship between goal-value conflict and depression. On average, participants reported harmony between strivings and values.
Conclusions: Striving-value conflict was not found to be a significant factor in depression or goal rumination. This could be due to values being abstract and, therefore, not action-oriented, or because unmeasured implicit motivational factors were at play. Future research should explore the role of both construct specificity and implicit cognition in goal-value relationships, rumination and depression. | en_GB |
