Research on the link between the self and emotional distress has produced many measures that have unknown conceptual and empirical interrelations. The authors identified two classes of self-related variables shown previously to be important predictors of emotional distress. The first class, termed self-regulatory variables, included ego-resiliency, ego-control, ego-strength, and hardiness. The second class, termed self-structure variables, included self-complexity, self-discrepancy, self-consistency, self-attitude ambivalence, and role conflict. Using a two-step structural equation modeling (SEM) strategy, the authors examined first the factor structure of this set of measures. Second, they determined that Elasticity and Permeability (two self-regulatory factors) accounted for unique variance in the prediction of perceived emotional distress (Agitation and Dejection), whereas Self-Discrepancy and Self-Complexity (two self-structure factors) did not.
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