Editing Cognitive dissonance (section)

===Self-discrepancy theory===

[[E. Tory Higgins]] proposed that people have three selves, to which they compare themselves:

# ''Actual self'' – representation of the attributes the person believes themself to possess (basic self-concept)
# ''Ideal self'' – ideal attributes the person would like to possess (hopes, aspiration, motivations to change)
# ''Ought self'' – ideal attributes the person believes they should possess (duties, obligations, responsibilities)

When these self-guides are contradictory psychological distress (cognitive dissonance) results. People are motivated to reduce [[self-discrepancy theory|self-discrepancy]] (the gap between two self-guides).<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Higgins ET | title = Self-discrepancy: a theory relating self and affect | journal = Psychological Review | volume = 94 | issue = 3 | pages = 319–340 | date = July 1987 | pmid = 3615707 | doi = 10.1037/0033-295X.94.3.319 | citeseerx = 10.1.1.586.1458 }}</ref>