Effects of self-focus, discrepancy between self and standard, and outcome expectancy favorability on the tendency to match self to standard or to withdraw.

Objective self-awareness theory (Duval & Wicklund, 1972) assumes that the intensity of attempts to match self to standard or to withdraw is a function of degree of self-standard discrepancy. Self-regulation theory (Carver & Scheier, 1981) assumes that the decision to match or withdraw is determined by outcome expectancy favorability. Combining these assumptions, it was predicted that increasing self-standard discrepancy would increase efforts to conform self to standard when outcome expectancies are favorable. When unfavorable, increasing discrepancy was predicted to increase efforts to avoid the situation. Results from Experiments 1 and 2 provided partial support for these hypotheses. Results from Experiment 3 suggested that deviations from prediction were due to outcome expectancy favorability being a function of the rate of progress toward discrepancy reduction relative to the magnitude of self-standard discrepancy.