According to humanistic theory, what happens when there are discrepancies between the self and the ideal self?

• A. The real self is identical to the ideal self.
• B. The self-concept has no bearing on motivation.
• C. Synchrony between self and ideal self eliminates distress.
• D. Discrepancies between self and ideal self create distress and motivate personal growth toward greater congruence.

Answer: (D)

In humanistic theory, distress arises when there is incongruence between the self (how you see yourself) and the ideal self (how you’d like to be). That mismatch creates anxiety and motivates you to grow toward greater congruence, aligning your real self with your ideals through changes in thoughts, feelings, and behavior. If the two were perfectly aligned, there’d be no distress to drive growth. The self-concept is central to motivation, so when there’s mismatch it pushes toward becoming more authentic and integrated.