Implicative Dilemmas and General Psychological Well-being: Predictive Values of Three Proposed Subtypes

Abstract

Two studies are presented which examined the predictive values of three subtypes of implicative dilemmas, cognitive dilemmas developed within the framework of George Kelly's (1955) Personal Construct Theory. Previous research provides evidence that implicative dilemmas, dilemmas in which self-discrepancies are maintained due to a cost of resolution, are predictive of psychological distress. The data suggests that unobtainable ideal-self dilemmas may serve an insulatory role against psychological distress. This study provides further evidence that implicative dilemmas play a role in psychological well-being and suggests that it is useful to differentiate between classic implicative dilemmas and unobtainable ideal-self dilemmas. The role of an 'ought self dilemma' in situations of acute anxiety was also examined, however, data indicated no significant difference between the numbers of ought-self dilemmas in anxiety versus competency grids. This may be due to design limitations that can be resolved in future studies regarding ought-self dilemmas.