The relation between self-aspect congruence, personality and subjective well-being

The relationship between self-aspect congruence, subjective well-being (SWB), and personality was examined in two studies. In Study 1, the congruence between 'real' and 'ought' Q-sort self-descriptions was found to be positively related to measures of SWB and life satisfaction. Among the five personality factors of Costa and McCrae (1991), congruence was negatively related to neuroticism and positively related to agreeableness. In study 2, the congruence between 'real' and 'ideal' Q-sort self-descriptions was found to be positively related to both self- and non-self-report measures of SWB, and was significantly related to four of Costa and McCrae's five personality dimensions. Implications for research in the area of emotion and SWB are discussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.