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Peter R. Harris - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Neural mechanisms of Self-Affirmation's stress buffering effects.
Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 2020Co-Authors: Janine M. Dutcher, Peter R. Harris, William M. P. Klein, John M. Levine, Naomi I. Eisenberger, Hayoung Woo, John David CreswellAbstract:Self-Affirmation can buffer stress responses across different contexts, yet the neural mechanisms for these effects are unknown. Self-Affirmation has been shown to increase activity in reward-related neural regions, including the ventral striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC). Given that reward-related prefrontal cortical regions such as the VMPFC are involved in reducing neurobiological and behavioral responses to stress, we hypothesized that Self-Affirmation would activate VMPFC and also reduce neural responses to stress in key neural threat system regions such as the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and anterior insula (AI). We explored this hypothesis using Self-Affirmation and evaluative stress tasks following a within-subjects design in the fMRI scanner. Consistent with prior work, Self-Affirmation blocks led to lower self-reported stress and improved performance. With respect to neural activity, compared to control blocks, Self-Affirmation blocks led to greater VMPFC activity, and subsequently less left AI (but not dACC) activity during stress task blocks. Functional connectivity analyses revealed greater connectivity between the VMPFC and left and right AI during Self-Affirmation compared to control. These findings begin to articulate the neural circuits involved in Self-Affirmation's effects during exposure to stressors, and more broadly specify neural reward-based responses to stressful situations.
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Individual differences in Self-Affirmation: distinguishing Self-Affirmation from positive self-regard
Self and Identity, 2018Co-Authors: Peter R. Harris, Benjamin Schüz, Dale Griffin, Rod Bond, Lucy E. Napper, Chris Stride, Irina BrearleyAbstract:Research into Self-Affirmation has almost exclusively employed experimental manipulations. In this paper we address individual differences in the tendency to respond to threats with self-affirming cognitions and distinguish this from two overlapping constructs: habitual positive self-thought and trait self-esteem. Items we designed to measure Self-Affirmation were represented by three first-order factors and loaded on a higher-order factor, creating the Spontaneous Self-Affirmation Measure (SSAM). The SSAM correlated moderately with self-esteem and habitual positive self-thought. In competitive analyses, the SSAM was an independent predictor of a large number of outcomes. The studies provide evidence about the correlates of individual differences in reported spontaneous Self-Affirmation in response to threat and the contribution made to this response by habitual positive self-thought and trait self-esteem.
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Self-Affirmation improves performance on tasks related to executive functioning
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2017Co-Authors: Philine S. Harris, Peter R. Harris, Eleanor MilesAbstract:Abstract Objectives The current study explored the effect of Self-Affirmation on two aspects of performance that have been related to executive functioning: working memory (assessed by a 2-back task) and inhibition (assessed by a Stroop task). The goal was to establish whether Self-Affirmation improved performance on these tasks. Method Participants (N = 83) were randomized to either a Self-Affirmation or a control task and then completed the computerized tasks, in a fixed sequence. Results Self-affirmed participants performed better than non-affirmed participants on both tasks. Conclusion Self-Affirmation can improve aspects of performance related to executive functioning. This finding may help to explain the wide range of beneficial effects that Self-Affirmation can have on cognition and behavior.
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Self-Affirmation Activates the Ventral Striatum: A Possible Reward-Related Mechanism for Self-Affirmation.
Psychological science, 2016Co-Authors: Janine M. Dutcher, Peter R. Harris, William M. P. Klein, J. David Creswell, Laura E. Pacilio, John M. Levine, Julienne E. Bower, Keely A. Muscatell, Naomi I. EisenbergerAbstract:Self-Affirmation (reflecting on important personal values) has been shown to have a range of positive effects; however, the neural basis of Self-Affirmation is not known. Building on studies showing that thinking about self-preferences activates neural reward pathways, we hypothesized that Self-Affirmation would activate brain reward circuitry during functional MRI (fMRI) studies. In Study 1, with college students, making judgments about important personal values during Self-Affirmation activated neural reward regions (i.e., ventral striatum), whereas making preference judgments that were not self-relevant did not. Study 2 replicated these results in a community sample, again showing that Self-Affirmation activated the ventral striatum. These are among the first fMRI studies to identify neural processes during Self-Affirmation. The findings extend theory by showing that Self-Affirmation may be rewarding and may provide a first step toward identifying a neural mechanism by which Self-Affirmation may produce a wide range of beneficial effects.
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Attentional effects of Self-Affirmation in response to graphic antismoking images.
Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology American Psychological Association, 2016Co-Authors: Loes T. E. Kessels, Peter R. Harris, Robert A. C. Ruiter, William M. P. KleinAbstract:OBJECTIVE: Self-Affirmation has been shown to reduce defensive responding to threatening information. However, little is known about the cognitive and attentional processes underlying these effects. In the current eye-movement study, the authors explored whether Self-Affirmation affects attention allocation (i.e., number of fixations) among those for whom a threatening health message is self-relevant. METHODS: After a Self-Affirmation manipulation, 47 smokers and 52 nonsmokers viewed a series of cigarette packs displaying high or low threat smoking-related images accompanied by a brief smoking message containing risk, coping or neutral textual information. RESULTS: Self-affirmed smokers made more fixations to the cigarette packs than did nonaffirmed smokers (across both high and low threat images), whereas self-affirmed nonsmokers made fewer fixations to the cigarette packs than did nonaffirmed nonsmokers (again across both image types). The textual information did not moderate responses. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate attention-increasing effects of Self-Affirmation among those for whom the information is self-relevant (smokers) and attention-decreasing effects of Self-Affirmation among those for whom the information is not self-relevant (nonsmokers). Such findings are consistent with the calibration model of Self-Affirmation (Griffin & Harris, 2011) in which Self-Affirmation increases sensitivity to the self-relevance of health-risk information. The use of an implicit measure of visual orienting informs our understanding of the working mechanisms of Self-Affirmation when encoding health information, and may also hold practical implications for the design and delivery of graphic warning labels. (PsycINFO Database Record
Paul Sparks - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Self-Affirmation theory and pro-environmental behaviour: Promoting a reduction in household food waste
Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2019Co-Authors: Ella Graham-rowe, Donna C. Jessop, Paul SparksAbstract:Abstract Household food waste has a significant detrimental impact on the environment. However, despite national campaigns, people in high income countries throw away a sizeable proportion of the food they purchase. The present study investigated whether Self-Affirmation could promote openness to information detailing the negative consequences of household food waste, with a particular focus on fruit and vegetable waste. Participants (N = 362) completed either a standard Self-Affirmation manipulation, an integrated Self-Affirmation manipulation or a control task before reading the information and completing a series of measures assessing cognitive antecedents of behaviour. Household fruit and vegetable waste was self-reported one-week later. Compared to their non-affirmed counterparts, participants in the standard Self-Affirmation condition wasted less fruit and vegetables at follow-up. The findings suggest that Self-Affirmation has the potential to promote engagement with pro-environmental behaviour. Research should continue to explore how to integrate Self-Affirmation successfully within pro-environmental campaigns.
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Does Self-Affirmation following ego-depletion moderate restrained eaters’ explicit preferences for, and implicit associations with, high-calorie foods?
Psychology & Health, 2016Co-Authors: Scarlett Marie Storr, Paul SparksAbstract:Objective: The difficulty for chronic dieters (i.e., restrained eaters) in regulating their food intake is a conflict between two apparently incompatible goals: eating enjoyment and weight control. The latter goal consistently relies on the deployment of cognitive resources, and very often on a significant amount of self-control. This study investigated whether Self-Affirmation might counteract the effect of ego depletion on restrained eaters’ motivation to consume high-calorie foods. Design: Participants (N = 183) were assigned to one of four conditions in a 2 x 2 (Ego depletion x Self-Affirmation) experimental design and were subsequently exposed to images of high- and low-calorie foods. Main outcome measures: Participants completed tasks assessing their implicit and explicit preferences for high vs. low-calorie foods, along with a measure of the perceived self-control required to resist foods. Results: Results indicated that, following ego depletion, Self-Affirmation facilitated restrained eaters’ perceptions of self-control and led to lower explicit preferences for high calorie foods. This pattern was not apparent for implicit preferences. Conclusion: Self-Affirmation interventions may be capable of restoring self-control resources among restrained eaters. Pointers for future research and practical applications are discussed.
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Does Self-Affirmation following ego depletion moderate restrained eaters' explicit preferences for, and implicit associations with, high-calorie foods?
Psychology & health, 2016Co-Authors: Scarlett Marie Storr, Paul SparksAbstract:Objective: The difficulty for chronic dieters (i.e., restrained eaters) in regulating their food intake is a conflict between two apparently incompatible goals: eating enjoyment and weight control. The latter goal consistently relies on the deployment of cognitive resources, and very often on a significant amount of self-control. This study investigated whether Self-Affirmation might counteract the effect of ego depletion on restrained eaters’ motivation to consume high-calorie foods. Design: Participants (N = 183) were assigned to one of four conditions in a 2 x 2 (Ego depletion x Self-Affirmation) experimental design and were subsequently exposed to images of high- and low-calorie foods. Main outcome measures: Participants completed tasks assessing their implicit and explicit preferences for high vs. low-calorie foods, along with a measure of the perceived self-control required to resist foods. Results: Results indicated that, following ego depletion, Self-Affirmation facilitated restrained eaters’ perceptions of self-control and led to lower explicit preferences for high calorie foods. This pattern was not apparent for implicit preferences. Conclusion: Self-Affirmation interventions may be capable of restoring self-control resources among restrained eaters. Pointers for future research and practical applications are discussed.
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Promoting or Jeopardizing Lighter Carbon Footprints? Self-Affirmation Can Polarize Environmental Orientations
Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2012Co-Authors: Anne-marie Van Prooijen, Paul Sparks, Donna C. JessopAbstract:Research has shown that Self-Affirmation often leads to more adaptive responses to messages that focus on behavior-specific, individual threats. However, little is known about the effects of Self-Affirmation in the context of an ongoing collective threat, such as climate change. In the study reported here (N ¼ 90), the authors examined whether Self-Affirmation might polarize orientations toward environment-related actions when people rely on their established beliefs about climate change. The authors found that Self-Affirmation led to more constructive pro-environmental motives among participants with positive ecological worldviews but led to less constructive pro-environmental motives among participants with negative ecological worldviews. These findings suggest that in the absence of a persuasive threatening message, Self-Affirmation might serve to validate a person’s initial worldviews about environmental issues.
Tracy Epton - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the impact of self affirmation on health behavior change a meta analysis
Health Psychology, 2015Co-Authors: Tracy Epton, Rachel Kane, Guido M Van Koningsbruggen, Peter R. Harris, Paschal SheeranAbstract:Self-Affirmation (eg induced by reflecting upon important values) may reduce defensive resistance to information and increase readiness for change. However, these effects have yet to be subjected to quantitative review. We report a meta-analysis of the impact of Self-Affirmation on outcomes at 3 key points in the process of health-behavior change: message acceptance, intentions to change, and subsequent behavior. Methods. The literature search identified 144 tests of the effects of Self-Affirmation on outcomes. Effect sizes were extracted and meta-analyzed. Findings. Random effects models indicated small but reliable +ve effects of Self-Affirmation on each outcome: acceptance, d=.17 (CI=.03 to.31), intentions, d=.14 (CI=.05 to .23), behavior, d=.32 (CI=.19 to .44). Findings held across a range of health problems and behaviors. Discussion. Deploying Self-Affirmation inductions alongside persuasive health information has +ve effects, with effect sizes comparable to ones obtained in meta-analyses of other health-behavior change interventions. The findings are relevant to those working to understand why people resist beneficial information and how such resistance can be reduced.
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The impact of Self-Affirmation on interest in health behavior change: A meta-analysis
Health Psychology, 2014Co-Authors: Tracy Epton, Rachel Kane, Peter R. Harris, Paschal Sheeran, Guido M Van KoningsbruggenAbstract:Objectives: Self-Affirmation (induced by reflecting upon important values, attributes, or social relations) appears to reduce defensive resistance to health-risk information and increase subsequent readiness for health behavior change. However, these effects of Self-Affirmation have yet to be subjected to formal, quantitative integration. Consequently, the current article reports a meta-analysis of the impact of Self-Affirmation on outcomes at 3 key points in the process of health-behavior change: (a) message acceptance, (b) intentions to change, and (c) subsequent behavior. Method: The literature search identified 144 experimental tests of the effects of manipulating Self-Affirmation on these outcomes. Effect sizes were extracted and meta-analyzed. Results: Across 34 tests of message acceptance (N = 3,433), 64 tests of intentions (N = 5,564), and 46 tests of behavior (N = 2,715), random effects models indicated small but reliable positive effects of Self-Affirmation on each outcome: acceptance, d+ = .17(CI = .03 to.31); intentions, d+ = .14 (CI = .05 to .23); behavior, d+ = .32 (CI = .19 to .44). Findings held across a range of health problems and behaviors. Conclusions: The results suggest that deploying Self-Affirmation inductions alongside persuasive health information has positive effects, promoting message acceptance, intentions to change, and subsequent behavior. Though the effects are small in magnitude, they are comparable to those obtained in meta-analyses of other health-behavior change interventions. These findings are relevant to researchers and practitioners working to understand why people resist beneficial health information and how such resistance can be reduced.
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The impact of Self-Affirmation on interest in health behavior change: A meta-analysis
Health Psychology, 2014Co-Authors: Tracy Epton, Rachel Kane, Peter R. Harris, Paschal Sheeran, Guido M Van KoningsbruggenAbstract:Objectives: Self-Affirmation (induced by reflecting upon important values, attributes, or social relations) appears to reduce defensive resistance to health-risk information and increase subsequent readiness for health behavior change. However, these effects of Self-Affirmation have yet to be subjected to formal, quantitative integration. Consequently, the current article reports a meta-analysis of the impact of Self-Affirmation on outcomes at 3 key points in the process of health-behavior change: (a) message acceptance, (b) intentions to change, and (c) subsequent behavior. Method: The literature search identified 144 experimental tests of the effects of manipulating Self-Affirmation on these outcomes. Effect sizes were extracted and meta-analyzed. Results: Across 34 tests of message acceptance (N = 3,433), 64 tests of intentions (N = 5,564), and 46 tests of behavior (N = 2,715), random effects models indicated small but reliable positive effects of Self-Affirmation on each outcome: acceptance, d+ = .17(CI = .03 to.31); intentions, d+ = .14 (CI = .05 to .23); behavior, d+ = .32 (CI = .19 to .44). Findings held across a range of health problems and behaviors. Conclusions: The results suggest that deploying Self-Affirmation inductions alongside persuasive health information has positive effects, promoting message acceptance, intentions to change, and subsequent behavior. Though the effects are small in magnitude, they are comparable to those obtained in meta-analyses of other health-behavior change interventions. These findings are relevant to researchers and practitioners working to understand why people resist beneficial health information and how such resistance can be reduced.
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Self-Affirmation and health behaviour change : affective and cognitive predictors, moderators and mediators
2010Co-Authors: Tracy EptonAbstract:This thesis explored the potential of Self-Affirmation for use as a health intervention by exploring the effect of Self-Affirmation on a range of health behaviours (e.g., salt, alcohol, and fruit and vegetable consumption). The moderating effects of risk, motivation (e.g., importance of health, decisional balance, prevention focus) and threat on the effects of Self-Affirmation were also explored in order to determine under which circumstances Self-Affirmation manipulations were most effective. The thesis also explored potential mediators of Self-Affirmation (e.g., explicit and implicit self-related affect and efficacy cognitions). In four experimental studies, participants completed a self- or non-affirming task prior to exposure to a health message. The effects of Self-Affirmation on cognitive, affective and behavioural responses were examined. The studies found that Self-Affirmation increased a range of cognitive (e.g., self- and response-efficacy) and affective predictors of health behaviour change (e.g., negative self-evaluative affect, implicit threat-related affect) and actual behaviour change (e.g., consumption of fruit and vegetables). The thesis found that response-efficacy mediated the effect of Self-Affirmation on behaviour change. The thesis also found that there was a trend for Self-Affirmation manipulations to be most effective with lower threat health messages, and on participants who were most vulnerable (i.e., at the highest risk or the lowest motivation). However, the studies also suggested that Self-Affirmation manipulations may be detrimental when high threat health messages are used or on low risk or highly motivated participants. The implications of the studies are that Self-Affirmation manipulations are capable of changing health behaviour; this offered preliminary support to the argument that Self-Affirmation manipulations have the potential to be developed as health interventions. However, the thesis also suggested that Self-Affirmation interventions would need to include low threat health information and that careful targeting would be needed when delivering the intervention.
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Developing and Testing a Self-Affirmation Manipulation
Self and Identity, 2009Co-Authors: Lucy E. Napper, Peter R. Harris, Tracy EptonAbstract:We developed a new manipulation of Self-Affirmation that is simple to use, can be employed when circumstances prevent pre-screening or using essay-based methods, and has a highly equivalent control task. In the process, we addressed theoretical and empirical questions highlighted in a recent review as requiring attention. In comparison to five controls, the manipulation promoted positive changes on measures designed to test whether people are self-affirmed. It produced a similar pattern on these measures to an existing Self-Affirmation manipulation. The matched control also performed well. There was no evidence of mediation by mood or state self-esteem or moderation by trait self-esteem. We discuss the potential of the method and associated dependent measures in future Self-Affirmation research.
Guido M Van Koningsbruggen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the impact of self affirmation on health behavior change a meta analysis
Health Psychology, 2015Co-Authors: Tracy Epton, Rachel Kane, Guido M Van Koningsbruggen, Peter R. Harris, Paschal SheeranAbstract:Self-Affirmation (eg induced by reflecting upon important values) may reduce defensive resistance to information and increase readiness for change. However, these effects have yet to be subjected to quantitative review. We report a meta-analysis of the impact of Self-Affirmation on outcomes at 3 key points in the process of health-behavior change: message acceptance, intentions to change, and subsequent behavior. Methods. The literature search identified 144 tests of the effects of Self-Affirmation on outcomes. Effect sizes were extracted and meta-analyzed. Findings. Random effects models indicated small but reliable +ve effects of Self-Affirmation on each outcome: acceptance, d=.17 (CI=.03 to.31), intentions, d=.14 (CI=.05 to .23), behavior, d=.32 (CI=.19 to .44). Findings held across a range of health problems and behaviors. Discussion. Deploying Self-Affirmation inductions alongside persuasive health information has +ve effects, with effect sizes comparable to ones obtained in meta-analyses of other health-behavior change interventions. The findings are relevant to those working to understand why people resist beneficial information and how such resistance can be reduced.
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The impact of Self-Affirmation on interest in health behavior change: A meta-analysis
Health Psychology, 2014Co-Authors: Tracy Epton, Rachel Kane, Peter R. Harris, Paschal Sheeran, Guido M Van KoningsbruggenAbstract:Objectives: Self-Affirmation (induced by reflecting upon important values, attributes, or social relations) appears to reduce defensive resistance to health-risk information and increase subsequent readiness for health behavior change. However, these effects of Self-Affirmation have yet to be subjected to formal, quantitative integration. Consequently, the current article reports a meta-analysis of the impact of Self-Affirmation on outcomes at 3 key points in the process of health-behavior change: (a) message acceptance, (b) intentions to change, and (c) subsequent behavior. Method: The literature search identified 144 experimental tests of the effects of manipulating Self-Affirmation on these outcomes. Effect sizes were extracted and meta-analyzed. Results: Across 34 tests of message acceptance (N = 3,433), 64 tests of intentions (N = 5,564), and 46 tests of behavior (N = 2,715), random effects models indicated small but reliable positive effects of Self-Affirmation on each outcome: acceptance, d+ = .17(CI = .03 to.31); intentions, d+ = .14 (CI = .05 to .23); behavior, d+ = .32 (CI = .19 to .44). Findings held across a range of health problems and behaviors. Conclusions: The results suggest that deploying Self-Affirmation inductions alongside persuasive health information has positive effects, promoting message acceptance, intentions to change, and subsequent behavior. Though the effects are small in magnitude, they are comparable to those obtained in meta-analyses of other health-behavior change interventions. These findings are relevant to researchers and practitioners working to understand why people resist beneficial health information and how such resistance can be reduced.
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The impact of Self-Affirmation on interest in health behavior change: A meta-analysis
Health Psychology, 2014Co-Authors: Tracy Epton, Rachel Kane, Peter R. Harris, Paschal Sheeran, Guido M Van KoningsbruggenAbstract:Objectives: Self-Affirmation (induced by reflecting upon important values, attributes, or social relations) appears to reduce defensive resistance to health-risk information and increase subsequent readiness for health behavior change. However, these effects of Self-Affirmation have yet to be subjected to formal, quantitative integration. Consequently, the current article reports a meta-analysis of the impact of Self-Affirmation on outcomes at 3 key points in the process of health-behavior change: (a) message acceptance, (b) intentions to change, and (c) subsequent behavior. Method: The literature search identified 144 experimental tests of the effects of manipulating Self-Affirmation on these outcomes. Effect sizes were extracted and meta-analyzed. Results: Across 34 tests of message acceptance (N = 3,433), 64 tests of intentions (N = 5,564), and 46 tests of behavior (N = 2,715), random effects models indicated small but reliable positive effects of Self-Affirmation on each outcome: acceptance, d+ = .17(CI = .03 to.31); intentions, d+ = .14 (CI = .05 to .23); behavior, d+ = .32 (CI = .19 to .44). Findings held across a range of health problems and behaviors. Conclusions: The results suggest that deploying Self-Affirmation inductions alongside persuasive health information has positive effects, promoting message acceptance, intentions to change, and subsequent behavior. Though the effects are small in magnitude, they are comparable to those obtained in meta-analyses of other health-behavior change interventions. These findings are relevant to researchers and practitioners working to understand why people resist beneficial health information and how such resistance can be reduced.
Paschal Sheeran - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the impact of self affirmation on health behavior change a meta analysis
Health Psychology, 2015Co-Authors: Tracy Epton, Rachel Kane, Guido M Van Koningsbruggen, Peter R. Harris, Paschal SheeranAbstract:Self-Affirmation (eg induced by reflecting upon important values) may reduce defensive resistance to information and increase readiness for change. However, these effects have yet to be subjected to quantitative review. We report a meta-analysis of the impact of Self-Affirmation on outcomes at 3 key points in the process of health-behavior change: message acceptance, intentions to change, and subsequent behavior. Methods. The literature search identified 144 tests of the effects of Self-Affirmation on outcomes. Effect sizes were extracted and meta-analyzed. Findings. Random effects models indicated small but reliable +ve effects of Self-Affirmation on each outcome: acceptance, d=.17 (CI=.03 to.31), intentions, d=.14 (CI=.05 to .23), behavior, d=.32 (CI=.19 to .44). Findings held across a range of health problems and behaviors. Discussion. Deploying Self-Affirmation inductions alongside persuasive health information has +ve effects, with effect sizes comparable to ones obtained in meta-analyses of other health-behavior change interventions. The findings are relevant to those working to understand why people resist beneficial information and how such resistance can be reduced.
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The impact of Self-Affirmation on interest in health behavior change: A meta-analysis
Health Psychology, 2014Co-Authors: Tracy Epton, Rachel Kane, Peter R. Harris, Paschal Sheeran, Guido M Van KoningsbruggenAbstract:Objectives: Self-Affirmation (induced by reflecting upon important values, attributes, or social relations) appears to reduce defensive resistance to health-risk information and increase subsequent readiness for health behavior change. However, these effects of Self-Affirmation have yet to be subjected to formal, quantitative integration. Consequently, the current article reports a meta-analysis of the impact of Self-Affirmation on outcomes at 3 key points in the process of health-behavior change: (a) message acceptance, (b) intentions to change, and (c) subsequent behavior. Method: The literature search identified 144 experimental tests of the effects of manipulating Self-Affirmation on these outcomes. Effect sizes were extracted and meta-analyzed. Results: Across 34 tests of message acceptance (N = 3,433), 64 tests of intentions (N = 5,564), and 46 tests of behavior (N = 2,715), random effects models indicated small but reliable positive effects of Self-Affirmation on each outcome: acceptance, d+ = .17(CI = .03 to.31); intentions, d+ = .14 (CI = .05 to .23); behavior, d+ = .32 (CI = .19 to .44). Findings held across a range of health problems and behaviors. Conclusions: The results suggest that deploying Self-Affirmation inductions alongside persuasive health information has positive effects, promoting message acceptance, intentions to change, and subsequent behavior. Though the effects are small in magnitude, they are comparable to those obtained in meta-analyses of other health-behavior change interventions. These findings are relevant to researchers and practitioners working to understand why people resist beneficial health information and how such resistance can be reduced.
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The impact of Self-Affirmation on interest in health behavior change: A meta-analysis
Health Psychology, 2014Co-Authors: Tracy Epton, Rachel Kane, Peter R. Harris, Paschal Sheeran, Guido M Van KoningsbruggenAbstract:Objectives: Self-Affirmation (induced by reflecting upon important values, attributes, or social relations) appears to reduce defensive resistance to health-risk information and increase subsequent readiness for health behavior change. However, these effects of Self-Affirmation have yet to be subjected to formal, quantitative integration. Consequently, the current article reports a meta-analysis of the impact of Self-Affirmation on outcomes at 3 key points in the process of health-behavior change: (a) message acceptance, (b) intentions to change, and (c) subsequent behavior. Method: The literature search identified 144 experimental tests of the effects of manipulating Self-Affirmation on these outcomes. Effect sizes were extracted and meta-analyzed. Results: Across 34 tests of message acceptance (N = 3,433), 64 tests of intentions (N = 5,564), and 46 tests of behavior (N = 2,715), random effects models indicated small but reliable positive effects of Self-Affirmation on each outcome: acceptance, d+ = .17(CI = .03 to.31); intentions, d+ = .14 (CI = .05 to .23); behavior, d+ = .32 (CI = .19 to .44). Findings held across a range of health problems and behaviors. Conclusions: The results suggest that deploying Self-Affirmation inductions alongside persuasive health information has positive effects, promoting message acceptance, intentions to change, and subsequent behavior. Though the effects are small in magnitude, they are comparable to those obtained in meta-analyses of other health-behavior change interventions. These findings are relevant to researchers and practitioners working to understand why people resist beneficial health information and how such resistance can be reduced.
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Combining Self-Affirmation with implementation intentions to promote fruit and vegetable consumption.
Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology American Psychological Association, 2014Co-Authors: Peter R. Harris, Paschal Sheeran, William M. P. Klein, J. David Creswell, John M. Levine, Irina Brearley, Margo E. Barker, Rod BondAbstract:OBJECTIVE The current study tested whether Self-Affirmation in the context of a threatening health message helps promote a health behavior (fruit and vegetable consumption) over a 3-month period, and whether adding a manipulation to support the translation of intentions into behavior (an implementation intentions induction) enhances the impact of Self-Affirmation. METHODS Participants (N = 332, 71% women) reported their baseline consumption and were randomly assigned to condition in a 2 (Self-Affirmation: yes, no) × 2 (implementation intentions: formed, not formed) between-subjects factorial design. They completed a Self-Affirmation/control task and then read a health communication advising eating at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables daily. Next participants reported intentions for behavior change, after which they formed/did not form relevant implementation intentions. Consumption was measured again 7 days and 3 months postintervention. RESULTS Self-affirmed (vs. nonaffirmed) participants reported eating more fruit and vegetables at both follow-ups. Forming (vs. not forming) implementation intentions was also beneficial for consumption. At 7 days, there was also a significant Self-Affirmation × implementation intentions interaction: consumption was highest when self-affirmed participants also formed implementation intentions. CONCLUSIONS The present study offers new evidence concerning the impact and durability of Self-Affirmation on health behaviors and the role of implementation intentions in enhancing the impact of Self-Affirmation.