Reducing defensive distancing: Self-affirmation and risk regulation in response to relationship threats

Jaremka, Lisa M.; Bunyan, Debra P.; Collins, Nancy L.; Sherman, David K.

doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2010.08.015

Cited by 51 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…In turn, they were more likely to engage in healthy, non-defensive, relationship behaviors (Stinson, Logel, Shepherd, & Zanna, 2011). In another study self-affirmation reduced defensive distancing from one's romantic partner in response to threat among participants prone to engage in relational-defensiveness (Jaremka, Bunyan, Collins, & Sherman, 2011). Most relevant to the present study, participants who were self-affirmed, compared with participants who were not, were more likely following rejection to make healthy dieting choices (Burson, Crocker, & Mischkowski, 2012).…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 64%

Social exclusion, self-affirmation, and health information avoidance

Howell

Shepperd

2017

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

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Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 64%

Social exclusion, self-affirmation, and health information avoidance

Howell

Shepperd

2017

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

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“…Prior self-affirmation theorizing has posited and empirical work has shown that without a relevant personal threat, self-affirmation may not have an effect [21,22] or may even backfire, leading to reduced persuasion [23,24]. In the self-affirmation and implementation intentions study most relevant to the present investigation [8], participants read about the risks of binge drinking and the need to reduce or avoid that harmful behavior.…”

Section: Implementation Intentions and The Potential For Integrating mentioning

confidence: 94%

Integrating Self-Affirmation and Implementation Intentions: Effects on College Student Drinking

Ehret

Sherman

2018

Annals of Behavioral Medicine

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Background High levels of alcohol consumption are an enduring health risk among college students. Integrating multiple, complementary behavior change theories may offer a promising approach to promote reductions in alcohol consumption. Purpose The current study tested if integrating self-affirmation and implementation intentions would be more effective than a self-affirmation only, implementation intentions only, or control condition at reducing alcohol consumption in college students over a 2-week period. Method Two hundred and ninety-three college students who reported drinking in the past month were randomly assigned to a condition in a 2 (self-affirmation: values vs. control writing task) × 2 (implementation intentions: formed vs. not formed) between-subjects factorial design. Participants first completed a self-affirmation or control writing task, then read an article describing the risks of drinking. Next, all participants reported their common drinking behaviors and contexts, and then selected two harm-reduction strategies forming (or not forming) implementation intentions to use the strategies. Alcohol consumption was measured 1 and 2 weeks after the experiment. Results Participants in the integrated self-affirmation and implementation intention condition were most likely to abstain from drinking 1 week later. Affirmed participants continued to be more likely to abstain from drinking 2 weeks later. Conclusions The findings support the efficacy of integrating self-affirmation and implementation intentions to reduce college student drinking (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT02926794).

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“…For example, as a result of self-affirmation, participants have been found to report decreased distancing strategies in close relationships (Jaremka, Bunyan, Collins & Sherman, 2011), reduced risk of self-control failure (Schmeichel & Vohs, 2009) and decreased self-handicapping tendencies (Siegel, Scillitoe & Parks-Yancy, 2005).…”

Section: Applications Of Satmentioning

confidence: 99%

The moderating impact of self‐esteem on self‐affirmation effects

Düring

Jessop

2014

British J Health Psychol

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Objectives This study explored whether self‐esteem would moderate the effectiveness of a self‐affirmation manipulation at increasing openness to personally relevant health‐risk information. Design The study employed a prospective experimental design. Method Participants (N = 328) completed either a self‐affirmation manipulation or a control task, prior to reading information detailing the health‐related consequences of taking insufficient exercise. They then completed a series of measures assessing their cognitions towards exercise and their derogation of the information. Exercise behaviour was assessed at 1‐week follow‐up. Results Self‐esteem moderated the impact of self‐affirmation on the majority of outcomes. For participants with low self‐esteem, the self‐affirmation manipulation resulted in more positive attitudes and intentions towards exercise, together with lower levels of derogation of the health‐risk information. By contrast, there was no effect of the self‐affirmation manipulation on outcomes for participants with high self‐esteem. Conclusion Findings suggest that self‐affirmation manipulations might be of particular benefit for those with low self‐esteem in terms of promoting openness towards health‐risk information. This is promising from a health promotion perspective, as individuals with low self‐esteem often represent those most in need of intervention. What is already known on this subject? Self‐affirmation has been shown to result in more open processing of personally relevant health‐risk information. Individuals low in self‐esteem tend to process such information more defensively than those high in self‐esteem. What does this study add? It explores whether self‐esteem moderates the impact of self‐affirmation on responses to health‐risk information. Findings suggest that individuals with low self‐esteem benefit most from the self‐affirmation manipulation. This has important applied implications, as individuals with low self‐esteem may be most in need of intervention.

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Reducing defensive distancing: Self-affirmation and risk regulation in response to relationship threats

Cited by 51 publications

References 25 publications

Social exclusion, self-affirmation, and health information avoidance

Social exclusion, self-affirmation, and health information avoidance

Integrating Self-Affirmation and Implementation Intentions: Effects on College Student Drinking

The moderating impact of self‐esteem on self‐affirmation effects

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