Securing self‐integrity over time: Self‐affirmation disrupts a negative cycle between psychological threat and academic performance

Abstract

Adolescence can be a tumultuous period with numerous threats to self-integrity. A 3-year field experiment tested whether repeated affirmations of self-integrity can help lessen the impact of psychological threat on adolescent (11-14 years old) students' core course GPA over time. A diverse cohort of students (N = 163) was randomly assigned to a control condition or to an affirmation condition, in which teachers repeatedly administered classroom writing exercises that affirmed students' personal values. Results showed that affirmation lessened a downward trajectory of GPA over time. In contrast to previous research, this effect occurred among all ethnic groups rather than only among stereotype-threatened ethnic minority groups. Affirmation did not reduce self-reported psychological threat, but it severed its relationship with performance: Among control students, psychological threat predicted lower GPA. Among affirmed students, psychological threat was unrelated to performance. Beyond their practical implications, these results make two theoretical contributions. First, affirmation can have broader benefits than those previously documented among negatively stereotyped groups, if timed to

Self-affirmation reduces internalized heterosexism in sexual minority people.

“…L. Cohen and Sherman (2014) also proposed that self-affirmation produced adaptive outcomes through protecting people’s self-integrity when facing threat. However, despite being theorized as the core psychological mechanism, most past studies did not directly measure postintervention self-integrity (e.g., Binning et al, 2021; Borman et al, 2018; G. L. Cohen et al, 2006, 2009).…”

“…For example, for Black and Latinx middle-school students, who commonly face stereotype threat in the domain of academic achievement, writing about their most important nonacademic personal values increased university enrollment (Goyer et al, 2017). According to G. L. Cohen and Sherman, the positive self-affirmation effects on the various health, behavioral, and academic outcomes are mediated by self-integrity, although this mediation has not been sufficiently tested in past research (e.g., Binning et al, 2021; Borman et al, 2018; G. L. Cohen et al, 2006, 2009; c.f.…”

The Effects of Being Informed About Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Symptoms With And Without Self-Affirmation on Perceived Cognitive Symptoms of Breast Cancer Patients: A Randomized Prospective, Longitudinal Study

“…For example, it could be explored whether self-affirming prior to the information about CRCS can also attenuate AIEs on longer-term symptom frequency, 78 and whether repeated self-affirmations throughout the (post) treatment period are more effective than affirming only once before the start of chemotherapy. 33 Also other factors that potentially could influence the effectiveness of the intervention could be studied, such as the form and content of the intervention 82 and at what times throughout the (post) treatment period they should be delivered to patients, such as at periods of heightened stress or key transition points. 35…”

“…28 Health promotion and stereotype threat research outside oncology shows that allowing individuals the opportunity for self-affirmation can boost the global sense of self in the face of a specific health threat, thereby improving openness to the information, health-message acceptance, health behavior 28 , 31 and subjective health, 32 and that self-affirmation can reduce stereotype threat effects, sometimes up until years later. eg, [33][34][35][36][37] Moreover, self-affirmation can function as a stress-reduction technique that can improve performance, eg 27 , 34 , 38 , 39 and has also been associated with fewer physical symptoms, and positive (self-reported) cognitive and mental health outcomes in (ex) cancer patients. [40][41][42] Next to the well-known, traditional self-affirmation procedures of writing exercises and value scales 22 , research suggests that individuals' selfconcepts can be affirmed via text-integrated 43 , 44 and narrative self-affirmations.…”

A new approach to schooling in a diverse society: A research fable

“…We learn that self-affirmations may improve the academic performance of most students (Binning et al, 2021). Over time, most students experience some form of identity threat or other threats to their self-integrity.…”