Self-affirmation reduces smokers' defensiveness to graphic on-pack cigarette warning labels.

Abstract

Self-affirmation can promote less defensive responding even to visual material about well-established health risks such as smoking.

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

“…For example, Reed and Aspinwall, (1998) found no evidence that self-affirmation was associated with participants reporting decreased caffeine consumption. Similarly, Harris et al (2007) reported no impact of selfaffirmation on self-reported reduction in number of cigarettes smoked at one-week follow-up. Indeed, there is a need for further research to explore the parameters that may influence when positive changes in cognitions arising as a result of self-affirmation are more or less likely to lead to changes in subsequent health behaviour.…”

“…Thus, Harris et al (2007) reported that self-affirmed smokers rated graphic on-pack cigarette warning labels as more threatening and personally relevant, compared to individuals in the control condition. Moreover, self-affirmed smokers reported more negative thoughts and feelings, greater levels of perceived behavioural control, more positive intentions and higher self-efficacy in relation to reducing their smoking behaviour, compared to non-affirmed participants.…”

“…Specifically, given that the majority of such messages focus on influencing individuals to either take up or desist from a particular health-related behaviour, this has frequently been operationalised in terms of cognitive indicators of openness to the health-risk information, including attitudes, intentions and perceptions of behavioural control. Indeed, there is much support that self-affirmed individuals report more positive attitudes and intentions, as well as greater perceptions of behavioural control, in relation to changing their behaviour accordingly with the recommendation outlined in the personally relevant health-risk message (e.g., Armitage, et al, 2008;Cooke, Trebaczyk, Harris & Wright, 2014;Harris, Mayle, Mabbott & Napper, 2007). As expressed by Harris and Epton (2009), given the central role of intentions in changing behaviours, the exploration of intentions and predictors of intentions have been key in understanding the effects of self-affirmation on health behaviour change.…”

“…Furthermore, evidence that self-affirmation manipulations promote sustained changes in behaviour has been less forthcoming (Harris & Napper, 2005;Harris et al, 2007;Reed & Aspinwall, 1998), with only a few studies documenting behaviour change over time (Armitage, Harris & Arden, 2011;Epton & Harris, 2008; see also Logel & Cohen, 2012).…”

“…For example, self-affirmation manipulations have been found to result in greater intentions to reduce alcohol consumption (Harris & Napper, 2005), more positive intentions and perceptions of behavioural control regarding reducing the number of cigarettes smoked (Armitage, Harris, Hepton, & Napper, 2008;Harris, Mayle, Mabbott & Napper, 2007), higher levels of self-and response-efficacy in relation to increasing fruit and vegetable consumption (Epton & Harris, 2008) and more positive attitudes, intentions, self-and response-efficacy, together with reduced message derogation, in relation to sunscreen use (Jessop, Simmonds & Sparks, 2009).…”