Event Title
Effects of Self-affirmation on Coping and Motivational Systems
Presentation Type
Poster/Portfolio
Presenter Major(s)
Psychology
Mentor Information
Amanda Dillard
Department
Psychology
Location
Henry Hall Atrium 11
Start Date
10-4-2013 10:00 AM
End Date
10-4-2013 11:00 AM
Keywords
Health, Social Science
Abstract
Self-affirmation theory proposes that people's beliefs and behaviors are motivated by a desire to view the self as moral, adaptive, and capable. Researchers have found that allowing one to affirm the self reduces defensiveness towards threatening health information and increases intentions to change a health behavior, but few studies have examined why self-affirmation has these effects. In this study, college students were randomly assigned to a self-affirmed condition in which they wrote an essay about their personal values or a non-affirmed condition in which they wrote about a non-personal value. Participants then responded to hypothetical stressful scenarios and completed personality and individual difference measures. We examined the effects of self-affirmation on participants' coping intentions and their motivational states. We further examined whether the effects of self-affirmation were moderated by self-esteem, personality, or optimism.
Effects of Self-affirmation on Coping and Motivational Systems
Henry Hall Atrium 11
Self-affirmation theory proposes that people's beliefs and behaviors are motivated by a desire to view the self as moral, adaptive, and capable. Researchers have found that allowing one to affirm the self reduces defensiveness towards threatening health information and increases intentions to change a health behavior, but few studies have examined why self-affirmation has these effects. In this study, college students were randomly assigned to a self-affirmed condition in which they wrote an essay about their personal values or a non-affirmed condition in which they wrote about a non-personal value. Participants then responded to hypothetical stressful scenarios and completed personality and individual difference measures. We examined the effects of self-affirmation on participants' coping intentions and their motivational states. We further examined whether the effects of self-affirmation were moderated by self-esteem, personality, or optimism.