Evidence that self-affirmation reduces alcohol consumption: Randomized exploratory trial with a new, brief means of self-affirming.
Abstract
Objective To test the ability of a new, brief means of affirming the self (the "self-affirming implementation intention") to decrease alcohol consumption against a standard means of self-affirmation (the self-affirming "kindness" questionnaire) and an active control condition; to test whether self-affirmation effects can be sustained beyond the experimental session; and to examine potential moderators of the effects. Method Two hundred seventy-eight participants were randomly allocated to one of three conditions: control questionnaire, self-affirming questionnaire, and self-affirming implementation intention. All participants were exposed to a threatening health message, designed to inform them about the health risks associated with consuming alcohol. Main outcome measures The main outcome measure was subsequent alcohol intake. Results There were significant public health gains and statistically significant decreases (>1 unit/day) in alcohol consumption in the two experimental conditions but not in the control condition. At the end of the study, participants in the control condition were consuming 2.31 units of alcohol per day; people in the self-affirming questionnaire condition were consuming 1.52 units of alcohol per day; and people in the self-affirming implementation intention condition were consuming 1.53 units of alcohol per day. There were no significant differences between the self-affirming questionnaire and self-affirming implementation intention, and adherence did…
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Between the two time points, the percentage of participants drinking within healthful government-recommended levels jumped by an average of 32 percentage points in the affirmation conditions, more than double the change observed in the control condition.
“Between the two time points, the percentage of participants drinking within healthful government-recommended levels jumped by an average of 32 percentage points in the affirmation conditions, more than double the change observed in the control condition.”
From The Psychology of Change: Self-Affirmation and Social Psychological Intervention (2014) · cites this paper as Armitage et al. 2011
Relative to a control condition, both affirmations reduced consumption of alcohol, as assessed by self-reports on a validated measure one month later.
“Relative to a control condition, both affirmations reduced consumption of alcohol, as assessed by self-reports on a validated measure one month later.”
From The Psychology of Change: Self-Affirmation and Social Psychological Intervention (2014) · cites this paper as Armitage et al. 2011
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References 34 · Cited by 128
- Authors
- Armitage, C. J., Harris, P. R., & Arden, M. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Sheffield (GB)
- Sheffield Hallam University (GB)
- Venue
- Health Psychology
- Published
- 2011-09
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 633-641
- ISSN
- 0278-6133 (ISSN-L)
- 1930-7810
- OpenAlex
- W2082873084
- Cited by
- 128
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 11.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Health Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion)
- SHURA (Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive) (Sheffield Hallam University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Media Influence and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Keywords
- self-affirmation, alcohol consumption, implementation intentions, health risk messages, message processing, threat perception, health behavior change
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Alcohol Drinking, Defense Mechanisms, Female, Health Promotion, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Self Concept, Health Behavior, Young Adult
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