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The impact of self-affirmation on health-behavior change: A meta-analysis

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Epton, Tracy, Harris, Peter R., Kane, Rachel, van Koningsbruggen, Guido M., Sheeran, Paschal·2015·Health Psychology

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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Self-affirmation (induced by reflecting upon important values, attributes, or social relations) appears to reduce defensive resistance to health-risk information and increase subsequent readiness for health behavior change. However, these effects of self-affirmation have yet to be subjected to formal, quantitative integration. Consequently, the current article reports a meta-analysis of the impact of self-affirmation on outcomes at 3 key points in the process of health-behavior change: (a) message acceptance, (b) intentions to change, and (c) subsequent behavior. METHOD: The literature search identified 144 experimental tests of the effects of manipulating self-affirmation on these outcomes. Effect sizes were extracted and meta-analyzed. RESULTS: Across 34 tests of message acceptance (N = 3,433), 64 tests of intentions (N = 5,564), and 46 tests of behavior (N = 2,715), random effects models indicated small but reliable positive effects of self-affirmation on each outcome: acceptance, d+ = .17(CI = .03 to .31); intentions, d+ = .14 (CI = .05 to .23); behavior, d+ = .32 (CI = .19 to .44). Findings held across a range of health problems and behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that deploying self-affirmation inductions alongside persuasive health information has positive effects, promoting message acceptance, intentions to change, and subsequent behavior. Though the effects are small in magnitude, they are comparable to those obtained in meta-analyses of other health-behavior change interventions. These findings are relevant to researchers and practitioners working to understand why people resist beneficial health information and how such resistance can be reduced.

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“This effect size is consistent with meta-analytic findings on self-affirmation interventions in clinical and social psychology (Epton et al., 2015), suggesting that brief, low-intensity interventions can produce measurable changes in cognitive biases.”
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Blondé, J. (2015) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/d30acaa1z5f29z4366zb4e3z0403b51c5715
What Can We Change and How?
Sunzeri, F. (2026) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-14465-2_14
Threatened by science: Can affirmations alleviate motivated science rejection?
Heusler, L., & Altenmüller, M. (2026) · Public Understanding of Science · doi:10.1177/09636625261445597
“Prior empirical evidence supports the effectiveness of such self-affirmations in mitigating biased information processing (Epton et al., 2015) and defensive reactions to identity-threatening research (Nauroth et al., 2015).”
Reducing Adolescent Body Image Concerns: A Controlled Evaluation of a School-Based Intervention
Calugi, S., Cattaneo, G., Chimini, M., Grave, A. D., & Grave, R. D. (2026) · Media Psychology · doi:10.1080/15213269.2026.2678219
How Effective Are Credible Sources in Changing Behavior? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis
Hamer, J., Epton, T., Hamer, D., & Armitage, C. J. (2026) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/01461672261445474
Generated Hover-to-Reveal Buttons Gate Exposure at the Point of Choice in a Goal-Reflection Chat
Göldi, A., Rietsche, R., & Ungar, L. (2026) · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2026.2664697
Do all roads lead to vicarious affirmation? A comparative look at cognitive, emotional, and values-based domains
Kalny, C. S., & Walter, N. (2026) · Communication Monographs · doi:10.1080/03637751.2026.2646491
“…to encourage message acceptance across a range of contexts (e.g., e-cigarette use; Walter et al., 2019a; 2019b; anti-discrimination and national defense policy support, Suh & Kim, 2025), among diverse populations, and with short – and long-term effects (Epton et al., 2015; Sweeney & Moyer, 2015).”
Continued Influence Effect: A Three-Dimensional Framework Shaping Practical and Theoretical Perspectives
Laurent, V., Rusinek, S., & Kosinski, T. (2026) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.1177/00332941261464066

Authors: Epton, T., Harris, P. R., Kane, R., van Koningsbruggen, G. M., & Sheeran, P.
Affiliations: University of Manchester (GB)
University of Sussex (GB)
University of Sheffield (GB)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
ORCID: Epton, Tracy
Harris, Peter R.
Venue: Health Psychology
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 2015
Volume: 34
Issue: 3
Pages: 187-196
ISSN: 0278-6133 (ISSN-L)
1930-7810
DOI: 10.1037/hea0000116
OpenAlex: W2023653705
Cited by: 277
References: 75
Citations by year: 2026: 11 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 40 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 25 · 2015: 9
FWCI: 30.45
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
figshare.com
Licence: cc-by
Locations: Health Psychology (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
VU Research Portal (publishedVersion)
Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (submittedVersion)
Sussex Research Online (University of Sussex) (submittedVersion)
Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
Social Sciences › Communication › Media Influence and Health
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
Keywords: self-affirmation, health behavior change, message acceptance, health risk information, persuasive health communication
MeSH terms: Adult, Female, Health Promotion, Humans, Male, Persuasive Communication, Health Behavior, Self Efficacy, Intention, Young Adult

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The impact of self-affirmation on health-behavior change: A meta-analysis

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