Self-affirmation and the self-regulation of health behavior change
Abstract
This paper considers the potential impact of self-affirmation—the process of reflecting upon important personal values or strengths—on the self-regulation of health behavior change. Self-affirmation appears to promote several key processes relevant to health behavior change, including more open-minded appraisal of otherwise threatening information, higher levels of mental construal, and reductions in the likelihood of self-control failure. It also appears to increase other-directed feelings, such as love. These effects of self-affirmation may provide people with the capacity to view the “big picture” and consider how their current activities relate to their longer term interests. An assessment is provided of the potential implications of self-affirmation at key phases of the self-regulation of health-behavior, from interpreting evidence to habit formation.
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Research on affirmations demonstrates their value in increasing self-awareness, implementing associated behaviors, fostering self-control, and regulating stress.
“Research on affirmations demonstrates their value in increasing self-awareness, implementing associated behaviors, fostering self-control, and regulating stress (Burson et al., 2012; Ferrer et al., 2012; Harris, 2011; Sherman, 2013).”
From A hope intervention for adolescents: a randomized controlled trial delivered by paraprofessionals (2025) · cites this paper as Harris, 2011
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- Authors
- Harris, P. R.
- Affiliations
- University of Sheffield (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Harris, Peter R.
- ORCID
- Harris, Peter R.
- Venue
- Self and Identity
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2011-06-03
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 304-314
- ISSN
- 1529-8868 (ISSN-L)
- 1529-8876
- OpenAlex
- W2010470804
- Cited by
- 30
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 2.62
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Self and Identity (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Media Influence and Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Keywords
- self-affirmation, self-regulation, health behavior change, self-control failure, mental construal, threat appraisal, habit formation, long-term goals, personal values
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