The impact of self-affirmation on working memory and self-control
2015
Background: Self-affirmation – the act of reflecting upon a personally
important value – has been successfully employed in health interventions and has been shown to
have a beneficial effect on health-related attitudes and behaviours. Recent studies have
demonstrated that self-affirmed individuals perform better at tasks measuring working memory
and self-control, compared to non-affirmed individuals. The aim of the current study was to
replicate and extend these findings. Methods: In a lab-based study, participants (N = 83) were
randomly allocated to either the self-affirmation or control condition. All participants then
completed a computerised version of the 2-back task (a measure of working memory) and a
computerised version of the Stroop task (a measure of self-control). Findings: Self-affirmed
participants performed better on the 2-back task (evidenced by improved accuracy) and the
Stroop task (evidenced by quicker reaction times), compared to non-affirmed participants.
Discussion: This study is an important replication and extension of previous findings and adds
to our understanding of the link between self-affirmation and changes in health-related
behaviours.
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