Self-Affirmation and Defensiveness to Health Messages for the Self vs. a Close Other

Self-affirmation, a process by which individuals reflect on cherished personal values is a potent means of augmenting the effectiveness of threatening health communications. Individuals tend to be defensive against information suggesting their behavior puts them at risk for disease or negative health. Previous evidence suggests that self-affirmation may reduce defensiveness to threatening health information, increasing openness to the message and resulting in increased disease risk perceptions, disease-related worry, intentions to engage in preventive behavior, and actual behavioral change. One mechanism by which self-affirmation may be effective is by reducing self-focus and expanding self-concept. If this is the case, self-affirmation may not be effective in reducing defensiveness against information that is threatening to one s close other. We are proposing two studies to examine whether self-affirmation is equally effective at reducing defensiveness against threatening information for the self and for a close other. These studies will not only highlight conditions under which self-affirmation is effective, but also shed light on mechanisms underlying the effect.

• INCLUSION CRITERIA

For Study 1

-Knowledge Networks panel members will be eligible if they are aged 40-70, overweight, and

have never been diagnosed with cancer (to ensure relevance to breast and prostate cancer risk, the topic of

the health message). Individuals will also be screened for inclusion based on whether they report having

an opposite-sex close relationship with another adult age 40-70 who is also overweight (e.g., opposite-sex

spouse, close friend, or family member).

For Study 2

-Community individuals will be subject to the same inclusion criteria.