title: The moderating impact of self-esteem on self-affirmation effects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study explored whether self-esteem would moderate the effectiveness of a self-affirmation manipulation at increasing openness to personally relevant health-risk information.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study employed a prospective experimental design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N = 328) completed either a self-affirmation manipulation or a control task, prior to reading information detailing the health-related consequences of taking insufficient exercise. They then completed a series of measures assessing their cognitions towards exercise and their derogation of the information. Exercise behaviour was assessed at 1-week follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Self-esteem moderated the impact of self-affirmation on the majority of outcomes. For participants with low self-esteem, the self-affirmation manipulation resulted in more positive attitudes and intentions towards exercise, together with lower levels of derogation of the health-risk information. By contrast, there was no effect of the self-affirmation manipulation on outcomes for participants with high self-esteem.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that self-affirmation manipulations might be of particular benefit for those with low self-esteem in terms of promoting openness towards health-risk information. This is promising from a health promotion perspective, as individuals with low self-esteem often represent those most in need of intervention. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Self-affirmation has been shown to result in more open processing of personally relevant health-risk information. Individuals low in self-esteem tend to process such information more defensively than those high in self-esteem. What does this study add? It explores whether self-esteem moderates the impact of self-affirmation on responses to health-risk information. Findings suggest that individuals with low self-esteem benefit most from the self-affirmation manipulation. This has important applied implications, as individuals with low self-esteem may be most in need of intervention.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, UK.
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Düring
authors.forename: Donna C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Jessop
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: exercise; health promotion; self-affirmation theory; self-esteem