Defensive bias and college student drinking: Do self-affirmations increase acceptance to threatening information?

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the effect a self-affirmation task would have on college student's drinking related attitudes and behavior. Three-hundred and one participants were randomized to one of three conditions: values-oriented affirmation task, self-efficacy oriented affirmation task, and no-affirmation condition. Participants were classified as non-drinkers, light drinkers, or heavy drinkers. After completing the affirmation task, participants read about the risks associated with college student drinking and were then asked about their drinking related attitudes.

Results generally did not support self-affirmation theory. After controlling for pre-experimental attitudes toward college alcohol use, all participants reported increased risk perceptions associated with college student drinking. In addition, participants who drank alcohol reported a reduction in drinking behavior at 30-day follow-up, regardless of affirmation condition. Lastly, self-esteem, hypothesized to play a role in self-affirmations, did not have an impact on the effectiveness of an affirmation task. Although significant between-group differences were not observed, within-group differences suggested that participants in the affirmation conditions reduced their drinking behavior to a greater extent than participants in the no-affirmation condition.