Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Queensland, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Numerous studies have reported psychological benefits associated with the practice of values-based self-affirmation. However, there is little evidence regarding their clinical applicability. Many of the purported benefits of values-based self-affirmation are highly relevant to people with bulimia nervosa (BN). This study used a multiple case study design in order to investigate the effectiveness, underlying mechanisms and acceptability of a brief (three week) intervention focussing on the development and practice of values-based self-affirmations with people who have BN. Two participants were recruited from an Eating Disorders (ED) Service waiting list. They completed questionnaires measuring cognitions associated with ED, attitude towards change, self-esteem, self-compassion, body image acceptance, psychological flexibility, cognitive defusion, and SELF repertory grids over four time points. Following appointments qualitative data was collected, and on completion of the intervention participants were interviewed, regarding their experiences. Pre and post intervention behavioural measures of BN were also collected. The use of a personal values-based self-affirmation intervention was associated with reductions in behaviours associated with BN, enhanced attitude towards change and reduced discrepancy between self and ideal self. There was little convincing evidence that the intervention was associated with a reduction in cognitions associated with ED. A very small degree of change in a positive direction was observed in relation to self-esteem, self-compassion, body image acceptance, psychological flexibility and cognitive fusion. However, scores did not reflect Reliable Change in these processes. Overall, results appeared to be slightly better explained by theory underpinning Personal Construct Psychotherapy rather than Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. However, neither theoretical explanation fully accounted for the data. Participants generally found the intervention to be acceptable. The results add novel findings to the literature regarding the use of values-based self-affirmation within the treatment of BN. They suggest that a brief values-based self-affirmation intervention might be a useful adjunct to evidence based treatment of BN. However, the case study design that is utilised in this study limits the degree to which these results may be generalised and future research should explore this further.

The purpose of this study was to examine how to enhance the buffering effects of stereotype threat interventions among women. We specifically wanted to understand whether self-affirmation type and self-construal levels, an individual difference variable, interact to mitigate the gender performance gap among Masters of Business Administration (MBA) students. By examining how an individual difference variable, such as self-construal level, impacts the way people respond to a stereotype threat intervention, we hoped to elucidate factors that could help tailor interventions according to an individual’s needs. Participants were assigned to one of three self-affirmation conditions: 1) individual self-affirmation, 2) collective self-affirmation, and 3) control condition. In the individual self-affirmation condition, participants were asked to write about a value that was important to them; in the collective self-affirmation condition, participants were asked to write about a value that was important to them and a group with whom they identified; and in the control condition, participants were asked to write about a value that might be important to someone else. Study results revealed that the gender performance gap as measured by semester grades in the core quantitative courses disappeared for women who engaged in an individual self-affirmation condition, but not for women who were assigned to the collective self-affirmation or control condition. Moreover, the results also showed that when there was alignment between a woman’s self-construal level and the type of affirmation received, the buffering effects of the intervention were enhanced even more. More specifically, we saw enhanced performance for women who were high on individualism, but low on collectivism and assigned to the individual self-affirmation condition as well as for women who were high on collectivism, but low on individualism and assigned to the collective self-affirmation condition. Study significance and implications are discussed.

Applied research project (D. Min.)--School of Theology and Missions, Oral Roberts University, 2002. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-122).

The urgent need to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy in combating climate change is often impeded by conflicts and political polarization. Multistakeholder collaboration, which involves diverse participants working together to address complex issues, is a potential solution, but entrenched viewpoints can hinder progress. To address this challenge, we conducted an experiment testing two socio-psychological interventions—grounded in self-affirmation theory and moral foundations theory— designed to foster constructive group dynamics in multi-stakeholder settings. We recruited 1,244 students from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale to participate in an online survey about their opinions on several hypothetical on-campus sustainability initiatives. An initiative that would require students to complete a course in sustainability was found to be the most polarizing. We then invited a second sample of 282 students to discuss their views on this initiative in small groups. Prior to the discussion, each group was randomly assigned to complete one of two intervention exercises that involved a short writing task, or to a control condition. We found that groups assigned to the self-affirmation intervention exhibited significantly more openness-perspective-taking, information processing and agreement, compared to those in the control groups. Participants in groups who completed the moral foundations intervention were more supportive of the initiative overall, but showed no increase in support, openness-perspective-taking, information processing or agreement, compared to other groups. These findings provide preliminary evidence that completing a short self-affirmation intervention prior to engaging discussion has the potential to facilitate constructive dialogs on divisive issues related to sustainability.