Morality or competence? The importance of affirming the appropriate dimension of self-integrity

Objectives: Two studies explored the relative efficacy of a morality-based versus a competence-based self-affirmation manipulation at increasing acceptance of personally relevant health-risk information. In accordance with prior theorising (e.g., Cohen & Sherman, 2014), it was hypothesized that the morality affirmation would be more effective than the competence affirmation in such contexts, as the former targets a different domain to that threatened by the health-risk information. Design: Both studies employed a cross-sectional experimental design. Methods: Participants were presented with a morality affirmation, competence affirmation or no affirmation control prior to reading a message about the risks of (a) not engaging in daily dental flossing (Study 1) and (b) red meat consumption (Study 2). Participants subsequently completed a number of measures assessing acceptance of the message. Results: In line with predictions, findings from both studies demonstrated that the morality affirmation precipitated greater acceptance of personally relevant health-risk information compared to the competence affirmation, as reflected in more positive attitudes (Studies 1 and 2) and intentions (Study 1). Study 2’s findings further suggested that the superior efficacy of the morality affirmation in health-related contexts could not simply be attributed to a general tendency for this affirmation to outperform the competence affirmation. Conclusions: The nature of the value affirmed may be a critical factor in determining the success of self-affirmation manipulations in health-related domains.