How to improve group affirmation manipulations: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Researchers often ask participants to affirm positive aspects or shared values for a group important to them (a group affirmation manipulation) in order to encourage healthy behavior, acknowledge historical harm, accept group-based criticism, or diffuse the impact of social exclusion. An exploratory meta-analysis of 92 experiments that included a group affirmation manipulation and a threat to participants’ self-integrity revealed an average g of −0.03, 95% CI [−0.10, 0.05], and enormous heterogeneity (I² = 77.15%). Group affirmations predicted a larger effect size if participants in the comparison condition completed the dependent variable immediately afterwards, compared to other comparison conditions. They also predicted stronger positive self-evaluations compared to dependent measures such as behavioral intentions or attitudes. Group value affirmations slightly reduced defensive information processing, whereas affirmations of positive group characteristics increased ingroup bias; a pattern that reflected researchers’ decisions to treat group affirmation as either an opportunity to reduce defensiveness or to increase the pursuit of collective interests. Careful consideration of the intergroup context and group norms should improve the effectiveness of group-based affirmations.

Keywords

defensive information processing group affirmation ingroup bias meta-analysis self-affirmation self-categorization theory self-integrity threat

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