The Effects of Self-Affirmation, Perceived Self-Threat, and Self-Esteem on Infidelity Related Beliefs and Intentions

• Main Author: Hasan, Michelle
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01.01.2017
• Subjects: Experimental psychology; Psychology; Social psychology
• ISBN: 9780355616590; 0355616599

When threats to the self arise, people tend to respond in ways that restore self-worth. Some individuals engage in defensive responses that reduce threat, while others affirm self-resources unrelated to the threat. Doing so is believed to maintain self-integrity, allowing individuals to be more objective about the self-threat. Although such elements of self-affirmation theory has been examined and consistently supported in numerous studies assessing risky health behaviors, it has not yet been examined within the context of romantic relationships. Two studies examined the effects of self-affirmation on infidelity related beliefs and intentions. Study 1 examined individuals who have engaged in infidelity while Study 2 examined individuals who have been in romantic relationships in which their partners engaged in infidelity. In both studies, participants read an article linking engaging in infidelity (in Study 1) or staying with a partner who has engaged in infidelity (in Study 2) to relationship breakup. Participants then rated how threatened they felt as a result of reading the article. Participants in the experimental group completed a self-affirmation task, while those in the control group completed a control task. Afterward, all participants completed a number of measures related to infidelity and the self. Although self-affirmation did not affect infidelity related beliefs and intentions in either Study 1 or Study 2, self-esteem and self-threat emerged as predictors of belief and intent in each study, respectively.