Adapting a self-affirmation intervention for use in a mobile application for smokers

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Health Behavior Change
• Intervention Science

Background:

• Self-affirmation interventions reduce defensive responses but have limited reach.
• Translating lab-based interventions to real-world settings is challenging.
• Mobile delivery offers potential for wider accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test a feasible mobile self-affirmation intervention for smokers.
• To assess the intervention's effectiveness on message acceptance and quitting intentions.
• To evaluate feasibility in a non-laboratory, online setting.

Main Methods:

• 603 cigarette smokers participated in an online experiment.
• A 2x3 factorial design tested self-affirmation versus control and three example types (written, imagined, none).
• Participants received a health message about smoking harms.

Main Results:

• Self-affirmation showed null effects on message acceptance, perceived effectiveness, and reactance.
• The intervention backfired, reducing quitting intentions and risk perceptions.
• Participants spent minimal time on the health message; written affirmations lacked detail.

Conclusions:

• Mobile self-affirmation interventions may not be effective or feasible for smokers.
• Real-world translation of psychological interventions faces significant hurdles.
• Further research is needed to adapt interventions for diverse populations and settings.