Effectiveness of Self-Affirmation Interventions in Educational Settings: A Meta-Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Educational settings can trigger identity threats due to social prejudices and stereotypes.
• Self-affirmation interventions are recognized strategies to counteract the adverse effects of identity threat.

Purpose of the Study:

• To meta-analyze the efficacy of self-affirmation interventions within high school and university contexts.
• To provide a comprehensive overview of self-affirmation's impact on students from diverse backgrounds.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was performed in January 2023, identifying 144 experimental studies.
• The meta-analysis included studies on high school and university students facing identity threats.
• Effect sizes and moderating variables (identity threat, age, intervention type) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Self-affirmation interventions demonstrated a small, statistically significant mean effect size (d_IG+ = 0.41).
• The 95% confidence interval for the effect size ranged from 0.36 to 0.45.
• Key moderators influencing intervention effectiveness were identified.

Conclusions:

• Self-affirmation interventions are effective in mitigating identity threat in educational environments.
• These interventions are practical, cost-effective, and beneficial for enhancing student well-being and academic outcomes.