The impact of self-affirmation interventions on well-being: A meta-analysis

Previous research on self-affirmation has mainly focused on outcomes related to academic achievement and health-related behavior changes, suggesting that self-affirmation could facilitate adaptive responses to psychological threats. This has attracted increasing attention in the field of well-being research. However, the findings on the relationship between self-affirmation and well-being have not been synthesized. This meta-analysis aimed to fill this gap by summarizing the impact of self-affirmation interventions on well-being in nonclinical, general populations. It identified and coded 129 independent tests derived from 67 published articles. Effect sizes (ESs) were calculated for four types of well-being outcomes and synthesized using a random-effects model. The analysis revealed different ways of implementing self-affirmation interventions. The synthesized results showed that self-affirmation had small but significant positive effects on self-perception (ES = .32), general well-being (ES = 0.29), social well-being (ES = 0.26), and reduction of psychological barriers (ES = -.22). Notably, the benefits associated with all outcomes were not only immediate but also long-lasting, with delayed effect being significantly larger than immediate effect in reducing psychological barriers. Additionally, mature participants benefited more than adolescents in terms of increased self-perception. The continent where the study was conducted also influenced the effects on self-perception and general well-being. Overall results suggest that self-affirmation can significantly improve various aspects of well-being, with both immediate and lasting effects. Findings highlight the potential of self-affirmation as a valuable component that can be incorporated into well-being programs. Findings also suggest the need for a theoretical reconceptualization of self-affirmation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).