Why Affirmations Can Help: What the Research Says
Directory
For grown-ups and teens
Why Affirmations Can Help
What the research says, in plain language. The honest version.
The short version
- The best studied kind of "affirmation" is not repeating nice words. It is thinking or writing about what matters to you (your values), especially before something stressful.
- In lab and field studies, this has lowered stress responses and helped some people stay open to helpful health messages. The effects are usually small.
- Early school studies looked very promising. Later large replications found smaller or no effects, so results depend a lot on the setting.
- Big, generic statements ("I am perfect") can backfire for people who don't believe them. Specific, believable words tied to a small action are a safer bet.
- Almost all of this research is with teens and adults. There is very little direct research with young children, so think of affirmations for kids as gentle practice, not a treatment.
This page shares research for learning. It is not medical or mental health advice.
What researchers mean by "self-affirmation"
In psychology, self-affirmation theory (Steele, 1988) says we all want to feel like a good, capable person. When something threatens that feeling, we tend to get defensive. Reminding ourselves of other things we care about, like family, kindness, music or curiosity, can make the threat feel smaller and help us respond more openly (Sherman and Cohen, 2006; Cohen and Sherman, 2014).
In most studies, the "affirmation" is a short writing task: pick a value that matters to you and write a few sentences about why. That is different from saying a sentence to a mirror, and it is worth keeping the difference in mind as you read.
The evidence, topic by topic
Tap a card to open it. The gold bars show our honest read of how strong the evidence is right now.
Turning research into family habits
These tips come from the studies above. They are gentle suggestions, not rules.
Make it specific and believable
Pick words your child can actually agree with today.
"I can try one new thing tonight."Connect it to what you value
Values affirmations work through what matters to a person, not through big praise.
"I am a kind friend. I care about my family."Link it to one small action
A tiny next step makes the words real.
"I will say hi to one person."Name the feeling first
It is okay to feel two things at once. Honest words are easier to believe.
"I feel nervous, and I can try."Try a little distance
Some people find it easier to coach themselves by name, like a friend would.
"You've got this, Sam. One step."Never force it
If a child doesn't want to say it, that is fine. Thinking it, whispering it or skipping today all count.
Celebrate effort
Notice the trying, not just the result.
"You tried, even when it felt hard."Try it on Glow Night
References
Cascio, C. N., O'Donnell, M. B., Tinney, F. J., Lieberman, M. D., Taylor, S. E., Strecher, V. J., & Falk, E. B. (2016). Self-affirmation activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future orientation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 11(4), 621-629. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsv136
Cohen, G. L., Garcia, J., Apfel, N., & Master, A. (2006). Reducing the racial achievement gap: A social-psychological intervention. Science, 313(5791), 1307-1310. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1128317
Cohen, G. L., Garcia, J., Purdie-Vaughns, V., Apfel, N., & Brzustoski, P. (2009). Recursive processes in self-affirmation: Intervening to close the minority achievement gap. Science, 324(5925), 400-403. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1170769
Cohen, G. L., & Sherman, D. K. (2014). The psychology of change: Self-affirmation and social psychological intervention. Annual Review of Psychology, 65, 333-371.
Creswell, J. D., Welch, W. T., Taylor, S. E., Sherman, D. K., Gruenewald, T. L., & Mann, T. (2005). Affirmation of personal values buffers neuroendocrine and psychological stress responses. Psychological Science, 16(11), 846-851. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2005.01624.x
Epton, T., Harris, P. R., Kane, R., van Koningsbruggen, G. M., & Sheeran, P. (2015). The impact of self-affirmation on health-behavior change: A meta-analysis. Health Psychology, 34(3), 187-196. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000116
Hanselman, P., Rozek, C. S., Grigg, J., & Borman, G. D. (2017). New evidence on self-affirmation effects and theorized sources of heterogeneity from large-scale replications. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(3), 405-424. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000141
Kross, E., Bruehlman-Senecal, E., Park, J., Burson, A., Dougherty, A., Shablack, H., Bremner, R., Moser, J., & Ayduk, O. (2014). Self-talk as a regulatory mechanism: How you do it matters. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106(2), 304-324. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035173
Sherman, D. K., & Cohen, G. L. (2006). The psychology of self-defense: Self-affirmation theory. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 183-242.
Steele, C. M. (1988). The psychology of self-affirmation: Sustaining the integrity of the self. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 21, 261-302. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60229-4
Wood, J. V., Perunovic, W. Q. E., & Lee, J. W. (2009). Positive self-statements: Power for some, peril for others. Psychological Science, 20(7), 860-866. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02370.x