Self-Affirmation Reduces Internalized Heterosexism in Sexual Minority People

Internalized heterosexism poses a threat to sexual minority people's mental health, yet brief effective psychological interventions have been scarce. In two studies, we examined the immediate and long-term effects of a brief self-affirmation intervention on internalized heterosexism. Study 1 recruited an online sample of 249 sexual minority adults living in the United States. Participants were randomly assigned into a self-affirmation or control condition, completed a brief single-session writing exercise about personal values, and reported internalized heterosexism. We found that self-affirmation immediately reduced internalized heterosexism compared to control (d = 0.35). Study 2 recruited two cohorts totaling 295 sexual minority first-year undergraduate students in Canada and China, who were randomly assigned into a self-affirmation or control condition as in Study 1 to receive the identical writing manipulation and a novel password-booster manipulation. Participants reported internalized heterosexism three times, at baseline, immediately postintervention, and 6-week postintervention. Results did not replicate the immediate self-affirmation effects but revealed long-term benefits at 6-week follow-up (r(sp) = -.08), which were stronger among participants who had higher baseline internalized heterosexism (r(sp) = -.14). Collectively, these findings show the promise of self-affirmation intervention as a brief, affordable, and flexible intervention strategy, especially for individuals who face high psychological threat. Public Significance Statement Two studies conducted in the United States, Canada, and China demonstrated that self-affirmation intervention could reduce internalized heterosexism in sexual minority people both immediately postintervention and at the 6-week follow-up. Self-affirmation intervention could be scaled up to reach the widest range of sexual minority people, thereby reducing the inequality in mental health resources across different countries.