Do messages about health risks threaten the self? Increasing the acceptance of threatening health messages via self-affirmation

Two studies demonstrate that self-image maintenance processes affect the acceptance of personally relevant health messages. Participants who completed a self-affirmation were less defensive and more accepting of health information. In Study I, female participants (high vs. low relevance) read an article linking caffeine consumption to breast cancer. High-relevance women rejected the information more than did low-relevance women; however; affirmed high-relevance women accepted the information and intended to change their behavior accordingly. In Study 2 sexually active participants viewed an AIDS educational video; affirmed participants saw themselves at greater risk for HN and purchased condoms more often than did nonaffirmed participants. Results suggest that health messages can threaten an individual's self-image and that self-affirming techniques can increase the effectiveness of health information and lead to positive health behaviors.