The Self-Bolstering Effects of Repeated Affirmations Over Time

Should you listen again to that song you have been listening to on repeat, or should you listen to different song? We make consumption choices like this on a daily basis without really knowing if more (or less) variety is better for us—not just in terms of enjoyment (Galak, Redden, and Kruger 2009; Ratner, Kahn, and Kahneman 1999), but also psychological wellbeing. This is not an insignificant choice, however, since we regularly use consumption to help us cope when our perceptions of adequacy are called into question. The abundance of and chronic nature of threats to one’s adequacy can cause lasting negative effects on a person’s physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing (Cook et al. 2012; Creswell et al. 2005; Jonas et al. 2014; Sherman and Hartson 2011). By encouraging reflection on valued aspects of the self, self-affirmation through consumption can be an effective way to prevent these harmful consequences since possessions and experiences can be closely tied to one’s sense of self (Belk 1988; Carter and Gilovich 2012; Sherman and Cohen 2006; Steele 1988). A considerable body of research has confirmed the effectiveness of affirmations in restoring the self (Mandel et al. 2017), as demonstrated by higher levels of self-esteem, improved performance, increased optimism, and reduced stress levels (Sherman and Cohen 2006). However, this research has primarily investigated these outcomes in isolation, without accounting for the fact the individuals may be faced with a choice to either use a variety of affirmations, or to repeatedly use a single one to defend against the myriad threats they may face every day (Cohen and Sherman 2014; Cook et al. 2012). The purpose of this research is to investigate how the use of varied or repeated affirmations increases their effectiveness.