Steele's theory suggests that defensiveness is eliminated or at least reduced when the self is affirmed, for example by completing a relevant values scale or writing a brief essay on an important value.
Is proof of our animal selves affirmed in the sexual act?
In two studies, self-affirming the behavioral trait of kindness was examined as a method of regulating state disgust toward one's physical appearance.
In the current study the tested hypothesis is that students who are African-American will: 1. choose to self-affirm in the domain of academics; and 2. be observed to earn a higher grade-point average (GPA) as a result of such self-affirmations.
When controlling for trait self-disgust, the self-affirmed in Study 1 reported significantly less disgust toward their appearance (ηp2 = .12, p = .011).011
Study 2 replicated this effect and showed that the phenomenon did not depend on the self-affirmed participant's experience of a heightened sense of deservingness or a tendency to make positive attributions about the professor.
There was a seeming under-representation of the non-theists as there were only the Buddhist monk, Bhante Sulak Sivaraksa, and the self-affirmed anti-theist (someone against religion, not God per se), Professor Lawrence Krauss.
It was observed that students who are African American chose to self-affirm in the domain of academics statistically greater than students who were not African American (Χ2 = 2.62; OR = 2.4; p < 0.1).
This study suggests that three conditions are necessary for same-domain affirmations to result in beneficial outcomes: 1. there must be a perceived threat; 2. the domain must be of personal relevance; and 3. participants must freely choose the domain in which they self-affirm.
The task in the intervention condition was designed to encourage students to self-affirm their values by reflecting on them; whereas in the control condition students reflected on the values of another person which were different to their own.
In another lab study, we gave subjects a set of negative feedback similar to the feedback in the creative-writing exercise but also gave them an opportunity to self-affirm by asking them to write for 10 minutes about the values that were most important to them.
