@article{ref1,
title="Evidence that self-affirmation reduces relational aggression: a proof of concept trial",
journal="Psychology of violence",
year="2017",
author="Armitage, Christopher J. and Rowe, Richard",
volume="7",
number="4",
pages="489-497",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: Acts of relational aggression cause significant social and personal costs, and interventions are needed to reduce relational aggression in community as well as clinical settings. The present study used a persuasive message coupled with a self-affirmation manipulation to reduce relational aggression among a group of adolescents recruited from the community. <br><br>METHOD: Participants (N = 503) all received a persuasive message designed to reduce relational aggression and were randomly allocated to participate in a self-affirming or nonaffirming task. <br><br>RESULTS: Findings demonstrated a significant reduction in relational aggression over 1-month among participants who were randomized to the self-affirmation condition (d = −0.50) in contrast with a small increase in relational aggression in the control condition (d = +0.20). Contrary to expectations, these effects were not mediated by message processing or changes in interpersonal affect. <br><br>CONCLUSION: The present study used the novel approach of asking pupils to self-affirm following a persuasive message and showed that it was possible to reduce relational aggression. Self-affirmation shows considerable promise as a means of augmenting the delivery of interventions to reduce antisocial behavior in addition to other social and health behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2152-0828",
doi="10.1037/vio0000062",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/vio0000062"
}