Authors :
Janani S.M.; Bismirty Bhuyan
Volume/Issue :
Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 1 - January
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/25xran8d
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/4ecexpu6
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14744561
Abstract :
The present study assessed the impact of positive affirmations on self-esteem for both male and female
adolescents. Positive affirmations are believed by many to affect people's psychological moods, while their potential
benefits as a means for enhancing self-esteem during adolescence will be explored here. A sample of 100 participants was
selected who were divided according to gender as 50 men and 50 women, the mean age for all participants is 15.5 years
old. The study employed a pre-post design, where self-esteem levels were measured before and after a 4-week intervention
consisting of daily positive affirmations. Self-esteem was assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, a reliable and
validated instrument. Self-esteem scores were higher at the end of the program for both men and women. The starting
self-esteem score for the men averaged 45.2, and at the end it was 58.6, which is a difference of +13.4. Women's self-esteem
improved from 44.7 to 57.9, with a difference of +13.2. An ANOVA was done that resulted in a p-value of less than 0.01,
resulting in statistical significance of the self-esteem improvements. It describes how self-affirmation practices increase the
self-esteem of adolescents in a positive light. It recommends that daily positive affirmations be an effective, simple
intervention in enhancing self-worth, and this can benefit the vulnerable teen years. Such interventions could also be
studied with regard to the long-term outcomes and how it differs among diverse demographic groups. These findings add
to the literature that increasingly describes the role of self-affirmations in adolescent mental health and well-being.
Keywords :
Positive Affirmations, Self-Esteem, Adolescence, Teen Mental Health, Psychological Interventions, Self-Worth Development, Emotional Resilience.
References :
- G. L. Cohen and D. K. Sherman, "The psychology of change: Self-affirmation and social psychological intervention," Annual Review of Psychology, vol. 65, no. 1, pp. 333–371, 2014. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115137
- C. R. Critcher and D. Dunning, "Self-affirmations provide a broader perspective on self-threat," Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 3–18, 2015. [Online]. Available: https:/ /doi.org/10.1177/0146167214554956
- E. B. Falk, M. B. O'Donnell, C. N. Cascio, F. J. Tinney, and Y. Kang, "Self-affirmation alters the brain's response to health messages and subsequent behavior change," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 112, no. 7, pp. 1977–1982, 2015. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10. 1073/pnas.1500247112
- N. C. Hall, J. G. Chipperfield, R. P. Perry, R. A. Clifton, and T. L. Haynes, "Enhancing high school students' self-esteem using positive affirmations: A practical application," Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 108, no. 3, pp. 509–523, 2016. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000 095
- U. Orth and R. W. Robins, "The development of self-esteem," Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 381–387, 2014. [Online]. Available:https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214145474 14
- M. Rosenberg, Society and the adolescent self-image, Princeton University Press, 1965. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400876136
- C. M. Steele, "The psychology of self-affirmation: Sustaining the integrity of the self," in L. Berkowitz, Ed., Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, vol. 21, Academic Press, 1988, pp. 261–302. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60229-4
- D. S. Yeager and C. S. Dweck, "Mindsets that promote resilience: When students believe that personal characteristics can be developed," Educational Psychologist, vol. 47, no. 4, pp. 302–314, 2012. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10. 1080/00461520.2012.722805
The present study assessed the impact of positive affirmations on self-esteem for both male and female
adolescents. Positive affirmations are believed by many to affect people's psychological moods, while their potential
benefits as a means for enhancing self-esteem during adolescence will be explored here. A sample of 100 participants was
selected who were divided according to gender as 50 men and 50 women, the mean age for all participants is 15.5 years
old. The study employed a pre-post design, where self-esteem levels were measured before and after a 4-week intervention
consisting of daily positive affirmations. Self-esteem was assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, a reliable and
validated instrument. Self-esteem scores were higher at the end of the program for both men and women. The starting
self-esteem score for the men averaged 45.2, and at the end it was 58.6, which is a difference of +13.4. Women's self-esteem
improved from 44.7 to 57.9, with a difference of +13.2. An ANOVA was done that resulted in a p-value of less than 0.01,
resulting in statistical significance of the self-esteem improvements. It describes how self-affirmation practices increase the
self-esteem of adolescents in a positive light. It recommends that daily positive affirmations be an effective, simple
intervention in enhancing self-worth, and this can benefit the vulnerable teen years. Such interventions could also be
studied with regard to the long-term outcomes and how it differs among diverse demographic groups. These findings add
to the literature that increasingly describes the role of self-affirmations in adolescent mental health and well-being.
Keywords :
Positive Affirmations, Self-Esteem, Adolescence, Teen Mental Health, Psychological Interventions, Self-Worth Development, Emotional Resilience.