Self-Affirmation Theory

Self-affirmation theory asserts that people have a fundamental motivation to maintain self-integrity, that is, a perception of themselves as good, virtuous, and efficacious. Self-affirmation theory examines how people maintain self-integrity when they perceive it to be threatened. The theory posits flexibility in the way the self-system copes with such threats, such that people can respond to threats in one domain by reaffirming self-integrity in another, altogether different domain. Although people may react defensively to information or events ...