A study examining the relationship between emotional self-licensing, self-esteem and self affirmation

Abstract

Introduction: Self-regulation failure can be explained by self-licensing which is coming up with reasons (i.e. justifications) that make the prospective goal-discrepant behaviour acceptable to oneself. In the present study it is assumed that self-esteem and self-affirmation are important in relation to self-licensing. The design of this study is an experimental between-participants design with one factor that is manipulated (self-licensing vs. control condition) It was hypothesized that self-licensing could affect self-affirmation, assuming that engaging in selflicensing leads to less self-affirmation; self-esteem could predict self-affirmation assuming that high self-esteem leads to less self-affirmation and self-licensing and self-esteem could interact in predicting self-affirmation, assuming that high self-esteem leads to weaker effects of self-licensing on self-affirmation than low self-esteem. Method: The study was conducted online, and 130 participants were randomly assigned to the control or selflicensing condition. In the self-licensing condition, a vignette was presented in which an individual used an emotion as a license to justify their goal discrepant behaviour; in the control condition this license was absent. Afterwards, the variables self-esteem, self-affirmation and restrained eating were measured. Results: Expectations were not confirmed. Results did show a relation between self-esteem and self-affirmation. The higher the selfesteem, the more self-affirmation participants used. Discussion: Findings are discussed in light of the limitations of the present study and recommendations are provided for future avenues.