Guides
Do affirmations work? What the research shows
The honest answer depends on what you mean by affirmations. Psychologists have studied one kind closely and another kind far less. Separating the two explains why some people swear by affirmations while others find them hollow.
What self-affirmation research actually studies
Self-affirmation theory, introduced by social psychologist Claude Steele in 1988, proposes that people are motivated to protect a sense that they are good and capable. When that sense is threatened, reminding yourself of what matters to you can make the threat feel smaller. In many experiments, participants rank a list of values and write briefly about why their top value matters. That is quite different from repeating “I am successful” in a mirror.
Reviews by Sherman and Cohen (2006) and Cohen and Sherman (2014) describe how these short value reflections can reduce defensiveness toward threatening information and, in some studies, support performance under pressure.
Key findings, in plain terms
Effects in these studies are usually modest, and results vary across settings and groups of people.
- Stress: In a study by Creswell and colleagues (2005), people who affirmed an important value before a stressful lab task showed lower cortisol responses than a control group.
- Openness: Self-affirmation reviews describe people becoming more willing to consider threatening health messages or criticism after affirming a value.
- Brain activity: An fMRI study by Cascio and colleagues (2016) found that self-affirmation engaged brain regions associated with self-related processing and reward.
- Positive self-statements: Wood, Perunovic and Lee (2009) found that repeating “I'm a lovable person” helped people with high self-esteem only slightly and left people with low self-esteem feeling worse.
What affirmations can and can't do
Used well, affirmations can help you return to a chosen thought under stress, remind you of values that are bigger than one bad moment, and make it a little easier to face a hard task or difficult feedback. They can also give shape to a short daily pause.
- They can't change your circumstances by themselves.
- They can't replace sleep, support from other people or professional care.
- They can't remove anxiety or depression.
- They can't make a statement true through repetition alone.
Who may not benefit, and what to try instead
People with very low self-esteem, or anyone going through a period of depression, may find that grand positive statements only highlight the distance between how they feel and what they are saying. That fits the Wood findings. For them, it may help to write about a value instead of a trait, use bridge statements like “I am learning to…”, or focus on one small action. Anyone whose low mood lasts for weeks deserves real support, not just better wording.
Putting the research into practice
- Before a stressful event, spend five minutes writing about a value that matters to you and why.
- Choose affirmations that feel at least somewhat believable rather than the boldest version.
- Tie statements to actions or values instead of fixed traits like “perfect” or “fearless.”
- If a statement keeps making you feel worse, drop it; that is useful information, not a personal failure.
Frequently asked questions
Are affirmations backed by science?
Partly. Research supports a specific form called self-affirmation, where people reflect on their core values, and links it to lower stress responses and less defensiveness in controlled studies. Simple repetition of positive statements has much weaker evidence. For any approach, effects tend to be modest and differ from person to person, so affirmations are best seen as a small, supportive habit.
Why do affirmations not work for me?
Affirmations often fall flat when the statement feels untrue, because the mind argues back. Research by Wood and colleagues found that people with low self-esteem felt worse after repeating a broad positive statement. Try a value-based reflection, a gentler “I am learning to…” phrasing, or a sentence about a small action you can actually take today.
Can affirmations replace therapy or medication?
No. Affirmations are a self-help habit, not a treatment. They may make stressful moments slightly easier to handle, but they cannot address the causes of anxiety, depression or trauma. If you are struggling, a doctor or mental health professional can help, and affirmations can sit alongside that care rather than take its place.
What is the difference between self-affirmation and positive affirmations?
Self-affirmation, as psychologists study it, usually means writing or thinking about a personal value, such as kindness or family, and why it matters to you. Positive affirmations are repeated statements like “I am confident.” The first has a sizable research base; the second is far less studied and can backfire when the statement feels false.
Sources
- Steele, C. M. (1988). The psychology of self-affirmation: Sustaining the integrity of the self. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 21, 261–302.
- Sherman, D. K., & Cohen, G. L. (2006). The psychology of self-defense: Self-affirmation theory. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 183–242.
- Creswell, J. D., et al. (2005). Affirmation of personal values buffers neuroendocrine and psychological stress responses. Psychological Science, 16(11), 846–851.
- Wood, J. V., Perunovic, W. Q. E., & Lee, J. W. (2009). Positive self-statements: Power for some, peril for others. Psychological Science, 20(7), 860–866.
- Cohen, G. L., & Sherman, D. K. (2014). The psychology of change: Self-affirmation and social psychological intervention. Annual Review of Psychology, 65, 333–371.
- Cascio, C. N., et al. (2016). Self-affirmation activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future orientation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 11(4), 621–629.