Abstract
There is much evidence to show that self-efficacy, belonging, and wellbeing are associated with success at university. Previous research has shown that a values affirmation (VA) writing exercise can provide a variety of academic and other benefits to undergraduate students. The research conducted as part of the present thesis sought to assess the extent to which a values affirmation intervention could promote beliefs about self-efficacy, belonging and wellbeing. To this end two studies were conducted. Each delivered a values affirmation writing exercise to students taking the Social Psychology 315 (PSYC 315) paper at the University of Otago. PSYC 315 is an important paper for students completing a degree in psychology, and for those seeking entry to graduate programmes. In Study 1 the values affirmation writing intervention did not result in changes to belonging, wellbeing, and/or efficacy. In Study 2, we posited that the benefits of a value affirmation writing exercise may be especially apparent when it is presented at an especially threatening time (e.g., the day prior to a crucial terms test). Participants who took part in the value affirmation exercise reported an increase in belonging, wellbeing and self-efficacy immediately following the intervention. No such effects were discerned amongst participants who were assigned to conditions whereby they (a) affirmed the values of others (VO) or (b) control (C) condition in which participants completed the measures of belonging, wellbeing, and efficacy twice. In addition, participants who completed the values affirmation exercise did significantly better on the terms test (M = 80.09) than did participants in the VO (M = 73.07) and C (M = 74.94) conditions. These findings suggest that value affirmations may be especially useful in contexts of academic threat.