Work

Measuring defensive responses to threatening messages: a meta-analysis of measures

Year: 2007

Type: review

Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis

Abstract: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to establish the nature and relative sensitivity of measures used to detect defensive responses to threatening messages. Databases were searched using a descendency approach to identify quasi-experimental or experimental studies which (i) exposed participants to information that could be personally threatening; (ii) included measures of defensiveness; and (iii) compared groups that differed in their expected defensiveness. Comparisons between three types of group were included: (a) those who naturally differed in the personal relevance of the threatening message; (b) those who had or had not received efficacy information; and (c) those who had or had not received self-affirmation. Thirty-five papers (reporting 43 studies) met these criteria. Twelve different types of defensiveness measures were identified. Of these, only three generated consistently expected results in relation to anticipated group differences. Suggestions are made for the use of multiple, standardised measures of defensive processing in future research.

Source: Health Psychology Review

DOI: 10.1080/17437190802280889

Authors: Anna Good, Charles Abraham

Institution: University of Sussex

Language: English

Topic: Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: Universiteit Maastricht, Economic and Social Research Council