The Effects of Positive Self-Instruction: A Controlled Trial

In this article it is argued that positiveself-instruction can be an important aid for thetreatment of emotional disorders. A review of theliterature revealed that studies on the effects ofpositive self-instruction are often unclear andgenerally hampered by contamination between differenttreatment techniques. The present study tests theeffects of positive self-instruction in isolation. Apre-post controlled trial with participantscharacterized by low self-esteem was carried out. In theexperimental condition 24 participants were instructedto write a short positive text about themselves and to read this text twice daily for a period of 3weeks. In the control condition 26 participants carriedout a neutral task which consisted of writing theendings of a few short stories. Positiveself-instruction had positive effects on self-esteem and onfeelings of inadequacy, especially in those participantswho were intrinsically motivated to carry out theexperimental task. The intervention had no significant effects on a number of personality traitmeasures, which negates demand characteristics as analternative explanation for our findings. Implicationsfor clinical practice and research areconsidered.