Significance People often feel defensive when reminded of their unhealthy behavior. We propose that self-transcendence, encouraged by focusing on others’ well-being, can lessen subsequent focus on threatened aspects of the self and increase receptivity. We show that activating self-transcendent mindsets, either by reflecting on self-transcendent values or making positive wishes for others,...
MindfulnessSeptember 13, 2016Yoona Kang, Matthew Brook O'Donnell, Victor J Strecher et al.
Feelings can shape how people respond to persuasive messages. In health communication, adaptive affective responses to potentially threating messages constitute one key to intervention success. The current study tested dispositional mindfulness, characterized by awareness of the present moment, as a predictor of adaptive affective responses to potentially threatening health messages and...