The Effects of Values Activation on Temptation Coping and Confidence:
[Thesis]
Varma, Malini
Testing Delayed Reward Discounting and Religiosity/Spirituality as Moderators
Erickson, Thane M.
Seattle Pacific University
2020
93
Ph.D.
Seattle Pacific University
2020
Temptation coping, or avoidance of substances in situations where they are desirable and accessible, and one's confidence to resist use, comprise important processes for decreasing risk of substance misuse. Traditional substance use interventions (i.e., motivational interviewing) have emphasized helping individuals clarify their values, but studies have not experimentally activated values to test for effects on temptation coping and confidence. Given previous research on values activation shifting individuals' choices and motivation, such manipulations may also shift both prosocial (compassionate) goals and emotions. Additionally, the delayed reward discounting rate (DRD; a behavioral index of impulsivity), may serve as a risk factor in substance use, while religiosity/spirituality may serve as a strength in abstaining from it; both may moderate the effect of values on outcomes. This study experimentally manipulated values via a values card sort intervention (relative to sorting obscure words) and then examined moderating effects of religiosity/spirituality and DRD on temptation coping and confidence to resist use. Also, it examined mediating effects of prosocial goals on emotions. The sample included 81 participants aged 18-46 years (M = 24.19) who were mostly White, female college students of either Protestant or agnostic/atheistic backgrounds. Results unexpectedly indicated that values activation, relative to the control condition, caused lower levels of temptation coping (B = -8.11, SE = 3.01, p = .01), and higher levels of prosocial goals (B = 1.96, SE = .19, p < .001) and emotions (B = .89, SE = .14, p < .001), but did not lead to higher confidence to resist use. As expected, prosocial goals fully mediated the effect of the intervention on prosocial emotions (B = 1.96, SE = .19, p < .001). Unexpectedly, higher levels of DRD and religiosity/spirituality did not moderate the effect of values activation on temptation coping and the confidence to resist use; however, higher levels of religiosity/spirituality independently predicted higher levels of temptation coping (B = .33, SE = .09, p < .001). The findings suggest the need for further research into the mechanisms, moderators, and outcomes of values activation as a stand-alone intervention, as well as the clinical utility of it.