Effects on Self-Actualization of Paperbacks about Psychological Self-Help

Abstract

Self-help psychology books contain claims that they can help individuals solve personal and social problems. However, there is little research on the efficacy of these books although theory and data from traditional, and behavioristic, bibliotherapy suggests that they might be valuable. This study examined the effects of self-help paperbacks on self-actualization scores in a 2 X 3 design that varied presence or absence of a pretest on the Personal Orientation Inventory and an intervening treatment condition which involved reading either one of two self-help books or reading no book. Self-actualization was measured by a posttest on the inventory. Significant effects were found for the pretest and treatment conditions on both the Inner-directedness and Time competence scales. The presence of a pretest, and both self-help books, led to higher self-actualization scores. These findings support the hypothesis that reading self-help psychology books may be associated with increased self-reported scores of mental health.