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Effects of Thinking About Reasons and Actions on Intentions to Perform Health Behaviors
Author(s) -
Millar Murray
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2004.tb02014.x
Subject(s) - psychology , health promotion , promotion (chess) , disease , social psychology , health behavior , medicine , public health , nursing , environmental health , pathology , politics , political science , law
This study examined the effects of directed thinking on intention to perform disease‐detection and health‐promotion behaviors. It was hypothesized that when participants thought about reasons for performing the behavior, they would have stronger intentions to perform health‐promotion behaviors than disease‐detection behaviors. Alternatively, when participants thought about actions, the difference in intention to perform health‐promotion and disease‐detection behaviors should not be found. This hypothesis was tested by directing some participants to think of reasons why either a disease‐detection or a health‐promotion behavior would be beneficial. Other participants were directed to think of as many actions as possible that would make either a health‐promotion or disease‐detection behavior enjoyable. The results supported the hypothesis.