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Does perceived behavioural control mediate the relationship between power beliefs and intention?
Author(s) -
Godin Gaston,
Gagné Camille,
Sheeran Paschal
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
british journal of health psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 2044-8287
pISSN - 1359-107X
DOI - 10.1348/1359107042304614
Subject(s) - structural equation modeling , psychology , confirmatory factor analysis , social psychology , theory of planned behavior , power (physics) , predictive power , control (management) , discriminant validity , health behavior , sobel test , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , psychometrics , statistics , mathematics , medicine , computer science , environmental health , philosophy , physics , epistemology , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , self esteem , internal consistency
Objectives: In order to determine whether the relationship between power beliefs ( Σp ) and health‐related behavioural intentions is mediated by perceived behavioural control (PBC) we used structural equation modelling of eight cross‐sectional data sets. Method: Eight studies that examined health‐related behaviours and employed representative samples totalling N = 4663 participants were analysed. All studies involved power belief items derived from pilot testing and employed standard multiitem measures of power beliefs, PBC and intention that were highly reliable. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the discriminant validity of power beliefs, PBC and intention. Structural equation modelling of relevant paths indicated that PBC only partially mediated the relationship between power beliefs and intention ( Z Sobel = 5.15, p < .001; Z Baron&Kenny = 5.16, p < .001). Power beliefs had a significant direct relationship with intention even after PBC had been taken into account. Conclusion: The findings undermine Ajzen's contention that PBC mediates the power beliefs‐intention relationship and suggests that it is important to employ measures of power beliefs in addition to measures of PBC in order to enhance the prediction of intentions to perform health‐risking, or health‐promoting, behaviours.