Aleksandra Luszczynska

General self‐efficacy in various domains of human functioning: Evidence from five countries

Based on social-cognitive theory (Bandura, 1997), this paper examined whether perceived self-efficacy is a universal psychological construct that accounts for variance within various domains of human functioning. Perceived self-efficacy is not only of a task-specific nature, but it can also be identified at a more general level of functioning. General self-efficacy (GSE) is the belief in one’s competence to tackle novel tasks and to cope with adversity in a broad range of stressful or challenging encounters, as opposed to specific self-efficacy, which is constrained to a particular task at hand. The study aimed at exploring the relations between GSE and a variety of other psychological constructs across several countries. Relations between general self-efficacy and personality, well-being, stress appraisals, social relations, and achievements were examined among 8796 participants from Costa Rica, Germany, Poland, Turkey, and the USA. Across countries, the findings provide evidence for associations between perceived general self-efficacy and the selected variables. The highest positive associations were with optimism, self-regulation, and self-esteem, whereas the highest negative associations emerged with depression and anxiety. Academic performance is also associated with self-efficacy as hypothesized. The replication across languages or cultures adds significance to these findings. The relations between self-efficacy and other personality measures remained stable across cultures and samples. Thus, perceived general self-efficacy appears to be a universal construct that yields meaningful relations with other psychological constructs.

Planning and Self-Efficacy in the Adoption and Maintenance of Breast Self-Examination: A Longitudinal Study on Self-Regulatory Cognitions

Many women may be reluctant to perform breast self-examination (B.S.E.) regularly due to motivational or self-regulatory deficits. The Health Action Process Approach (Schwarzer, R. (1992). Self-efficacy in the adoption and maintenance of health behaviors: theoretical approaches and a new model. In: Schwarzer, R. (Ed.), Self-efficacy: Thought Control of Action , pp. 217-243. Hemisphere, Washington DC; Schwarzer, R. (2001). Social-cognitive factors in changing health-related behavior. Current Directions in Psychological Science , 10 , 47-51.), a health behavior change model that advocates the separation of motivation and action phases, such as goal setting and goal pursuit, was applied to data from 418 young women whose risk perceptions, outcome expectancies, self-efficacy, intention to perform B.S.E., planning, and reported examination behaviors were examined at two points in time. Risk perception was found to have a negligible influence in a path analysis, whereas self-efficacy emerged as the best predictor of intention and planning. Planning, in turn, appeared to be the best predictor of B.S.E. behaviors, followed by self-efficacy. The results point to the influential role that self-regulatory strategies (such as planning) play in translating goals into action. The study contributes to the current debate on stage theories of health behavior change and the orchestration of self-beliefs and strategies in the context of goal-directed behaviors.

SELF-REGULATORY COGNITIONS, SOCIAL COMPARISON, AND PERCEIVED PEERS BEHAVIORS AS PREDICTORS OF NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: A COMPARISON AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN HUNGARY, POLAND, TURKEY, AND USA

This study investigated whether the effects of self-regulatory cognitions and social influence variables on healthy behaviors – nutrition and physical activity – vary across countries. Adolescents (Nu2009=u20092387) from Hungary, Poland, Turkey, and the USA participated in the study. Measures included self-efficacy, future orientation, social comparison orientation (SCO), perceived behaviors of peers, as well as age and gender. These variables were included in the path model as predictors of healthy behaviors. The role of a country as a moderator was also examined. Results showed that self-efficacy, SCO, and perceived behaviors of peers predicted both health-promoting behaviors in all four countries. Some differences were found regarding the role of future orientation and gender.

Discontinuity patterns in stages of the precaution adoption process model : Meat consumption during a livestock epidemic

OBJECTIVESnPatterns of changes in social-cognitive variables were investigated in order to test selected stages of the precaution adoption process model (PAPM). It was hypothesized that non-linear trends (discontinuity patterns) in perceived vulnerability, positive and negative outcome expectancies, procrastination, and self-efficacy might be observed across the stages.nnnDESIGNnCross-sectional data from 808 respondents were employed.nnnMETHODnQuestionnaire data were collected in an on-line study on meat consumption during a livestock epidemic in Germany. Polynomial trends and analyses of variance with post-hoc-contrasts were used to examine the patterns of change.nnnRESULTSnDiscontinuity patterns were found for perceived vulnerability, negative outcome expectancies, and procrastination. The data provided partial support for discontinuity patterns in self-efficacy. Continuity patterns were found for positive outcome expectancies.nnnCONCLUSIONSnResults provide support for a stage model rather than a pseudo-stage model.

Self-efficacy, planning, or a combination of both? A longitudinal experimental study comparing effects of three interventions on adolescents' body fat

Background The superiority of an intervention combining two sets of theory-based behavior change techniques targeting planning and self-efficacy over an intervention targeting planning only or self-efficacy only has rarely been investigated. Purpose We compared the influence of self-efficacy, planning, and self-efficacy+planning interventions with an education-based control condition on adolescents’ body fat, assuming mediating effects of respective social cognitive variables and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The moderating role of the built environment was examined. Methods Participants (N = 1217, aged 14–18 years) were randomly assigned to four conditions: planning (n = 270), self-efficacy (n = 311), self-efficacy+planning (n = 351), and control (n = 285). The measurement was conducted at baseline (T1), two-month follow-up (T2), and fourteen-month follow-up (T3). Interventions/control group procedures were delivered at T1 and T2. Percent of body fat tissue (measured at T1 and T3) was the main outcome. Social cognitive mediators (self-efficacy and planning) were assessed at T1 and T2. The behavioral mediator (MVPA) and the presence of built MVPA facilities (the moderator) were evaluated at T1 and T3. Results Similar small increases of body fat were found across the three intervention groups, but the increment of body fat was significantly larger in the control group. On average, differences between control and intervention groups translated to approximately 1% of body fat. Effects of the interventions on body fat were mediated by relevant social cognitive variables and MVPA. A lower increase of body fat was found among intervention group participants who had access to newly-built MVPA facilities. Conclusions We found no superiority of an intervention targeting two social cognitive variables over the intervention targeting one cognition only.

Individual and dyadic planning predicting pelvic floor exercise among prostate cancer survivors.

UNLABELLEDn[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 60(3) of Rehabilitation Psychology (see record 2015-40319-001). Aleksandra Luszczynskas institutional affiliation was incorrectly set as Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities. It should have been University of Social Sciences and Humanities. All versions of this article have been corrected.]nnnOBJECTIVEnRadical prostatectomy, a standard treatment for localized prostate cancer, is often followed by a recommendation to initiate and maintain pelvic floor exercise (PFE), to control postsurgery urinary incontinence. Previous studies showed that planning facilitated the uptake and maintenance of a new behavior. Whereas individual planning addresses the setting of plans by 1 person, dyadic planning refers to creating plans together with a partner on when, where, and how the individual target person will perform a behavior. Individual and dyadic planning of PFE, their development over time, and their associations with PFE were investigated.nnnRESEARCH METHODnIn a correlational study, 175 prostate-cancer patients provided data at 1, 3, 5, and 7 months following the onset of incontinence. Individual planning of PFE by patients and dyadic planning of PFE between patients and their partners, PFE, and incontinence were assessed by patients self-reports.nnnRESULTSnTwo-level models with repeated assessments nested in individuals revealed stable levels of individual planning of PFE over time in patients with higher incontinence severity, whereas patients with receding incontinence showed decreases. Independent of incontinence severity, a curvilinear increase followed by a decrease of dyadic planning of PFE across time emerged. Sequential associations of both planning strategies with PFE were found. Whereas individual planning was steadily associated with PFE, associations between dyadic planning and PFE were nonsignificant in the beginning, but increased over time.nnnCONCLUSIONSnFindings point to the importance of individual planning for the adoption and maintenance of PFE, with dyadic planning being relevant for PFE maintenance only.

Sense of coherence and smoking in a sample of abused women.

The Antonovsky thesis (1987) of the relationship between sense of coherence and smoking, a health-related behavior, was investigated in a group of 83 raped and battered women. Analysis indicated that the simple model of “sense of coherence-health-related behavior” relationship (the higher the sense of coherence or its components the healthier behaviors, i.e., lower rates of smoking) cannot be accepted for this sample.

Eine 4-Länder-Studie über sexuelles Schutzverhalten bei Jugendlichen

Zusammenfassung. In der Adoleszenz steht einer steigenden Anzahl sexueller Kontakte oft unregelmasige Kondomverwendung gegenuber. Internationale Vergleiche der Ursachen fur das Unterlassen dieses Schutzverhaltens sind bisher selten. Ziel der Studie war es, landerubergreifende Pradiktoren sexuellen Schutzverhaltens von Jugendlichen zu finden. Hierfur wurden 2.387 Jugendliche von 15 Schulen in den USA, Ungarn, Polen und der Turkei befragt. Erhoben wurden die Kondomverwendung, soziodemographische und sozialkognitive Variablen (Zukunftsorientierung und allgemeine Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung) sowie wahrgenommene Kondombenutzung der Peers. Die Datenanalyse erfolgte mittels Varianzanalysen und linearer Regressionsanalysen. Unter Kontrolle der soziodemographischen Variablen stellte sich in allen vier Landern das wahrgenommene Peerverhalten als starkster Pradiktor fur die Kondomverwendung heraus. Andere Pradiktoren zeigten bei der Varianzaufklarung im Landervergleich weniger konsistente Muster. Die Studie replizie...

Self-efficacy and quality of life among people with cardiovascular diseases: A meta-analysis.

Purpose/Objective: Self-efficacy forms key modifiable personal resources influencing illness management, rehabilitation participation, and their outcomes such as perceived health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among people with a cardiovascular disease (CVD). Yet, an overarching research synthesis of the self-efficacy–HRQOL association in the CVD context is missing. This systematic review and meta-analysis of research on the self-efficacy–HRQOL relationship among people with CVD investigates whether the strength of associations depends on conceptualizations of self-efficacy and HRQOL (general vs. specific), presence of cardiovascular surgery, the type of CVD diagnosis, and patients’ age (up to 60 vs. older than 60). Research Method/Design: We searched the following databases: PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Academic Search Complete, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, and MEDLINE. This search resulted in 17 original studies (k = 18 samples) included in the meta-analysis. Results: Findings suggested that stronger self-efficacy was associated with better HRQOL (r = .37; 95% CI [.29, .44]). Moderator analyses indicated stronger associations when HRQOL was measured in a general way (compared to CVD-specific) and when self-efficacy was measured in a general or exercise-specific way (as opposed to CVD symptom-specific). Self-efficacy–HRQOL associations were similar in strength across age groups, regardless of presence of cardiovascular surgery, and among patients diagnosed with different forms of CVD. Conclusions/Implications: General and exercise-specific self-efficacy are moderately related with HRQOL among people with CVD after surgery or during rehabilitation. Results need to be interpreted with caution due to heterogeneity of original research and the dominance of cross-sectional designs.

Mental Strategies Predict Performance and Satisfaction with Performance Among Soccer Players

Abstract This study investigated the changes in mental strategies across the season and their effects on performance and satisfaction with individual performance. Data were collected three times: at the pre-season at Time 1 (T1; baseline), in the mid-season at Time 2 (T2; two-month follow-up), and at the end-of-season at Time 3 (T3; nine-month follow-up) among male soccer players (N = 97) aged 16-27. Athletes completed the questionnaires assessing the use of nine psychological strategies in competition and the level of satisfaction with individual performance. Endurance performance was measured objectively with a 300 m run. A high level of relaxation (T1) explained better 300 m run performance (T3) and a high level of self-talk explained a higher satisfaction with individual performance (T3). A rare use of distractibility and emotional control (T1) predicted a higher level of satisfaction with individual performance (T3). No predictive role of other psychological strategies was found. The use of emotional control, relaxation, and distractibility increased over the season, whereas the use of imagery and negative thinking declined. Besides the roles of self-talk, imagery, relaxation and goal-setting, the effects of distractibility and emotional control should be taken into account when considering athletes’ mental training programs.