Paul Sparks

SELF-IDENTITY AND THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR - ASSESSING THE ROLE OF IDENTIFICATION WITH GREEN CONSUMERISM

Recent reports of a relationship between self-identity and behavioral intentions independent of the role of attitudes were examined skeptically in a study of attitudes towards the consumption of organically produced vegetables. We hypothesized that an adequate operationalization of the components of the theory of planned behavior would result in no independent relationship between a measure of self-identity and a measure of behavioral intentions. Two hundred and sixty-one randomly sampled members of the general public returned postal questionnaires relating to this theme

Application of the theory of planned behaviour to two dietary behaviours: Roles of perceived control and self-efficacy

Objectives. This study examined the application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to two dietary behaviours with a particular focus on the roles of perceived control and self-efficacy as two components of the perceived behavioural control construct in the TPB. Methods. A total of 287 members of the general public completed questionnaires, one concerning the influence of TPB variables on intentions and behaviour for either eating five portions of fruit and vegetables per day (N = 144) or eating a low-fat diet (N= 143), and the second concerning actual eating behaviour one month later. In addition, the individual components of perceived behavioural control (perceived control and self-efficacy) and their determinant beliefs were examined. Results. For each behaviour, the TPB variables were found to be good predictors of intentions (fat intake, R 2 = .637; fruit and vegetable intake, R 2 = .572), although less good at predicting behaviour (fat intake, R 2 = .185; fruit and vegetable intake, R 2 = .321), with self-efficacy being consistently more predictive than perceived control. In addition, examination of their determinant beliefs revealed self-efficacy and perceived control to have difference bases. The conceptual and empirical distinctions between perceived control and self-efficacy are discussed.

Ambivalence and Attitudes

This chapter explores the concept of ambivalence and its relationship to attitudes. Definitions and different measures of ambivalence are reviewed. We present three dimensions on which measures of ambivalence can be classified. We then go on to examine some of the elicitors of ambivalence and present some preliminary findings on attitude objects that generate high levels of ambivalence. The major section of the chapter then reviews findings related to treating the ambivalence construct as an aspect of attitude strength. Research is presented in relation to four major predictions: (a) temporal stability of attitudes; (b) impact of attitudes on intentions and behavior, (c) pliability of attitudes; and (d) impacts on information processing. The final section offers suggestions for further research in this area.

The theory of planned behaviour and healthy eating: Examining additive and moderating effects of social influence variables

Abstract This paper examines the additive and moderating effects of social influence variables (injunctive norms, descriptive norms, perceived social support) within the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The target behaviour is the decision to eat healthily. Questionnaire responses on components of the TPB, descriptive norms, perceived social support, and subsequent healthy eating were obtained from a prospective sample of 235 members of the general public. Good predictions of intentions (42% of variance explained) and behaviour (15% of variance explained) were found using the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Neither descriptive norms nor perceived social support added to these predictions of intentions over and above the TPB variables. However, perceived social support was found to act as a moderator variable on the relationship between perceived behavioral control and intention, and the relationship between attitude and intention. Implications for exploring the role of social influence variables on decisions concerning health behavioun an discussed.

Gene technology, food production, and public opinion: A UK study

In this paper, dimensions of the debate surrounding the application of gene technology to food production are discussed and a study assessing perceptions of the technology among a sample of the UK public (n = 1499) is reported. The general picture that emerges from the study is one of people expressing low familiarity with the technology, with more people associating it with high risks than with low risks, and more people expecting it to provide low benefits than high benefits. Attitudes towards different applications vary significantly, as does trust in different potential sources of information about the technology. It is also shown that attitudes can be predicted not only by estimates of risks and benefits but also by perceptions of the involvement of ethical issues, by the perceived need for the technology, and by the perceived likelihood of improvements it is likely to bring to the quality of life in the UK. The results are discussed in the context of the need for greater public information about the technology and the realization that communication of risks takes place within a complex network of societal relationships.

Ambivalence about health-related behaviours: An exploration in the domain of food choice.

OBJECTIVES Interest in attitudes and ambivalence has highlighted problems with the adequacy of conceptualizing attitudes as unitary, unidimensional, evaluations. In this paper, we report an application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1991) in the domain of dietary choice which investigates the hypothesis that ambivalence will attenuate observed attitude-intention relationships (since the evaluations influencing the expression of attitudes are more likely to differ from the evaluations influencing the expression of intentions for people who are more ambivalent. DESIGN Participants completed a postal questionnaire which contained, inter alia, measures assessing the components of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and a measure of ambivalence. METHODS Participants (N = 296) were recruited via advertisements placed in local newspapers, asking for volunteers to assist in a research project. Participants were randomly assigned to complete a questionnaire about either their chocolate consumption or their meat consumption. Participants were paid 4. RESULTS The findings show considerable support for the hypothesis: there was a tendency for attitude-intention relationships to be attenuated among participants with higher levels of ambivalence, compared to participants with lower levels of ambivalence. CONCLUSIONS The research supports the widespread view that ambivalence is an important issue, both for those involved in basic attitude research and for those who seek to use attitude theories in applied research. In particular, the findings indicate that ambivalence may often have implications for the predictive ability of attitude-intention-behaviour models, especially when applied to health-related behaviours that are characterized by motivational conflicts.

Moderating role of attitudinal ambivalence within the theory of planned behaviour

The present study examined the moderating role of attitudinal ambivalence within the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control (PBC), behavioural intentions and self-reported behaviour were assessed in relation to 20 healthy eating behaviours in a prospective questionnaire design in 232 members of the general public in the UK. Between-participants univariate and multivariate analyses indicated attitude-behaviour and PBC-behaviour relationships to be weaker in higher ambivalence compared to lower ambivalence respondents. These effects were confirmed in within-participants analyses. The findings are discussed in terms of the role of ambivalence in furthering our understanding of relationships in the TPB.

Highlighting Relatedness Promotes Prosocial Motives and Behavior

According to self-determination theory, people have three basic psychological needs: relatedness, competence, and autonomy. Of these, the authors reasoned that relatedness need satisfaction is particularly important for promoting prosocial behavior because of the increased sense of connectedness to others that this engenders. In Experiment 1, the authors manipulated relatedness, autonomy, competence, or gave participants a neutral task, and found that highlighting relatedness led to higher interest in volunteering and intentions to volunteer relative to the other conditions. Experiment 2 found that writing about relatedness experiences promoted feelings of connectedness to others, which in turn predicted greater prosocial intentions. Experiment 3 found that relatedness manipulation participants donated significantly more money to charity than did participants given a neutral task. The results suggest that highlighting relatedness increases engagement in prosocial activities and are discussed in relation to the conflict and compatibility between individual and social outcomes.

The effects of information on sensory ratings and preferences: the importance of attitudes

Abstract Eighty subjects rated flavoured milk samples which varied in sweetener (sugar versus aspartame) and fat content (full-versus low-fat milk). Twenty of the subjects were in a control condition and received no information about the samples. The remaining sixty subjects initially rated the samples with no information and then rated them again when given information on the fat and sugar content of the samples. Ratings of sweetness, body, healthiness and calorie content were influenced by the information but liking and likelihood of buying were not affected in the overall group. Dividing subjects on the basis of attitudes towards low- and full-fat flavoured milks, however, showed different effects within the two subgroups. When information was given, both liking and rated likelihood of buying increased for the type of sample towards which subjects had a more generally positive attitude. Those subjects with more positive attitudes towards low-fat flavoured milks showed a clear differentiation in ratings of the healthiness of the samples when information was provided. However, those with more positive attitudes towards full-fat flavoured milks did not differentiate the samples in terms of rated healthiness. Similar effects were found when the subjects were divided on the basis of dietary restraint. Those subjects with higher scores for dietary restraint showed greater differentiation of the samples in terms of calorie content, healthiness and sweetness.

Motivational and behavioural consequences of self-affirmation interventions: a study of sunscreen use among women.

The reported study compared the efficacy of three self-affirmation manipulations in reducing defensive processing and instigating behaviour change in response to personally relevant information about the health risks of sunbathing. White female sunbathers (N = 162) were recruited on a beach in the south of England. Participants were randomly allocated to a ‘values affirmation’ condition, a ‘kindness affirmation’ condition, a ‘positive traits affirmation’ condition, or a no affirmation ‘control’ condition. In the ‘positive traits affirmation’ condition the self-affirmation task was incorporated into a leaflet presenting the health risk information. Findings supported the hypothesis that participants in the three self-affirmation conditions would engage in less-defensive processing of the health-risk information than those in the ‘control’ condition. For the behavioural measure, however, only those participants in the ‘positive traits affirmation’ condition were more likely to request a free sample of sunscreen than those in the control condition. The implications of these findings for self-affirmation theory and the development of effective health promotion campaigns are discussed.