Velibor Bobo Kovač

Predicting the intention to quit smoking and quitting behaviour: extending the theory of planned behaviour.

OBJECTIVES The present study examined the ability of the TPB to predict the intention to quit smoking and quitting behaviour. In addition, the predictive power of future orientation, number of cigarettes smoked, planning, past behaviour and the interactions between intention and other predictors was examined. MATERIAL AND METHODS The data were derived from a longitudinal survey among 103 daily smoking students at the University of Oslo (mean age 24.6 years, mean number of years of smoking = 8 years). These data were collected by means of self-administered questionnaires at T1 (October 2003) and at T2 (February 2004) in terms of recording actual quitting. RESULTS The TPB components accounted for 30% of the variance in quitting intentions, and affective attitude and descriptive norm emerged as the strongest predictors of quitting intention. Ordinal regression analysis showed that intention was a borderline significant predictor of subsequent quitting behaviour, while the impact of PBC was non-significant (model 1). The inclusion of the additional variables improved the fit of the model, with number of cigarettes and planning appearing as significant predictors of behaviour (model 2). As predicted, there was a significant interaction between perceived control and intentions on quitting (model 3). Nagelkerke R(2) increased from .07 in model 1 to .54 in model 2, and finally to .58 in model 3. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that affective attitude and descriptive norm play a more crucial role than the other TPB predictors in motivating smokers to quit. The results also indicate that self-regulatory strategies are important in relation to addictive behaviours.

Latent interaction effects in the theory of planned behaviour applied to quitting smoking

OBJECTIVES This study applies three latent interaction models in the theory of planned behaviour (TPB; Ajzen, 1988, Attitudes, personality, and behavior. Homewood, IL: Dorsey Press; Ajzen, 1991, Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process., 50, 179) to quitting smoking: (1) attitude × perceived behavioural control on intention; (2) subjective norms (SN) × attitude on intention; and (3) perceived behavioural control × intention on quitting behaviour. METHODS The data derive from a longitudinal Internet survey of 939 smokers aged 15-74 over a period of 4 months. Latent interaction effects were estimated using the double-mean-centred unconstrained approach (Lin et al., 2010, Struct. Equ. Modeling, 17, 374) in LISREL. RESULTS Attitude × SN and attitude × perceived behavioural control both showed a significant interaction effect on intention. No significant interaction effect was found for perceived behavioural control × intention on quitting. CONCLUSIONS The latent interaction approach is a useful method for investigating specific conditions between TPB components in the context of quitting behaviour. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.

The distribution and role of causal beliefs, inferences of responsibility, and moral emotions on willingness to help addicts among Norwegian adults

The purpose of this study was to explore the distribution and role of causal beliefs, inferences of responsibility, and moral emotions on deservingness of help to addicts among Norwegian adults using the social motivational model of Weiner. The data derives from a web panel survey of Norwegian adults aged 20 to 69 years (N = 1062, response rate 67%) in 2011. They responded to a questionnaire tapping into the above measures for nine different addictions in terms of a hypothetical person: “Think of a person addicted to–.” The respondents mainly located the cause of the addictions inside the person and attributed the responsibility for the problem to the individual. In general, addicted persons did not receive a high mean level of sympathy, whereas a high mean level of willingness to provide help and assistance was reported. However, there were substantial variations among the nine addictions as to mean rating levels, with snus and sedatives as the two extreme counterparts. Separate SEM analyses for the nine addictions showed support for Weiners mediation model with inferences of responsibility and sympathy (moral emotion) as effective mediators for deservingness of help. This pattern was stable across the nine addictions. Implications for interventions and possible limitations are discussed.

The role of explicit cognition in addiction: Development of the mental representations scale

We argue that explicit cognitions in the form of mental representations (MR), in addition to habits, constitute an important aspect of smoking. Two studies were performed with the aim of developing a measure of MR in the context of smoking behaviour. MRs refer to explicit and conscious cognitive processes which involve the strength of thoughts, planning, anticipation and self-awareness regarding future actions. In Study 1 we generated a pool of items assumed to assess smokers’ MRs, and explored the factor structure and internal consistency of the MR scale. In Study 2 we further expanded the theoretical aspects of the scale, and we explored the psychometric properties of the MR scale in terms of temporal stability and convergent and discriminant validity. The results indicated that these properties were satisfactory, thus encouraging the further use of the MR scale in the domain of addictive behaviours. Implications of the results are discussed.

The more the ‘Merrier’: A multi-sourced model of addiction

Very few contemporary approaches on addiction specifically aim to address the question of why people who are well-aware of harmful consequences continue to perform addictive behaviours. The aim of this article is to introduce a model of addiction which addresses this question. This model integrates the existing theoretical approaches on addiction in one framework by arguing that the majority of contemporary accounts of addiction are not mutually exclusive in the sense that the occurrence or prominence of one process does not preclude the occurrence of another. Moreover, the suggestion is that the majority of these accounts are in effect supportive of and cooperate with each other in order to shape a background on which addiction flourishes. This approach views addiction as a matter of synergy where many social, environmental, historic, personal, neurological and chemical mechanisms simultaneously work together in order to form behaviours extremely resistant to change. The conclusions of the present analysis point out the necessity of: (1) approaching addiction in a more complex manner by providing a detailed analysis of and grouping the multiple sources of addiction into one integrative model, (2) exploring the synergetic effect of diverse accounts in the development and perpetuation of addiction and (3) emphasizing the significance of individual perception of addiction and individually tailored approaches to treating it. The limitations of the present analysis are also outlined.

The extended Theory of Planned Behaviour and college grades: the role of cognition and past behaviour in the prediction of students’ academic intentions and achievements

Understanding the underlying processes influencing college students’ academic achievement represents an important goal of educational research. The aim of the present study was to examine the utility of the extended Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the relative influence of cognitive processes and measures of past behaviour in the prediction of grade intentions and actual grades in the context of higher education. Our results show that perceived behavioural control (PBC), subjective norms (SN) and past grades emerged as significant predictors and were able to explain 41% of the variance in grade intentions, while the influence of cognitive processes (planning and future orientation) was not significant. With respect to the prediction of actual grades, we found that habitual school attendance and past grades explained 26% of the variance in actual grades. Again, the influence of cognitive processes (planning and future orientation) was not significant. The main discussion is centred on the utility of the extended TPB in the prediction of academic achievement and the complex relationship between cognitive processes and past behaviour in predicting human actions in general. Limitations and implications of the study are also discussed.

An examination of parents’ and preschool workers’ perspectives on bullying in preschool

ABSTRACT Parents (n = 141) and preschool workers (n = 81) completed a survey regarding their perspectives towards: (a) the existence of bullying in preschool, (b) interpretations of bullying, (c) the roles of bullies and victims, and (d) gender differences. Findings suggest that both groups largely believe that bullying occurs in preschool. Excluding others from play, conditional threats, and the victims perception of being bullied were the three conditions most likely to be associated with bullying. Parents were significantly more likely than workers to hold a negative view of bullies and believe that bullying differs with regard to gender. Whereas most participants felt that bullying could occur in a single incident, only one in four agreed with the notion that childrens actions must be intentional to be considered bullying. The study raises questions about whether current interpretations of bullying in the literature are suitable for children in the context of preschool.

Predicting the Intention to Quit Smoking in a Norwegian Sample

The aim of the present study was to examine the relations between an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the intention to quit smoking in light of Construal Level Theory (CLT). The basic reasoning of CLT is that psychological distance influences peoples thoughts and behaviour. 192 Norwegian students with daily smoking habits were asked to complete a questionnaire. Half the students responded to intention to quit smoking in 1 month, the other half, to quit in 6 months. As predicted by the CLT, the results showed that there was an overall tendency in favour of significantly stronger correlations between the theoretical predictors and intention to quit in 6 months than for the intention to quit in 1 month. Also consistent with CLT, this pattern did not hold for the relationship between perceived behavioural control (PBC) and intention, with significantly stronger correlations for the 1-month condition. The results may have important implications for the prediction of long-term versus short-term intention and the inclusion of additional predictors in the TPB.

“Bridging Old Relations”: The (De)Construction of Ethnic Identity in the Educational Context of Bosnia and Herzegovina From the Teachers' Point of View

ABSTRACT The present study focuses on an educational arrangement in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) known as “two schools under one roof.” The term refers to two different ethnic groups (Bosniaks and Croats) physically sharing the same school building, but maintaining separate administrations, teaching staff, and curricula. The purpose of the study is to explore the manner in which teachers (seven Bosniak and four Croat) from the two ethnic groups perceive and construct their group identities within this context. Findings indicate that the teachers’ sense of belonging to different ethnic groups is strong and that the use of language functions as a vital marker for expressing group identity. In addition, satisfaction with the current situation and perceptions of interactions and discrimination differ substantially between the groups. We argue that this type of educational organization may reignite dormant tensions between the groups and accentuate ethnic differences in terms of (de)constructing ethnic identity.

Learning Environment in Light of Positional, Institutional, and Cultural Interpretations: An Empirically-Based Conceptual Analysis

This study explores the possibility that the concept of learning environment (LE) is understood and interpreted differently by various users, depending on their relative positions in the educational system, institutional affiliation, and cultural heritage. The study employs a qualitative approach and is based on 14 semistructured separate interviews with professionals in the field of education. The participants in the study have been chosen from 3 different levels in the educational system (assistants, kindergarten and school teachers, and principals/county government representatives) and across different institutions (kindergartens and schools). The data reveal a clear pattern in which the conceptualization of LE is influenced by the relative positions of the actors, established practices and norms inside the specific system, and the cultural heritage of the given context. The tendency of various stakeholders to understand and interpret LE differently has direct implications for development and implementation of future educational policies. The study emphasizes that the awareness of these effects is important for (a) successful communication between educational professionals operating in different positions in the system, and (b) the academic community, which tends to shape the manner in which the theoretical concepts are defined.