Yes / Objective: Previous research has shown that the degree to which individuals base their intentions
on particular underlying cognitions (i.e., motives) significantly moderates the intention-behavior
relationship. Studies have individually examined the moderating effect of intentions based on
overall attitude, affective attitudes, injunctive norms, and moral norms. The present research used
a within-persons approach to simultaneously test the moderating effects of intentions based on
instrumental attitude, affective attitude, anticipated affective reactions, injunctive norms,
descriptive norms, and moral norms on the intention-behavior relationship and the impact of
controlling for intention stability, self-efficacy and past behavior. Main Outcome Measures:
Self-reported performance of 20 health behaviors. Design: Adults (N = 366) completed
questionnaires assessing instrumental attitude, affective attitude, anticipated affective reactions,
injunctive norms, descriptive norms, moral norms, self-efficacy and past behavior at baseline;
intentions at baseline and one month follow-up; and behavior at two month follow-up for 20 health
behaviors. Results: When tested simultaneously using multi-level modelling the only significant
moderator of the intention-behavior relationship was the extent to which intentions were based on
anticipated affective reactions (intentions more strongly based on anticipated affective reactions
were significantly stronger predictors of behavior). This effect remained when we also controlled
for intention stability (which also moderated the intention-behavior relationship), self-efficacy and
past behavior. Conclusions: Intentions based on anticipated affective reactions may be particularly
important predictors of health behaviors. Studies manipulating such intentions to test their effects
on behavior change are required. / The research reported here was supported by a grant from the British Academy
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/17684 |
| Date | 20 February 2020 |
| Creators | Conner, M., McEachan, Rosemary, Lawton, R., Gardner, Peter |
| Source Sets | Bradford Scholars |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Article, Accepted manuscript |
| Rights | ©American Psychological Association, 2016. This paper is not the copy of record and may not exactly replicate the authoritative document published in the APA journal. Please do not copy or cite without author's permission. The final article is available, upon publication, at: https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/hea0000261, Unspecified |
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