Sheeran, P and Conner, M orcid.org/0000-0002-6229-8143 (2019) Degree of reasoned action predicts increased intentional control and reduced habitual control over health behaviors. Social Science and Medicine, 228. pp. 68-74. ISSN 0277-9536
Abstract
Background: Research is needed to understand factors that attenuate the association between habits and health behavior performance.
Purpose: We tested whether degree of reasoned action (DRA) moderates both intention-behavior and habit-behavior relations. DRA was defined by how well cognitions predict behavioral intentions, and was measured by the respective within-participants multiple correlation (R).
Methods: Four studies were undertaken. Two pilot studies established the validity of our measure of DRA. Studies 1 (N = 663) and 2 (N = 1014) were prospective surveys of eight and six health behaviors, respectively. Intentions were measured via standard scales and habits were indexed by measures of frequency of performance × context stability.
Results: In both studies, habits attenuated the predictive validity of intention. However, well-reasoned intentions better predicted health behaviors than poorly reasoned intentions, and habits offered weaker prediction of behavior when intentions were well reasoned. Three-way DRA × intention × habit interactions were also observed. Habits best predicted health behaviors when intentions were weak and poorly reasoned (Study 1), or offered poorest prediction of health behaviors when intentions were both strong and well-reasoned (Study 2).
Conclusions: Degree of reasoned action predicts increased intentional control and reduced habitual control over multiple health behaviors.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | (c) 2019, Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Social Science & Medicine. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Habit; Past behavior; Intention-behavior gap; Health behavior |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Medicine and Health (Leeds) > School of Psychology (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 31 May 2019 11:45 |
Last Modified: | 13 Mar 2020 01:38 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.03.015 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:146577 |