Similarities and Differences Between African Americans’ and European Americans’ Attitudes,Knowledge, and Willingness to Communicate About Organ Donation1

While little is known about African Americans’ attitudes and knowledge about organ donation, even less is known about how African Americans’ attitudes, values, and beliefs affect their behavior and behavioral intentions regarding organ donation; or how African Americans’ views are similar to or different from those of European Americans. Adults working 2 sites of a national corporation were randomly selected to complete a survey about organ donation willingness, intention to sign an organ donor card, knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation, and level of altruism. Results indicate that African Americans differ significantly from Whites on several individual attitude and knowledge items. However, the basic relationship between knowledge, attitudes, values, and behaviors regarding organ donation between the 2 groups appears the same. Furthermore, these results indicate that future organ donation promotion campaigns must focus on increasing basic knowledge and countering myths about organ donation for both populations.     

Real Donors, Real Consent: Testing the Theory of Reasoned Action on Organ Donor Consent

In an attempt to apply the theory of reasoned action (TRA) to the process underlying organ donor consent, participants completed questionnaires concerning their affective responses to organ donation, as well as their intentions to donate. Participants were given the opportunity to sign an organ donor card. Those who chose to sign the card had more positive attitudes about donation, perceived donation as something that their reference group would encourage, and had stronger intentions to consent to signing a card. The current investigation extends the organ donor literature by using a true behavioral outcome measure indicating consent. Moreover, the pattern of results between attitudes, norms, intention, and behavior illustrates the usefulness of applying the TRA to yet another health-related behavior.     

Solving the Dilemma: Family Communication About Organ Donation Among Chinese,Japanese, and Caucasian American College Students1

This study surveyed 800 students in the United States, Hong Kong, and Japan to determine associations between the components of the theory of reasoned action and early communication about organ‐donation decisions within the family. Results showed that among the 3 ethnic groups, Japanese students reported the least favorable attitudes and subjective norms about organ donation and were also the least likely to discuss this topic with their families. Moreover, the moderating effect of ethnicity indicated that attitudes were a significant factor of family discussion among American and Japanese students but not among Chinese students. Subjective norms were more predictive of family discussion among Chinese students than among American and Japanese students.     

College Students' Knowledge,Attitudes, and Behaviors Regarding Organ Donation: An Integrated Review of the Literature1

The current paper provides an integrated review of research literature on college students' knowledge, attitudes, and intentions regarding organ and tissue donation (OTD). Findings across 27 studies indicate that (a) students reported a lack of information and knowledge on OTD; (b) 23% reported signing an organ card or state organ donation registry; (c) positive attitudes were reported toward donation; (d) surveyed students indicated a willingness to become organ donors; and (e) 36% reported having conversations with family about OTD. Self‐efficacy and normative influence theory are recommended as promising theoretical approaches to studying OTD in college student samples.     

Organ donation intentions and behaviors: application and extension of the theory of planned behavior

Organ donation intentions and behaviors were investigated using a traditional and extended theory of planned behavior (TPB). In study 1, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were associated with intentions to engage in donation behaviors in a student sample (all p ≤ .02), and intentions significantly predicted behavior 2 months later (p < .001). Study 2 utilized a community sample of Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim individuals. Measures of affect and religious attitudes were added to the traditional TPB, increasing the variance in intentions accounted for by the model, F(7, 181) = 6.94, p < .001. The studies support the use of an extended TPB in predicting donation‐related intentions and behaviors and suggest potential targets of interventions to promote donation.     

Knowledge and attitudes of Polish university students toward organ donation and transplantation

Although the number of patients needing organ transplantation systematically increases, recent years have seen a considerable shortage of donors. The level of knowledge and attitudes toward donation are critical factors in achieving the required balance between supply and demand. This pilot study assessed the knowledge, opinions, and behaviors related to organ donation and transplantation among 625 students representing eight different fields of study from the University of Rzeszow in south-eastern Poland. Although the participants provided evidence of knowledge about human organ donation and transplantation, they were aware of the main organs of the human body for potential transplants, and generally showed positive attitudes; only 24% of the subjects indicated their willingness to register as a donor; only 3% stated that they had already registered and had a donor card. The findings suggest that good intentions do not translate into action and that Poland needs to develop a nation-wide, up-to-date, and youth-oriented health education program that builds on favorable attitudes toward organ donation and transplantation.     

The influence of significant others on attitudes, subjective norms and intentions regarding dietary supplement use among adolescent athletes

Dietary supplement use has increased significantly over the past decade. The use of supplements among adolescents seems to be influenced by their beliefs and attitudes. The influence of coaches, parents, and athletic trainers also may be important. The purpose of this study was (1) to determine whether attitudes are a better predictor of adolescents' intentions to use dietary supplements than are subjective norms, and (2) to assess the influence of significant others (coaches, parents, and trainers) on attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions among adolescent athletes. Adolescents (N = 1,626) who were enrolled in grades six through twelve in nine public schools completed a self-report questionnaire that measured attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions regarding dietary supplement use. Results indicated that attitudes were a better predictor of intentions to use dietary supplements than were subjective norms. It was also found that trainers had more influence on the attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions of adolescents regarding supplement use than did parents and coaches. Implications for prevention are addressed.     

Romantic Ideals,Fear of Negative Implications,and the Practice of Safe Sex1

The present study examined how young heterosexuals’ beliefs about the power of condom use to destroy their romantic ideals and to lead to negative implications affected both their intentions and their actual behavior of using and discussing the use of condoms with sexual partners. The extra predictive power gained from considering these beliefs, in addition to subjects’ beliefs concerning whether condoms reduced their risk of contracting HIV, was examined within the context of Fishbein and Ajzen's (1975) theory of reasoned action. One-hundred-and-two sexually active heterosexual students participated in the study. At the first wave of data collection, beliefs concerning the potential of condoms to reduce risk, to destroy romance, and to lead to negative implications were assessed, as were norms and intentions. Measures of actual behavior were obtained three months later for both regular and casual/new partners. The results of the study indicated that norms and beliefs concerning the risk-reduction effects of condom use were the primary predictors of intentions to use condoms. Subjects’ beliefs concerning whether condoms destroyed their romantic ideals or led to negative implications did not influence their intentions with casual/new partners, although emotional concerns played a minor role in determining intentions with regular partners. In contrast, these emotional concerns had a major impact in determining actual behavior for all partner types. Although intentions partially predicted behavior, beliefs about reducing risk, destroying romance and fear of negative implications had strong and direct influences on behavior, especially in the case of casual/new partners. Additional analyses revealed gender differences in the determinants of behavior. Females, in contrast to males, were less able to act in accord with their attitudes about using condoms to reduce their risk of contracting HIV, and were also less able to act in conformity with their subjective norms with less well-known partners. Although both males and females were similarly affected by more emotional concerns with new and/or casual partners, gender differences occurred in how these emotional factors affected behavior with regular partners. Implications of the finding that behavior is determined to a large extent by more emotional concerns that are not factored in ahead of time when formulating intent are discussed.     

The prediction of safe sex behaviour: The role of intentions,attitudes, norms and control beliefs

Abstract

The present study was designed to examine the utility of the theory of reasoned action (Fishbein and Azjen, 1975) in relation to people's propensity to engage in a range of different safe sex strategies, including engaging in an exclusive sexual relationship, avoiding casual sex, and asking sexual partners about their previous sexual and IV drug use history. It was proposed that the intention to engage in a particular safe sex practice would be influenced by the person's attitude towards engaging in the practice, as well as his or her perception of the extent to which others thought they should do so (subjective norm), while behavioural intentions were proposed to predict actual behaviour. The study was also designed to examine whether, after control of the effects of the components of the theory of reasoned action, the person's generalised control beliefs would explain any additional variance in either behavioural intentions or actual behaviour. One hundred and two sexually active heterosexual students participated in the study. At the first wave of data collection, subjects completed measures of intentions, attitudes, and norms appropriate to each of the different behaviours. Measures of actual behaviour were obtained at follow-tip (three months after first period of data collection). The results of the study indicated that attitudes and norms predicted intentions for avoiding casual sex and asking sexual partners about their previous sexual and IV drug use history, while intentions predicted actual behaviour for all three safe sex strategies. Although there were no significant main effects of control beliefs on intentions or behaviour, subjects with internal control beliefs were more likely than their counterparts with external control beliefs to behave in accordance with their intentions to engage in an exclusive sexual relationship and ask sexual partners about their previous sexual and IV drug use history. Additional analyses revealed that the levels and determinants of intentions and actual behaviour were, in general, similar for males and females.     

An Analysis of the Effects of Occupational Variables on Child bearing Intentions

Recent studies have indicated that the relationship between family size and occupational variables (e.g., work status, occupation, total number of years worked, career decisions) may be influenced by a number of different variables. The present study uses Fishbein's Theory of Reasoned Action to analyze the effects of different occupational variables on the beliefs, attitudes, and subjective norms that underlie intentions to have a child (within the next 3 years). Consistent with the theory, occupational variables were significantly related to childbearing intentions only if they were related to attitudes toward having a child and subjective norms. Furthermore, these latter relationships were themselves dependent upon relations between the occupational variables and underlying beliefs, evaluations, and motivations to comply. As expected, different occupational variables influenced intentions in different ways. Thus, Fishbein's theory allows a means for identifying the loci of effects of occupational variables on childbearing intentions. Finally, the two components of the model were sufficient to predict childbearing intentions; in general, occupational variables did not contribute to prediction of childbearing intentions over and above childbearing attitudes and subjective norms.     

Understanding African American’s Religious Beliefs and Organ Donation Intentions

African Americans are overrepresented on the organ transplant waiting list and underrepresented among organ and tissue donors. One of the most highly noted reasons for lack of donation is the perception that donation is contrary to religious beliefs. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to explore the complexities of religion (beliefs, religiosity, and religious involvement) and its association with willingness to donate and the written expression of donation intentions. Findings from a sample of 505 African American participants suggest that religion is a multidimensional construct and results differ depending on how the construct is measured and operationalized.     

The Relation Between Perceived Risk and Preventive Action: A Within-Subject Analysis of Perceived Driving Risk and Intentions to Wear Seatbelts

Intentions to wear seatbelts in 12 different driving situations were predicted from attitudes toward wearing seatbelts, subjective norms concerning seatbelt uses, and perceived driving risk. In a given driving situation, appropriate measures of attitudes and subjective norms both had significant effects on intentions to wear a seatbelt, whereas there was little relation between risk and intentions. Intentions across the 12 driving situations were significantly related to perceived driving risk, both for aggregate data and for a substantial portion of individual subjects. However, further analyses indicated that risk seemed to affect intentions indirectly through subjective norms and attitudes associated with seat-belt use. The results suggest that attempts to increase seatbelt use should target all relevant beliefs important in determining people's attitudes toward and subjective norms concerning seatbelt use, rather than just focusing upon making people aware of the risks associated with driving.     

Intention to consent to living organ donation: an exploratory study

Living organ donation, that is the removal and transplantation of whole organs or segments of organs that a volunteering donor can live without, has been proposed as an effective and sustainable source of transplantable organs to mitigate the deficit in supply from the traditional cadaveric donor pool. In 2006, the Irish government deemed the development of a national Living Transplant Programme a service priority. The current study aimed to investigate the efficacy of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in the context of living organ donation intentions in an Irish sample. One hundred and thirty five undergraduate students (75 females, 60 males; mean age 20.6 years, SD 3.76) completed a self-report questionnaire assessing TPB variables while imagining themselves in a potential living liver donation scenario. In general, attitudes towards living donation were favourable. TPB components explained 44.8% of the variance in intentions. Attitude towards living donation emerged as the strongest predictor of intention. Self-reported levels of knowledge regarding living donation were generally poor. In light of recent EU Communications proposing the expansion of the use of living donors greater understanding of the determinants, psychological implications and ethical considerations in living donation decisions is necessary.     

Testing the GRIP: An Empirical Examination of the Gender Roles Inhibiting Prosociality Model

Although men and women help others, there are systematic gender differences in the type of helping they perform. Consistent with traditional gender roles and stereotypes, men typically help in agentic ways, and women typically help in communal ways. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Gender Roles Inhibiting Prosociality model predicts that gender stereotypes about gender-inconsistent helping create negative attitudes, restrictive subjective norms, and low self-efficacy that undermine helping intentions, which, in turn, reduce engagement in gender-inconsistent helping contexts. Across three studies (N?=?1,355), we find empirical support for the hypothesized model: When asked to imagine engaging in a gender-inconsistent (vs. gender-consistent) helping scenario, participants anticipated feeling worse, expected others to judge them more negatively, and reported decreased self-efficacy beliefs, and these factors predicted lower intentions to engage in gender-inconsistent helping. Critically, behavioral intentions explained some of the variance in gender-inconsistent helping during the following month. Internal meta-analyses of the differences between gender-consistent and -inconsistent helping on attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions across studies revealed small-to-medium average effect sizes (ds?=?0.16—0.47). These results have the potential to inform interventions aimed at increasing helping in all its forms.

     

Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior to Adolescents’ Condom Use: A Panel Study1

The authors report a longitudinal study of factors determining use of condoms with new sexual partners in a representative sample of 650 German youth. Measures derived from the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985) were obtained in 2 waves separated by 1 year. Consistent with the theory, intentions to use condoms could be predicted from attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control with respect to this behavior; and actual condom use was strongly related to intentions and perceptions of control assessed in Wave 2. Due to changes in beliefs and attitudes over time, only about 10% of the variance in reported condom use was accounted for by intentions and perceived control assessed 1 year earlier. Reported condom use was found to exert a direct effect on later intentions, unmediated by their hypothesized antecedents. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Salience of Anti-Abortion Beliefs and Commitment to an Attitudinal Position: On the Strength,Structure, and Predictive Validity of Anti-Abortion Attitudes1

The role of beliefs in attitude formation and the impact of commitment to an attitude on its predictive validity were studied in the context of anti-abortion attitudes. Undergraduates (N= 152), identified as pro-choice or pro-life, expressed their beliefs, attitudes, intentions, and restriction preferences with respect to making abortion illegal. In addition, they indicated their commitment to their positions and their willingness to distribute a pro- or anti-abortion petition. Salient beliefs—identified in a pilot study—were found to predict attitudes, intentions, restriction preferences, and petition choice significantly better than nonsalient beliefs. Salient beliefs also discriminated significantly between pro-choice and pro-life respondents, providing useful information about the cognitive underpinnings of anti-abortion attitudes. In addition, accuracy of predictions increased significantly with commitment, even when attitude extremity was statistically controlled. These findings support the summation theory of attitude (Fishbein, 1963) and demonstrate the importance of attitude strength in determining the structure and predictive validity of attitudes.     

Negative Beliefs as a Moderator of the Intention–Behavior Relationship: Decisions to Use Performance-Enhancing Substances

The theory of reasoned action framework was used to examine performance-enhancing substance use among a sample of college athletes in a prospective longitudinal design. Results indicate that attitudes and subjective norms predicted intention to use the substances, and these intentions predicted actual substance use 6 weeks later. A statistically significant interaction emerged between negative beliefs and intentions predicting behavior such that as negative beliefs grew increasingly negative, the intention–behavior relationship became stronger. Practical and theoretical implications of the influence of negative information on the intention–behavior relationship are discussed.     

American Muslim Physician Attitudes Toward Organ Donation

Religious beliefs and values impact Muslim patients' attitudes toward a variety of healthcare decisions, including organ donation. Muslim physician attitudes toward organ donation, however, are less well studied. Utilizing a national survey of physician members of the Islamic Medical Association of North America, relationships between religiosity, patterns of bioethics resource utilization, and sociodemographic characteristics with attitudes toward organ donation were assessed. Of 255 respondents, 251 answered the target question, “in your understanding, does Islamic bioethics and law permit organ donation?.” 177 respondents (70%) answered positively, 30 (12%) negatively, and 46 (18%) did not know. Despite the overwhelming majority of respondents believing organ donation to be permitted by Islamic bioethics and law, fewer than one-third (n = 72, 30%) are registered donors. Several sociodemographic features had a positive association with believing organ donation to be permitted: ethnic descent other than that of South Asian, having immigrated to the USA as an adult, and male sex. When using a logistic regression model controlling for these three variables as potential confounders, the best predictor of Muslim physicians believing organ donation to be permissible was utilization of an Imam as a bioethical resource (odds ratio 5.9, p = 0.02). Religiosity variables were not found to be associated with views on the Islamic permissibility of organ donation. While Muslim American physicians appear to believe there is religious support for organ donation, only a minority sign up to be donors. Greater study is needed to understand how physicians' attitudes regarding donation impact discussions between patients and physicians regarding the possibility of donating and of receiving a transplant.     

Assessing the feasibility of the theory of planned behaviour in predicting drivers’ intentions to operate conditional and full automated vehicles

Guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), this study examined the beliefs underpinning, and feasibility of the factors in predicting, individuals’ intentions to use a conditional (Level 3) automated vehicle (AV) and a full (Level 5) AV. Australian drivers (N = 505) aged 17–81 years (Mean age = 33.69, SD = 18.79) were recruited and completed a 20 min online survey which featured both quantitative and qualitative items. For the quantitative data, two linear regressions revealed that the TPB standard constructs of attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control (PBC) accounted for 66% of the variance in intentions to use a conditional AV and 68% of the variance in intentions to use a full AV. Of the TPB constructs, attitudes and subjective norms were significant positive predictors of future intentions to use conditional and full AVs. For the qualitative data, some differences emerged for the underlying behavioural beliefs that underpinned intentions to use conditional and full AVs. For example, having beliefs about control over the conditional AV was identified by many participants as an advantage, while not being in full control of the full AV was identified as a disadvantage. For underlying control beliefs, participants identified similar barriers for both vehicle types, including; high costs, lack of trust, lack of control over the vehicle, lack of current legislation to support the mainstream introduction of these vehicles, and concerns of safety for self and for other road users when operating AVs. Overall, these findings provide some support for applying the TPB to understand drivers’ intended use of AVs. However, while the current study showed that the constructs of attitudes and subjective norms might reflect intended use of AVs, more research is required to further examine the role of PBC. Additionally, the findings provide initial insights into the underlying behavioural and control beliefs that may motivate drivers to use AVs and highlight the similarities and differences in drivers’ perceptions towards two levels of vehicle automation.