Measuring child temperament: Validation of a 3‐item Temperament Measure and 13‐item Impulsivity Scale

A 3-item Temperament Measure and a 13-item Impulsivity Scale were tested against the 36-item Children's Behaviour Questionnaire (CBQ). Overall, 229 caregivers completed the CBQ and the 3-item Temperament Measure based on the traits of Surgency, Negative Affectivity and Effortful Control as measured by the CBQ. Their children completed the Impulsivity Scale. Psychometrics of the CBQ and the Impulsivity Scale were examined, which were considered good in terms of internal consistency and factorial structure. The three temperament items correlated with the average scores on the corresponding CBQ factors. Furthermore, Surgency was highly related to Impulsivity. Findings provide evidence for the applicability of the Impulsivity and Temperament Measures for research.     

New dimensions of abnormal illness behaviour derived from the Illness Behaviour Questionnaire

The primary aim was to explore the factor structure of the Illness Behaviour Questionnaire (IBQ) and the generalisability of the derived dimensions to both general community members and four chronic illness groups. A questionnaire was administered to 675 participants, comprising 344 from the community, 80 with asthma, 95 with diabetes, 79 with chronic pain and 77 with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Illness severity was calculated for all chronic illness participants (self-rated health for community members). Three IBQ scales were derived following an exploratory factor analysis for the whole sample: Affirmation of Illness (α = 0.71 (CFS)–0.79 (asthma, diabetes)), Concern for Health (α = 0.71 (asthma)–0.78 (pain)) and General Affective State (α = 0.70 (CFS)–0.80 (asthma)). Patterns of response across the five samples, and intercorrelations among the new scales and the original seven scales, were largely in accord with expectation. Long-standing criticisms of the IBQ were addressed by using systematic statistical principles to identify meaningful and psychometrically sound IBQ dimensions. The derived structure offers a more parsimonious account of possible illness responses, with the availability of a more concise yet informative index of abnormal illness behaviour having practical utility for researchers and clinicians alike.     

Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour in Behaviour Change Interventions: A Systematic Review

This paper reviews studies explicitly applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to behaviour change interventions. A systematic and multiple search strategy identified 30 papers, describing 24 distinct interventions. Studies were rarely explicit about use of the TPB. The TPB was mainly used to measure process and outcome variables and to predict intention and behaviour, and less commonly to develop the intervention. Behaviour change methods were mostly persuasion and information, with increasing skills, goal setting, and rehearsal of skills used less often. When reported, half of the interventions were effective in changing intention, and two-thirds in changing behaviour, with generally small effect sizes, where calculable. Effectiveness was unrelated to use of the theory to develop interventions. Evidence about mediation of effects by TPB components was sparse. The TPB may have potential for developing behaviour change interventions, but more comprehensive studies are needed that compare the utility of the TPB with other social cognition models and behavioural techniques.     

Adherence to Hormone Replacement Therapy: A Longitudinal Study Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour

The aim of this longitudinal study was to assess the stability and determinants of the intention to adopt HRT over a one-year period using the Theory of Planned Behaviour. At baseline, a total of 644 middle-aged premenopausal women who had never used HRT, were recruited. At follow-up, 417 women completed an interview to assess any change in their reproductive status and in their behavioural intention. Among women who stayed premenopausal (n = 172) and among those who became perimenopausal (n = 209), the intention to adopt HRT was quite stable over the one-year period. However, being perimenopausal had a significant effect on the intention to adopt HRT at follow-up, as did subjective norm, perceived behavioural control and moral norm measured at baseline. Attitude towards HRT did not have a significant effect on the intention to adopt HRT one year later. Therefore, interventions to support women's decision-making about HRT should be tailored to their menopausal status and take into account their perception of social pressure to perform, control over this behaviour and moral obligation.     

The factors underlying the decision to text while driving

Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), this study looked at the motivations and reasons behind the behaviour of texting while driving. Following an elicitation study, 150 participants completed a questionnaire measuring self-efficacy and moral norms in addition to traditional TPB variables. Texting while driving was found to be a common behaviour although prevalence varied between age groups. While the youngest age group were more likely to have ever sent a text message while driving, those aged 35–44 years old were most likely to have read a message while driving and to intend to text while driving in the future. Moral norms had the strongest significant correlation with intentions to text while driving. Similar to past research the traditional TPB variables explained significant variance in intentions to perform the behaviour. To be fully effective, future campaigns and interventions to reduce the behaviour are advised to focus on the moral aspect of the behaviour and the beliefs that it saves time and prevents boredom. The setting of campaigns or interventions and the mode of delivery should also be considered. Efforts to deter the behaviour should be aimed at those of all ages and not just younger drivers.     

Intention stability: Literature and methodological review

IntroductionIt has been argued that intention stability is a pre-eminent determinant of individuals’ ability to direct their behaviour over time.ObjectiveThe aim of the review was to detail the existing literature and examine whether the relationships described are reliably indexed by the array of operationalisations of the construct.MethodsWeb of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed, and EMBASE were searched for English language articles reporting use of the construct in moderating a relationship between an IV and behaviour.ResultsEleven studies met the inclusion criteria. We identified six methods of estimating intention stability. The ostensible finding of the review was that greater intention stability associated with a stronger positive relationship between intention and behaviour. These findings are, however, largely invalidated by the serious flaws in measurement methods.ConclusionFurther thought must be given to the construct as an attribute of the individual, and how this attribute should be operationalised. The usefulness of “intention stability” will not be able to be evaluated prior to definition of a measurement model and its psychometric validation.     

‘It’s not a diet,it’s a lifestyle’: a longitudinal,data-prompted interview study of weight loss maintenance

Objective: To advance understanding of the individual and environmental factors underpinning weight loss maintenance. Design: Semi-structured, data-prompted interviews were conducted with twelve overweight adult participants (three men, nine women) who had lost over 5% of their body weight in the year before baseline. Participants gathered daily data through wireless scales, activity monitors (Fitbit?), ecological momentary assessment and experience sampling (taking photographs, writing notes). They were interviewed at 3- and 6-months post baseline. Interview stimuli included personal data of weight and activity graphs, correlations of psychological factors, and self-generated notes and photographs. Interview data were analysed using the Framework Method, applying pre-specified maintenance-relevant theoretical themes. Results: The theoretical Framework provided a good fit for the narratives, with five main themes underpinning successful weight loss maintenance: sustained motivation, effective self-regulation, plentiful resources, habit formation and a supportive environment. Additionally, participants reported an identity shift from being a dieter to accepting a new healthy lifestyle. Goal prioritising and allowing for occasional controlled lapses enhanced weight loss maintenance. Conclusions: This study successfully used the novel method of data-prompted interviews to explore weight loss maintenance experiences with new explanations emerging from the data. Future research should further develop behaviour change maintenance theory and data-prompted interview method.     

Can the REBT theory explain loneliness? Theoretical and clinical applications

Loneliness is a common psychological experience affecting a significant minority of the general population. Loneliness may in part be related to the existence of dysfunctional cognitive evaluations. To date, however, loneliness has yet to be explicitly assessed within a cognitive-behavioural theoretical framework. The current study sought to determine the association between negative cognitions, within the context of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), and the experience of loneliness. A multinational sample of university students (n = 397) completed self-report assessments of rational and irrational beliefs, and loneliness. Structural equation modelling results found that the REBT model of psychopathology, and the REBT model of psychological health, provided satisfactory representations of loneliness, explaining 36% and 23% of variance in loneliness, respectively. Several dysfunctional (“Demandingness”, “Catastrophising” and “Self-Downing” beliefs) and functional (“Preferences” and “Self-Acceptance” beliefs) cognitions were directly and indirectly associated with loneliness. These results highlight that cognitions and loneliness are meaningfully related, and indicate that cognitive-behavioural models may be useful in understanding loneliness. More specifically, current results suggest that REBT may offer a viable psychotherapeutic approach to treating loneliness.     

The question‐behaviour effect in intergroup attitudes research: When do attitudes towards a minority predict a relevant behaviour?

We hypothesised that the question‐behaviour effect, referred to as the influence of questioning about a given behaviour on its subsequent performance, is a relevant issue when exploring the external validity of intergroup attitudes. In a pair of studies, we have corroborated that merely expressing attitudes towards the Jewish minority affects people's relevant behaviour towards this group. In an Internet study, participants who first completed verbal attitude measures were more likely to donate to a Jewish organisation compared to those who completed the measures after making the decision to donate. Moreover, responses to attitude measures of various types and donating to the Jewish organisation were correlated when attitudes had been expressed in the first step. When attitudes were measured after the decision to donate, only the responses to the traditional anti‐Semitic scale were correlated with this behaviour. In the field study, in which the time interval between attitude and behaviour measures was introduced, no question‐behaviour effect was observed. We explain the results with reference to cognitive dissonance and attitude accessibility mechanisms and discuss them in a broader context of attitude‐behaviour research.