H571 – Week 2 Value-Expectancy Theories

1. H571 – Week 2Value-Expectancy Theories Any questions from last week? Review Theory of Reasoned Action Review Theory of Planned Behavior During break – Assignment topics choices Review Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model Review French et al. Group discussion activity Activity 2 (if there is time)

2. Value-Expectancy Theories • Value-expectancy theories assume that people will change a behavior if they anticipate the personal “benefits” derived from the outcome will outweigh any “costs” incurred through enacting the behavior • Costs and benefits may be social, emotional, physical or financial • Expectancies refer to expected consequences or outcomes of a behavior • Value refers to expected value (or evaluation) of those consequences – cost or benefit

3. Valuing Costs and Benefits Because costs and benefits are not always clear, perceptions may be an important aspect of the “mental math” that accounts for behavior Value-expectancy theories must also account for perceptions of immediate vs. delayed benefits E.g. Social benefits of losing weight to increase sex appeal may materialize soon compared to physical benefit of delayed heart disease

4. Theory of Reasoned Action Bonnie, Julie and Kevin

5. Theory of Planned Behavior Toby and Stephanie

6. TPB: Flay Version Knowledge/Expectancies Values/Evaluations Skill Will, Self-determination , with Flay adaptations

7. The Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model Jill

8. French et al., Importance of Affective Beliefs • Fishbein and Ajzen did not understand or communicate very well the affective nature of evaluation and motivation to comply • Two components of Attitudes • Affective component • refers to emotions and drives engendered by the prospect of performing a behavior • Instrumental component • refers to more cognitive consideration of the extent to which performing a behavior would be advantageous

9. Human Behavior • Not driven, primarily, by rationality or cognitive forces • Made with our “hearts” - according to ancient wisdom literatures • Driven by • Emotions • Desires • Habits • Likes/Dislikes • Biological imperatives • Memories buried in the subconscious mind

10. Renewed appreciation for dual process theories: Affective and Cognitive Elements These elements interact continually Theories vary on how much emphasis is put into each element Recently applied to the study of how people manage risk information Scholars have been calling for the addition of affect, emotions, or feelings to current theoretical models of human behavior. Dual Process Theories – Beyond Rationality

11. An Alternative • Include affect-type variables within existing behavioral models. • Adopt other, dual process theories. • Other examples of available options: • Cognitive Experiential Self-Theory (CEST) • Developed by Epstein (1994) adds AFFECT to a set of cognitive factors. • Model of Interpersonal Behavior (MIP) • Developed by Triandis (1980) adds HABITS, or habitual behavior, to reasoning constructs

12. Motivation • Expectancy values theories are generally better for explaining behavior and not very explicit about how to change behavior, except for providing information. • Knowledge is important in each theory, but different knowledge is emphasized in each. • Some attitudes may be more amenable or more resistant to change. Only TRA/TPB emphasize the relative importance of certain cognitive variables. • The term motivation is used in TRA and IMB to reflect attitudes and not in ways that are consistent with the way it is defined more generally All predictors are motivational

13. Activity: Small-Group Discussion Topics • How important is information in influencing/changing behavior? • Are normative beliefs and behavioral beliefs (that determine attitudes) really different? How? • Similarities and differences between cognitive and affective predictors of behavior • Factors that affect the relationship between intentions and behavior • Are people logical/rational or illogical/irrational in decision-making? • Can affect/emotions be included in a “rational-choice” process? How? • Conditions/contexts in which feelings or emotions (rather than cognitions) drive behavioral choices? And vice versa? • Health promotion strategies suggested by value-expectancy theories

14. Activity 2 • You have been asked to design an intervention to reduce the incidence rates of dental carries among children residing Appalachian counties. Your first objective is to design a behavioral intervention for parents of children (ages 1 to 12) that will foster a favorable intent toward three goals: • Goal #1: Parents will assure that their children brush their teeth after every meal at home • Goal #2: Parents will assure that their children's teeth are flossed at least one each day • Goal #3: Parents will bring their children to dental care at least once each year • Use any one of the theories you have learned about in this chapter to design a theory-guided program to improve dental health. Use the theory for the following: • Identify the key variables of interest. • Develop a figure showing the hypothesized relationships between variables. • Develop one message for each variable of interest. • Describe one desired, measureable outcome for each variable of interest. • Next, evaluate your work on the questions above. Discuss the following: • Whether you have identified useful variables and neglected any that should be included based on your selection of theory. • The extent to which your selection of theory does an efficient job of providing identifying key questions that would help inform program planning. • Discuss the relative advantages of your selected theory and two other value-expectancy theories.