Variable Frequencies of Theoretical Behavior Change Components

1. The Prevalence of Theoretical Behavior Change Components in the Top Breast Cancer Websites to Encourage Detection or Prevention Behaviors and to Solicit Donations Mentors: Dr. Pamela Whitten and Dr. Sandi Smith Authors: Carolyn LaPlante and Samantha Munday, Department of Communication and Telecommunication, Information and Media Studies Michigan State University Authors: Carolyn LaPlante and Samantha Munday, Michigan State University • Background Information • The internet is an expansive and pervasive information source. It has become a primary resource for the general public who seek health information about a variety of topics including breast cancer. This particular research is part of a larger study which evaluated the use of basic design tenets and theoretical behavioral change components in top 157 breast cancer websites. The focus of this particular project was to assess the use of certain theoretical components on breast cancer websites as they persuade users towards prevention or detection behaviors. It will also discuss how some of these components were additionally used to persuade users to contribute money to the organizations that sponsor the websites. • Theoretical Components Used • From the 10 Processes of Change from the Stages of Change/ Transtheoretical Model (SC/TM) (Velicer et. al, 1998): • consciousness raising • social liberation • self- reevaluation • stimulus control • counter-conditioning • self-liberation • reinforcement management • From the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Ajzen & Madden, 1986): • attitudes • subjective norms • perceived behavioral control • From the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) (Witte, 1992): • self efficacy • response efficacy • Added Motivational Variable: • presence of specific steps to • achieve the desired outcome Variable Frequencies of Theoretical Behavior Change Components 10 Processes of Change from the Transtheoretical Model EPPM TPB Subjective Norms Consciousness Raising Stimulus Control Reinforcement Management (also Attitudes) Self-Efficacy (also Perceived Behavioral Control and Self-Liberation) Does the website have a section for the purpose of increasing awareness about prevention/early detection of breast cancer? Does the website have a section for the purpose of adding prompts for healthy breast cancer prevention habits? Does the website have a section with the purpose to convey that important significant others think the user should engage in healthy preventative breast cancer behaviors? Does the website have a section with the purpose to create in users the belief that one can change to healthy preventative behaviors? No: 91.7% Detection: 7.6% Prevention: 0.6% Both: 0% No: 22.3% Detection: 18.5% Prevention: 10.8% Both: 48.4% Does the website have a section with the purpose to provide negative consequences for taking steps in a direction against healthy preventative breast cancer actions? No: 97.5% Detection: 1.9% Prevention: 0.6% Both: 0% Counter- Conditioning No: 82.8% Detection: 7.6% Prevention: 5.7% Both: 3.8% Social Liberation Perceived Behavioral Control No: 48.4%% Detection: 0.6% Prevention: 48.4% Both: 2.5% Does the website have a section that promotes the learning of healthier behaviors that can substitute for problem behaviors? Does the website have a section which increases alternatives for people to act out healthy preventative breast cancer behaviors? Does the website have a section with the purpose to convey to the user that they have the ability to overcome obstacles to perform healthy preventative breast cancer behaviors? Does the website create in users the belief that they can donate money? Does the website have a section with the purpose to provide positive consequences for taking steps in a direction towards healthy preventative breast cancer actions? No: 86.0% Detection: 1.3% Prevention: 11.5% Both: 1.3% N/A: 83.4% No: 9.6% Yes: 7.0% No: 62.4% Detection: 15.3% Prevention: 12.7% Both: 9.6% No: 93.6% Detection: 3.8% Prevention: 2.5% Both: 0% Does the website only create in users the belief that they can donate money? Self-Liberation Does the website increase alternatives for people to donate money? No: 43.9%% Detection: 12.1% Prevention: 14.6% Both: 29.3% N/A: 93.0% No: 1.3% Yes: 5.7% Does the website have a section with the purpose of urging users to act on their belief that one can change to healthy preventative behaviors? Added Motivational Variable N/A: 59.9% No: 13.4% Yes: 26.8% Does the website provide positive consequences for donating money? Response Efficacy Are the only alternatives present on the site for donating money? No: 84.1% Detection: 7.6% Prevention: 6.4% Both: 1.9% Does the website have a section that gives information on the effectiveness of certain behaviors to avert the threat of breast cancer ? N/A: 44.6% No: 38.9% Yes: 16.6% Specific Steps N/A: 74.5% No: 10.8% Yes: 14.6% Does the website give users specific steps to complete in order to perform healthy preventative behaviors? Does the website urge users to donate money? Does the website only provide positive consequences for donating money? No: 75.8% Detection: 13.4% Prevention: 9.6% Both: 1.3% Self-Reevaluation N/A: 84.1% No: 8.3% Yes: 7.6% No: 72.0% Detection: 26.1% Prevention: 1.9% Both: 0% N/A: 83.4% No: 13.4% Yes: 3.2% Does the website have a section for the purpose of showing healthy role models for breast cancer prevention? Does the website only urge users when they are asking for money? References Ajzen, I., & Madden, T. J. (1986). Prediction of goal directed behavior: Attitudes, Intentions, and perceived behavioral control. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 22, 453-474. Velicer, W. F., Prochaska, J. O., Fava, J. L., Norman, G. J., Redding, C. A. (1998). Smoking cessation and stress management: Applications of the trastheoretical model of behavior change. Homeostasis, 38, pp. 216-233. Witte, K. (1992). Putting the fear back in fear appeals: the extended parallel process model. Communication Monographs, 59, pp. 329-349. N/A: 93.0% No: 1.9% Yes: 5.1% No: 78.3% Detection: 12.1% Prevention: 6.4% Both: 3.2% Results & Discussion The results of this study show that consciousness raising and positive reinforcement management/attitudes were found to most often be used for both prevention and detection on the top breast cancer websites. Counter-conditioning and negative reinforcement/attitudes were most often used for prevention. The rest of the components were found to be used primarily for detection. There were four theoretical components considered when assessing persuasion in terms of fundraising. They were social liberation, positive reinforcement management/attitudes, self-efficacy, and self-liberation. Of these four that were assessed, three were used more than 50% of the time when soliciting money. The overall results are interesting because they show that fewer websites use theoretical components to persuade for prevention than they do for detection. This is an important finding because it is just as valuable, if not more so, for a person to prevent a disease as it is to detect it early. It should be noted that overall, theoretical components were absent from the websites in general. When they are used, however, many of them are used to solicit money. These results lend ideas for future research on such topics as well as ideas to better the current state of the top breast cancer websites.