Publications (2)5.89 Total impact
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Article: Planning bridges the intention-behaviour gap: age makes a difference and strategy use explains why.
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ABSTRACT: Objective: This study examines age-differential association patterns between intentions, planning and physical activity in young and middle-aged individuals. The effectiveness of planning to bridge the intention-behaviour gap is assumed to increase with advancing age. We explore the use of behaviour change strategies that include selection, optimisation and compensation (SOC) as underlying mechanisms for age differences. Methods: In N = 265 employees of a national railway company (aged 19-64 years), intentions, planning, SOC strategy use and physical activity were assessed at baseline (Time 1) and again 1 month later (Time 2). Hypotheses were tested in two different path models. Results: Age moderates the extent to which planning mediates the intention-behaviour relation due to an increasing strength of the planning-behaviour link. As a possible psychological mechanism for these age differences, we identified SOC strategy use as a mediator of the age by planning interaction effect on physical activity. Conclusion: These findings suggest differential mechanisms in behaviour regulation in young and middle-aged individuals.Psychology & Health 05/2009; 25(7):873-87. · 1.69 Impact Factor -
Article: Adoption and maintenance of four health behaviors: theory-guided longitudinal studies on dental flossing, seat belt use, dietary behavior, and physical activity.
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ABSTRACT: Adoption and maintenance of health behaviors are often poorly predicted by behavioral intentions. To bridge the gap between intentions and behavior, strategic planning and recovery self-efficacy have been suggested as proximal predictors. The aim was to examine the usefulness of a prediction model that includes planning and self-efficacy as postintentional mediator variables. Four longitudinal studies were conducted on dental flossing (Study I, N = 157), seat belt use (Study II, N = 298), dietary behaviors (Study III, N = 700), and physical activity (Study IV, N = 365). Dental flossing and seat belt use were assessed in students by paper-and-pencil questionnaires, whereas dietary behavior and physical activity inventories were presented to the general public in the internet. By structural equation modeling, it was found that one common model fits all four data sets well. Results differed in terms of variance accounted for, but the overall patterns of estimated parameters were similar across samples. Self-efficacy and planning seemed to be functional as proximal predictors of health behaviors, whereas health risk perception appeared to be a negligible factor. When predicting health behaviors, self-regulatory variables should be used in addition to the behavioral intention.Annals of Behavioral Medicine 05/2007; 33(2):156-66. · 4.20 Impact Factor
