Charles Abraham

Publications of Charles Abraham

• A parsimonious, integrative model of key psychological correlates of UK university students' alcohol consumption.

  Authors: Katie Atwell, Charles Abraham, Theodora Duka

  Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire). 03/2011; 46(3):253-60.

  To examine the predictive utility of psychological correlates of alcohol consumption identified in previous (US-dominated) research for a UK student sample and construct an integrative modelTo examine the predictive utility of psychological correlates of alcohol consumption identified in previous (US-dominated) research for a UK student sample and construct an integrative model predictive of alcohol dependency in a sample of first-year undergraduate students. A self-report questionnaire completed by 230 students measured stable and modifiable correlates of alcohol dependence. Stable correlates included age when first regularly drinking (age of onset), personality traits and religiosity. Modifiable measures included drinking motives, self-efficacy, alcohol-related expectancies, prototype perceptions and normative beliefs. The final multivariate model highlighted the importance of age of onset, sensation-seeking and a series of social cognitive measures including: social drinking motives, confidence in the ability to drink within government guidelines (self-efficacy) and the perceived quantity and frequency of alcohol consumed by university friends. Beta-coefficients indicated that self-efficacy and social drinking motives were particularly important predictors. A significant interaction was observed between age of onset and self-efficacy. Earlier onset was associated with higher levels of alcohol dependence for low and moderate, but not high levels of self-efficacy. The model presented here could be used to identify students at risk of alcohol dependence and inform the design of campus-based interventions.

• Extending social cognition models of health behaviour.

  Authors: Charles Abraham, Paschal Sheeran, Marion Henderson

  Health education research. 03/2011; 26(4):624-37.

  A cross-sectional study assessed the extent to which indices of social structure, including family socio-economic status (SES), social deprivation, gender and educational/lifestyle aspirationsA cross-sectional study assessed the extent to which indices of social structure, including family socio-economic status (SES), social deprivation, gender and educational/lifestyle aspirations correlated with adolescent condom use and added to the predictive utility of a theory of planned behaviour model. Analyses of survey data from 824 sexually active 16-year-olds (505 women and 319 men) tested three hypotheses. Firstly, social structure measures will correlate with behaviour-specific cognitions that predict condom use. Secondly, cognition measures will not fully mediate the effects of social structural indices and thirdly, the effects of cognitions on condom use will be moderated by social structure indices. All three hypotheses were supported. SES, gender and aspirations accounted for between 2 and 7% of the variance in behaviour-specific cognitions predicting condom use. Aspirations explained a further 4% of the variance in condom use, controlling for cognition effects. Mother's SES and gender added an additional 5%, controlling for aspirations. Overall, including significant moderation effects, of social structure indices increased the variance explained from 20.5% (for cognition measures alone) to 31%. These data indicate that social structure measures should to be investigated in addition to cognitions when modelling antecedents of behaviour, including condom use.

• Strengthening evaluation and implementation by specifying components of behaviour change interventions: a study protocol.

  Authors: Susan Michie, Charles Abraham, Martin P Eccles, Jill J Francis, Wendy Hardeman, Marie Johnston

  Implementation science : IS. 01/2011; 6:10.

  The importance of behaviour change in improving health is illustrated by the increasing investment by funding bodies in the development and evaluation of complex interventions to change population,The importance of behaviour change in improving health is illustrated by the increasing investment by funding bodies in the development and evaluation of complex interventions to change population, patient, and practitioner behaviours. The development of effective interventions is hampered by the absence of a nomenclature to specify and report their content. This limits the possibility of replicating effective interventions, synthesising evidence, and understanding the causal mechanisms underlying behaviour change. In contrast, biomedical interventions are precisely specified (e.g., the pharmacological 'ingredients' of prescribed drugs, their dose and frequency of administration). For most complex interventions, the precise 'ingredients' are unknown; descriptions (e.g., 'behavioural counseling') can mean different things to different researchers or implementers. The lack of a method for specifying complex interventions undermines the precision of evidence syntheses of effectiveness, posing a problem for secondary, as well as primary, research.We aim to develop a reliable method of specifying intervention components ('techniques') aimed at changing behaviour. The research will be conducted in three phases. The first phase will develop the nomenclature. We will refine a preliminary list of techniques and definitions. Using a formal consensus method, experts will then define the key attributes of each technique and how it relates to, and differs from, others. They will evaluate the techniques and their definitions until they achieve an agreed-upon list of clearly defined, nonredundant techniques. The second phase will test the nomenclature. Trained experts (primary researchers and systematic reviewers), equipped with a coding manual and guidance, will use the nomenclature to code published descriptions of complex interventions. Reliability between experts, over time, and across types of users will be assessed. We will assess whether using the nomenclature to write intervention descriptions enhances the clarity and replicability of interventions. The third phase will develop a web-based users' resource of clearly specified and nonredundant techniques, which will aid the scientific understanding of, and development of, effective complex interventions. Dissemination throughout the project will be through stakeholder meetings, targeted multidisciplinary workshops, conference presentation, journal publication, and publication in an interactive web-based platform (a Wiki). The development of a reliable method of specifying intervention components aimed at changing behaviour will strengthen the scientific basis for developing, evaluating, and reporting complex interventions. It will improve the precision of evidence syntheses of effectiveness, thus enhancing secondary, as well as primary, research.

• Can the effectiveness of health promotion campaigns be improved using self-efficacy and self-affirmation interventions? An analysis of sun protection messages.

  Authors: Anna Good, Charles Abraham

  Psychology & health. 01/2011; 26(7):799-818.

  Health-risk communications frequently target self-efficacy in order to encourage adaptive responses. Research has also indicated that self-affirmation may be a useful supplementary or alternativeHealth-risk communications frequently target self-efficacy in order to encourage adaptive responses. Research has also indicated that self-affirmation may be a useful supplementary or alternative intervention technique. This study compared the effects of self-efficacy, self-affirmation and a combination of these techniques for two risk messages. Young British females (N=677) read about ultraviolet light and skin cancer or skin ageing ('photoageing') and were randomly assigned to a single intervention (self-affirmation/self-efficacy), the combined intervention or no intervention. The efficacy intervention led to greater message acceptance and perceived risk in both the cancer and photoageing conditions, while the only main effect of self-affirmation was on acceptance of the photoageing message. However, self-affirmation moderated the effect of efficacy information. For photoageing messages, efficacy information was associated with greater message acceptance only amongst self-affirmed participants, but the opposite occurred for skin cancer messages. Although these findings should be interpreted cautiously, they imply that health promoters should select efficacy information if only one intervention is used but that self-affirmation can influence responsiveness to efficacy interventions for particular messages.

• What psychological and behaviour changes are initiated by 'expert patient' training and what training techniques are most helpful?

  Authors: Charles Abraham, Ben Gardner

  Psychology & health. 12/2009; 24(10):1153-65.

  The Expert Patient Programme (EPP) is a lay-led, group-based, self-management training course available through the UK National Health Service for persons with long-term health conditions. Thirty-twoThe Expert Patient Programme (EPP) is a lay-led, group-based, self-management training course available through the UK National Health Service for persons with long-term health conditions. Thirty-two patients who attended EPP courses in East London were interviewed about their experiences. Grounded theory coding of transcripts was employed to identify recurring accounts. Thematic analysis was used to theorise and organise participants' accounts, identifying commonly reported changes, helpful techniques and disappointments and frustrations. Results highlighted the role of information provision, especially face-to-face information exchange as well as the impact of in-class instruction and modelling of physical skills. Personal goal setting, using graded tasks, self-monitoring and goal review were regarded as the most useful techniques. Adoption and use of these self-management techniques depended on the establishment of an empathic and self-validating interpersonal context. Findings also imply that EPP may not be ideal for all participants and suggested modifications and improvements are discussed.

• Effective techniques in healthy eating and physical activity interventions: A meta-regression.

  Authors: Susan Michie, Charles Abraham, Craig Whittington, John McAteer, Sunjai Gupta

  Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association. 11/2009; 28(6):690-701.

  Objective: Meta-analyses of behavior change (BC) interventions typically find large heterogeneity in effectiveness and small effects. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of active BCObjective: Meta-analyses of behavior change (BC) interventions typically find large heterogeneity in effectiveness and small effects. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of active BC interventions designed to promote physical activity and healthy eating and investigate whether theoretically specified BC techniques improve outcome. Design: Interventions, evaluated in experimental or quasi-experimental studies, using behavioral and/or cognitive techniques to increase physical activity and healthy eating in adults, were systematically reviewed. Intervention content was reliably classified into 26 BC techniques and the effects of individual techniques, and of a theoretically derived combination of self-regulation techniques, were assessed using meta-regression. Main Outcome Measures: Valid outcomes of physical activity and healthy eating. Results: The 122 evaluations (N = 44,747) produced an overall pooled effect size of 0.31 (95% confidence interval = 0.26 to 0.36, I2 = 69%). The technique, "self-monitoring," explained the greatest amount of among-study heterogeneity (13%). Interventions that combined self-monitoring with at least one other technique derived from control theory were significantly more effective than the other interventions (0.42 vs. 0.26). Conclusion: Classifying interventions according to component techniques and theoretically derived technique combinations and conducting meta-regression enabled identification of effective components of interventions designed to increase physical activity and healthy eating. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

• Behaviour change: the NICE perspective on the NICE guidance.

  Authors: Michael P Kelly, Charles Abraham

  Psychology & health. 02/2009; 24(2):131-3.

• The UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence public health guidance on behaviour change: a brief introduction.

  Authors: Charles Abraham, Michael P Kelly, Robert West, Susan Michie

  Psychology, health & medicine. 02/2009; 14(1):1-8.

  In October 2007, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published 'Guidelines for Behaviour change at population, community and individual levels' (National Institute ofIn October 2007, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published 'Guidelines for Behaviour change at population, community and individual levels' (National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence. Behaviour change at population, community and individual levels (Public Health Guidance 6), 2007, from http://www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/PH6). This article provides a brief overview of, and introduction to, the guidance focussing on three of its recommendations. First, the guidance outlines skills and competencies required by those involved in the design and evaluation of behaviour change interventions (BCIs). Second, it specifies a series of key psychological change targets which should be considered in interventions intended to change individual behaviour. Third, it highlights the need to plan intervention design and evaluation so that intervention components or techniques are linked directly to causal process which account for change. In addition, the guidance outlines a research agenda. Based on an analysis of the limitations of the available evidence base, research recommendations advise researchers on how to improve the quality of research into BCIs (including evaluations) and thereby advance the science of behaviour change.

• Advancing the science of behaviour change: a plea for scientific reporting.

  Authors: Susan Michie, Charles Abraham

  Addiction (Abingdon, England). 10/2008; 103(9):1409-10.

• A taxonomy of behavior change techniques used in interventions.

  Authors: Charles Abraham, Susan Michie

  Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association. 06/2008; 27(3):379-87.

  Objective: Without standardized definitions of the techniques included in behavior change interventions, it is difficult to faithfully replicate effective interventions and challenging to identifyObjective: Without standardized definitions of the techniques included in behavior change interventions, it is difficult to faithfully replicate effective interventions and challenging to identify techniques contributing to effectiveness across interventions. This research aimed to develop and test a theory-linked taxonomy of generally applicable behavior change techniques (BCTs). Design: Twenty-six BCTs were defined. Two psychologists used a 5-page coding manual to independently judge the presence or absence of each technique in published intervention descriptions and in intervention manuals. Results: Three systematic reviews yielded 195 published descriptions. Across 78 reliability tests (i.e., 26 techniques applied to 3 reviews), the average kappa per technique was 0.79, with 93% of judgments being agreements. Interventions were found to vary widely in the range and type of techniques used, even when targeting the same behavior among similar participants. The average agreement for intervention manuals was 85%, and a comparison of BCTs identified in 13 manuals and 13 published articles describing the same interventions generated a technique correspondence rate of 74%, with most mismatches (73%) arising from identification of a technique in the manual but not in the article. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate the feasibility of developing standardized definitions of BCTs included in behavioral interventions and highlight problematic variability in the reporting of intervention content. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved).

• What explains between-school differences in rates of smoking?

  Authors: Marion Henderson, Russell Ecob, Daniel Wight, Charles Abraham

  BMC public health. 02/2008; 8:218.

  BACKGROUND: Schools have the potential to influence their pupils' behaviour through the school's social organisation and culture (non-formal school characteristics), as well as through the formalBACKGROUND: Schools have the potential to influence their pupils' behaviour through the school's social organisation and culture (non-formal school characteristics), as well as through the formal curriculum. This paper examines whether these school characteristics (which include a measure of quality of social relationships) can account for school differences in smoking rates. METHODS: This study uses a longitudinal survey involving 5,092 pupils in 24 Scottish schools. Pupils' smoking (at age 15/16), cognitive measures, attitude to school and pupils' rating of teacher pupil relationships (at age 13/14) were linked to school level data comprising teacher assessed quality of pupil-staff relationships, school level deprivation, staying on rates and attendance. Analysis involved multi-level modelling. RESULTS: Overall, 25% of males and 39% of females reported smoking, with rates by school ranging from 8% to 33% for males and from 28% to 49% for females. When individual socio-economic and socio-cultural factors were controlled for there was still a large school effect for males and a smaller (but correlated) school effect for females at 15/16 years. For girls their school effect was explained by their rating of teacher-pupil relationships and attitude to school. These variables were also significant in predicting smoking among boys. However, the school effect for boys was most radically attenuated and became insignificant when the interaction between poor quality of teacher - pupil relationships and school level affluence was fitted, explaining 82% of the variance between schools. In addition, researchers' rating of the schools' focus on caring and inclusiveness was also significantly associated with both male and female smoking rates. CONCLUSION: School-level characteristics have an impact on male and female pupils' rates of smoking up to 15/16 years of age. The size of the school effect is greater for males at this age. The social environment of schools, in particular the quality of teacher-pupil relationships, pupils' attitude to school and the school's focus on caring and inclusiveness, can influence both boys' and girls' smoking. This provides support for the school-wide or "Health Promoting School" approach to smoking prevention.

• Improving blood donor recruitment and retention: integrating theoretical advances from social and behavioral science research agendas.

  Authors: Eamonn Ferguson, Christopher R France, Charles Abraham, Blaine Ditto, Paschal Sheeran

  Transfusion. 12/2007; 47(11):1999-2010.

  BACKGROUND: Increasing blood donor recruitment and retention is of key importance to transfusion services. Research within the social and behavioral science traditions has adopted separate butBACKGROUND: Increasing blood donor recruitment and retention is of key importance to transfusion services. Research within the social and behavioral science traditions has adopted separate but complementary approaches to addressing these issues. This article aims to review both of these types of literature, examine theoretical developments, identify commonalities, and offer a means to integrate these within a single intervention approach. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The social and behavioral science literature on blood donor recruitment and retention focusing on theory, interventions, and integration is reviewed. RESULTS: The role of emotional regulation (anticipated anxiety and vasovagal reactions) is central to both the behavioral and the social science approaches to enhancing donor motivation, yet although intentions are the best predictor of donor behavior, interventions targeting enactment of intentions have not been used to increase donation. Implementation intentions (that is, if-then plans formed in advance of acting) provide a useful technique to integrate findings from social and behavioral sciences to increase donor recruitment and retention. CONCLUSION: After reviewing the literature, implementation intention formation is proposed as a technique to integrate the key findings and theories from the behavioral and social science literature on blood donor recruitment and retention.

• Can theory-based messages in combination with cognitive prompts promote exercise in classroom settings?

  Authors: Chloe Hill, Charles Abraham, Daniel B Wright

  Social science & medicine (1982). 10/2007; 65(5):1049-58.

  A randomised control trial evaluated the effectiveness of a theory-based persuasive leaflet designed to encourage students to undertake at least one additional physical exercise session a week.A randomised control trial evaluated the effectiveness of a theory-based persuasive leaflet designed to encourage students to undertake at least one additional physical exercise session a week. Participants were 503 secondary school students attending a school in South-East England. The leaflet was written to target potentially modifiable cognitive antecedents of exercise specified by the Theory of Planned Behaviour. It was separately augmented with two cognitive change techniques, resulting in three intervention conditions, leaflet alone; leaflet plus motivational quiz, and leaflet plus implementation intention prompt, as well as a no-leaflet control condition. Cognitions and behaviour were measured immediately before and 3 weeks after intervention. The results showed that all three-leaflet interventions significantly increased reported exercise, intention to exercise and related cognitions, compared to the control condition, but did not differ in their impact. Mediation analysis showed that intervention effects on exercise were partially mediated by intentions and perceived behavioural control.

• Planning to lose weight: randomized controlled trial of an implementation intention prompt to enhance weight reduction among overweight and obese women.

  Authors: Aleksandra Luszczynska, Anna Sobczyk, Charles Abraham

  Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association. 08/2007; 26(4):507-12.

  OBJECTIVE: The trial investigates the effects of augmenting an established weight-reduction intervention with implementation intention prompts. DESIGN: Fifty-five overweight or obese women (ages 18OBJECTIVE: The trial investigates the effects of augmenting an established weight-reduction intervention with implementation intention prompts. DESIGN: Fifty-five overweight or obese women (ages 18 to 76 years; body mass index from 25.28 to 48.33) enrolled in a commercial weight reduction program were randomly assigned to either an implementation intention prompt or a control condition. Data were collected twice, with a time gap of 2 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was participants' change in weight and body mass index from preintervention to follow-up. RESULTS: Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed a significant Time = Condition interaction: On average, implementation intention prompt participants lost 4.2 kg (95% confidence interval = 3.19, 5.07), whereas control participants lost 2.1 kg (95% confidence interval = 1.11, 3.09). The change in frequency of planning mediated the effects of the intervention on weight and body mass index change. CONCLUSION: Among obese or overweight women participating in a commercial weight loss program, those who learn to form implementation intentions can achieve greater weight reduction. Planning facilitation is a key mechanism explaining enhanced weight loss generated by implementation intention formation.

• Effects of a self-efficacy intervention on initiation of recommended exercises in patients with spondylosis.

  Authors: Aleksandra Luszczynska, Agnieszka Gregajtys, Charles Abraham

  Journal of aging and physical activity. 02/2007; 15(1):26-40.

  An intervention designed to enhance preaction self-efficacy beliefs (i.e., beliefs about ability to initiate behavior despite anticipated barriers during the initiation period) was tested in patientsAn intervention designed to enhance preaction self-efficacy beliefs (i.e., beliefs about ability to initiate behavior despite anticipated barriers during the initiation period) was tested in patients with spondylosis in relation to initiation of exercises recommended by a consultant in orthopedic rehabilitation. Sixty patients (age 28-83 years; 44% men) with spondylosis who had not previously performed exercises recommended for degenerative spine diseases were randomly assigned to a control (education session) or intervention group. Three weeks later, intervention patients performed recommended exercises more frequently than controls. Regression analysis for all patients showed that preintervention, preaction self-efficacy predicted exercise. Age and preintervention self-efficacy moderated the intervention effects. Among older patients, only those with weak preintervention, preaction self-efficacy beliefs benefited from the intervention, whereas among younger patients, only those with strong preintervention, preaction self-efficacy beliefs benefited from the intervention.

• The role of affect in UK commuters' travel mode choices: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.

  Authors: Eleanor Mann, Charles Abraham

  British journal of psychology (London, England : 1953). 06/2006; 97(Pt 2):155-76.

  Previous research has suggested that the choice between public transport and private car use is not solely based on utility considerations, such as time and cost. However, affective considerationsPrevious research has suggested that the choice between public transport and private car use is not solely based on utility considerations, such as time and cost. However, affective considerations tend not to be targeted in policy interventions to reduce car use. This may be due, in part, to a lack of clarity about which affective responses to car use are important and how they may affect willingness to switch to public transport. This study sought to clarify the role of affective responses in transport mode choice. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of car users' accounts was conducted to (i) explore affect associated with decisions to drive or use public transport to get to work; and (ii) describe the role of affect on such transport decisions, and its relationship to utility considerations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 car users employed at a medium-sized UK university. Four affect themes were identified: These were journey-based affect (JBA), personal space, autonomy and identity. Typical 'utility' factors such as time, cost and reliability had important affective effects, and these were considered alongside utility components (e.g. getting to work on time). However, these effects were not always additive, and the role of affect depended on participants' own assessment of their circumstances. Implications for interventions are discussed.

• Perceived discrimination of international visitors to universities in Germany and the UK.

  Authors: Barbara Krahé, Charles Abraham, Juliane Felber, Muriel K Helbig

  British journal of psychology (London, England : 1953). 09/2005; 96(Pt 3):263-81.

  The extent to which international students and academics feel discriminated against in the host country was explored in three samples from two countries: students in Germany (N = 161), students inThe extent to which international students and academics feel discriminated against in the host country was explored in three samples from two countries: students in Germany (N = 161), students in the UK (N = 139), and academics in Germany (N = 79). Respondents completed a measure of perceived discrimination of increasing severity, comprising antilocution (verbal derogation), avoidance, behavioural discrimination, and physical assault. Physical discernibility as foreigner, quality of private contacts with host nationals, and language proficiency were explored as predictors of perceived discrimination. Across the three samples, respondents who were identifiable as foreigners by their appearance reported more discrimination. Positive contacts with host nationals were associated with lower levels of perceived discrimination. Language proficiency predicted perceived antilocution in the two German samples. All samples perceived their personal level of discrimination to be lower than that of their respective in-groups (international students/academics), but the tendency was moderated by visibility and contact quality.

• Can safer-sex promotion leaflets change cognitive antecedents of condom use? An experimental evaluation.

  Authors: Barbara Krahé, Charles Abraham, Renate Scheinberger-Olwig

  British journal of health psychology. 06/2005; 10(Pt 2):203-20.

  An experimental evaluation of a safer sex promotion leaflet was undertaken to assess its capacity to change antecedent cognitions of condom use. The leaflet was identified in a previous study asAn experimental evaluation of a safer sex promotion leaflet was undertaken to assess its capacity to change antecedent cognitions of condom use. The leaflet was identified in a previous study as addressing research-based cognitive antecedents of condom use. A pre-post-test experimental study including three conditions was conducted: (a) presentation of the leaflet; (b) presentation of the leaflet plus incentive for systematic processing; (c) no-leaflet control. The leaflet was evaluated in terms of its capacity to change eight cognitive correlates of condom use identified in a recent meta-analysis. The sample consisted of 230 tenth-grade students. Following baseline assessments, leaflet-induced change was measured immediately following the intervention and at a follow up 4 weeks post-intervention. The target leaflet alone did not result in significant changes in the cognitive antecedents of condom use compared with the control condition. However, in combination with an incentive for systematic processing, the target leaflet had a greater impact on cognitive antecedents than the no-leaflet control condition. The findings are discussed with regard to the development and evaluation of research-based health-promotion materials.

• Constructing an integrated model of the antecedents of adolescent smoking.

  Authors: Dawn Wilkinson, Charles Abraham

  British journal of health psychology. 09/2004; 9(Pt 3):315-33.

  OBJECTIVE: Reviews have called for integrative, theoretically informed models of the 'hundreds of associations' (Miller & Slap, 1989, p. 131) between psychosocial measures and adolescent smoking (e.OBJECTIVE: Reviews have called for integrative, theoretically informed models of the 'hundreds of associations' (Miller & Slap, 1989, p. 131) between psychosocial measures and adolescent smoking (e. g. Tyas & Pederson, 1998). Such a model was tested. METHOD: A prospective, classroom-based survey measuring previously identified correlates of smoking allowed comparison of the strength of relationships between antecedents and smoking status six months later. The prospective sample included 225 13 to 14-year-olds. Measures of behaviour-specific cognitions derived from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)-as well as personality, self-esteem, parental support and parental control, sociodemographic factors, and descriptive norms-were included. Relationships between antecedents were explored using path analyses. RESULTS: High initial rates of smoking were observed. Of the variance in smoking six months later, 56% was explained by seven direct predictors: intention, perceived ease of smoking, estimated number of friends smoking, percentage of older brothers smoking, self-esteem, extraversion and car access. DISCUSSION: Results emphasize the importance of behaviour-specific cognitions specified by the TPB but suggest that other factors, including extraversion and self-esteem, need to be included in models of the antecedents of smoking. The findings also imply that some antecedents, such as parental support, may indirectly influence adolescent smoking through their effect on other variables.

• Deciding to exercise: the role of anticipated regret.

  Authors: Charles Abraham, Paschal Sheeran

  British journal of health psychology. 06/2004; 9(Pt 2):269-78.

  OBJECTIVES: Two studies tested (a) whether anticipated regret (AR) qualifies as an additional predictor of intentions to engage in a health-enhancing behaviour (exercise) after variables from theOBJECTIVES: Two studies tested (a) whether anticipated regret (AR) qualifies as an additional predictor of intentions to engage in a health-enhancing behaviour (exercise) after variables from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and past behaviour have been controlled, and (b) whether a manipulation that induces participants to focus on AR causes stronger intentions to exercise. DESIGN: Study 1 employed a cross-sectional questionnaire design; Study 2 employed a between-participants experimental design (AR focus vs. no AR focus). METHOD: Participants (N = 385) completed standard, multi-item, reliable measures of TPB constructs and AR and also reported their past behaviour (Study 1). Participants in Study 2 (N = 70) completed measures of AR and intention; salience of AR was manipulated by means of item order. RESULTS: Study 1 showed that even though TPB variables and past behaviour were reliable predictors of intention, and explained 51% of the variance, AR contributed a substantial increment in the variance (5%) even after these predictors had been taken into account. Study 2 showed that participants who were induced to focus on AR prior to intention formation had significantly stronger intentions to exercise compared to controls. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that AR predicts a health-enhancing behaviour (as well as the health-risk behaviours examined in previous research) and that effects of AR are independent of TPB variables and past behaviour. The findings also indicate that a simple and inexpensive manipulation of the salience of AR can be used to promote exercise intentions.