Behavioral Research

Table of Contents
1 General Definition
2 Use of the Construct in Health Behavior Theories
3

Measures and Measurements

4

Similar Constructs

5

Measurement and Methodological Issues

6

References

7

Measures Appendix

8 Published Examples

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Other Constructs
 

Barriers

 

Dispositional Optimism

 

Environments

 

Illness Representations

  Implementation Intentions
  Intention, Expectation, and Willingness
  Normative Beliefs
  Optimistic Bias
  Perceived Benefits
  Perceived Control
  Perceived Severity
  Perceived Vulnerability
  Self-Efficacy
  Self-Reported Behavior
  Social Influence
  Social Support
  Stages
  Worry

Social Influence
Thomas A. Wills, Michael G. Ainette, and Carmella Walker

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7

Measures Appendix

1A. Normative Pressure to Smoke (Urberg et al., 1990).

"How would these people react to your smoking cigarettes" (5-point response scale, Strongly Encouraging to Strongly Discouraging")

1. Your best same-sex friend.
2. Your best opposite-sex friend.
3. Your other friends.
4. Does your best friend want you to smoke?
5. Do your other friends want you to smoke?

1B. Normative Pressure Not to Smoke (Urberg et al., 1990).

"How would these people react to your not smoking cigarettes" (5-point response scale, Strongly Encouraging to Strongly Discouraging")

1. Best same-sex friend.
2. Best opposite-sex friend.
3. Other friends.

2. Perceived Norms about Substance Use (Brody et al., 1998).

"Here are some questions about some things kids might do. What do you think about these?" (5-point response scale, Totally Unacceptable to Totally Acceptable.)

How acceptable is it for an X-year old to:
1. Have some sips from a parent's beer or wine during a family dinner.
2. Have some sips from an adult's beer or wine at a friend's house.
3. Have a drink of beer or wine at a family party (like New Year's eve).
4. Have a drink of beer or wine when you're alone at home.
5. Have a drink of beer or wine at a party at a friend's house.
6. Have a drink of beer/wine at a community event (like a block party).
7. Have some puffs on an adult's cigarette at home.
8. Have some puffs on a friend's cigarette outside of school.
9. Smoke a cigarette at a family party (like New Year's Eve).
10. Smoke a cigarette when you're alone at home.
11. Smoke a cigarette at a party at a friend's house.
12. Smoke a cigarette at a community event (like a block party).

3. Prototypes of Users (Gibbons & Gerrard, 1995).

"Take a moment to think about the type of kid your age who [smokes cigarettes]. We are not thinking about anyone in particular, just your image of kids who [smoke cigarettes]. How [xxx] are they?" (5-point response scale, Not At All [X] - Very [X])

1. Popular
2. Careless (recoded)
3. Smart
4. Cool
5. Attractive or good-looking
6. Dull or boring (recoded)

Gender-matched ratings are obtained through having boys rate male users and girls rate female users. Alternative rating targets are "the type of kid your age who drinks alcohol regularly" (drinker prototype), "the type of boy/girl your age who has sex regularly" (sex engager prototype), "kids your age who decide they are not going to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or use drugs at all" (substance abstainer prototype), "the type of boy/girl your age who chooses not to have sex at all" (sex abstainer prototype).

4A. Frequency of Communication (Wills et al., 2003).

"In the past year, how often has your [mother/father] talked to you about ....?" Please answer each one. (4-point response scale: Never, Once or Twice, A Few Times, Many Times)

1. School work.
2. Friends.
3. Things that bother you.
4. Smoking cigarettes.
5. Drinking alcohol.
6. Using drugs.
7. Sexual intercourse (sex).
8. Birth control.
9. Preventing sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) like "crabs," gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes.
10. HIV and AIDs.

4B. Quality of Communication (Wills et al., 2003).

"The next questions about how things go when you talk with your [mother/father] about various things." (3-point response scale: Caregiver does most of talking / Usually talk about it in a way where we have to watch what we say / Usually talk about it openly and each say what we think)

1. When you and your [mother/father] talk about school work, how does the conversation go?
2. When you and your [mother/father] talk about things that bother you, how does the conversation go?
3. When you and your [mother/father] talk about your friends, how does the conversation go?
4. When you and your [mother/father] talk about smoking cigarettes, how does the conversation go?
5. When you and your [mother/father] talk about drinking alcohol, how does the conversation go?
6. When you and your [mother/father] talk about using drugs, how does the conversation go?
7. When you and your [mother/father] talk about having sex, how does the conversation go?
8. When you and your [mother/father] talk about birth control, how does the conversation go?
9. When you and your [mother/father] talk about preventing STD's, how does the conversation go?
10. When you and your [mother/father] talk about HIV and AIDS, how does the conversation go?

5. Media Exposures (Wills et al., 2006).

"How many hours a day do you usually watch TV during the week (not including weekends)? (One hour a day or less, about two hours a day, about three hours a day, four hours a day or more).

"How many hours a day do you usually watch TV on weekends? (One hour a day or less, about two hours a day, about three hours a day, four hours a day or more).

"How often do you see people on TV smoke cigarettes? (Not at All, A Little, Some, A Lot)

"How often do you see people on TV drink alcohol? (Not at All, A Little, Some, A Lot)

"When you see alcohol commercials on TV, how much do you pay attention to them?"

I don't pay attention to them at all / I pay attention to them a little / I pay attention to them sometimes / I pay attention to them always

"Of the commercials you see on TV, how much do you like the commercials for alcohol."

I like the alcohol commercials the least / I like the alcohol commercials a little / I like the alcohol commercials somewhat / I like the alcohol commercials the most

"When you see alcohol commercials on TV, do you think they are funny?"

I think they're not at all funny / I think they're a little funny / I think they're somewhat funny / I think they're very funny

"When you see alcohol commercials on TV, do you wish you were like the people in the commercials?"

No, don't want to be like them at all / Want to be like them a little /Want to be like them somewhat / Very much want to be like them

"When you see advertisements for cigarette smoking (like on billboards or at sports events), how often do you pay attention to them?"

I don't pay attention to them at all / I pay attention to them a little / I pay attention to them sometimes / I pay attention to them always

"When you see advertisements for cigarette smoking (like on billboards or at sports events), how much do you like them compared to other types of advertising."

I like the smoking billboards the least / I like the smoking billboards a little / I like the smoking billboards somewhat / I like the smoking billboards the most

"When you see advertisements for cigarette smoking (like on billboards or at sports events), do you think they are funny?"

I think they're not at all funny / I think they're a little funny / I think they're somewhat funny / I think they're very funny

"When you see advertisements for cigarette smoking (like on billboards or at sports events), do you wish you were like the people in the commercials?"

No, don't want to be like them at all /Want to be like them a little / Want to be like them somewhat / Very much want to be like them

6A. Neighborhood Collective Socialization (Brody et al., 2001)

"Now I'm going to ask some questions about the neighborhood you live in." (4-point scale, Very Likely, Likely, Unlikely, Very Unlikely)

1. If a group of neighborhood children were skipping school and hanging out on a street corner, how likely is it your neighbors would do something like call the school or the parents?
2. If some children were spray-painting graffiti on a local building, how likely is it that the neighbors would do something about it?"
3. If a child was showing disrespect to an adult, how likely is it that the people in your neighborhood would scold the child or tell the child's parents?"
4. If a fight broke out in front of their house, how likely is it that the neighbors would do something about it?
5. If the fire station closest to their home was threatened by budget cuts, how likely is it that the neighbors would do something about it?"

6B. Neighborhood Trust and Cohesion (Sampson, Raudenbush, & Earls, 1997)

"Now I have some questions about your neighborhood. For each of the following statements, please tell me if this describes your neighborhood. (2-point scale, True or False)

1. People around here are willing to help their neighbors.
2. This is a close-knit neighborhood.
3. People in this neighborhood can be trusted.
4. People in this neighborhood generally don't get along with each other. (reversed)
5. People in this neighborhood don't share the same values. (reversed)

6C. Neighborhood Characteristics (Gibbons et al., 2004)

"Now I will read a list of problems in some neighborhoods. For each, please tell me whether it is a big problem, somewhat of a problem, or Not at all a problem in your neighborhood."

1. Litter, broken glass, or trash on the sidewalks or streets.
2. Graffiti on buildings or walls.
3. Vacant or deserted houses or storefronts.
4. Drinking in public.
5. People selling or using drugs.
6. Groups of teenagers or adults hanging out in the neighborhood and causing trouble.
7. Gang violence.

6D. School Discipline Environment (Novak & Clayton, 2001)

1. Everyone knows what the school rules are.
2. The punishment for breaking a school rule is the same no matter who you are.
3. The school rules are strictly enforced.
4. If a school rule is broken, everyone knows what kind of punishment will follow.
5. Students have a say in making the school rules.

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