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)

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
No 84.1 Detection 7.6 Prevention 6.4 Both
1.9
Are the only alternatives present on the site for
donating money?
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.