BCM: Methods to Change Awareness and Risk Perception

Question 1

Providing information, feedback, or
confrontation about the causes,
consequences, and alternatives for a
problem or a problem behavior.
Can use feedback and confrontation;
however, raising awareness must be
quickly followed by increase in
problem-solving ability and
(collective) self-efficacy

Answer 1

Consciousness Raising

Question 2

Providing information about
personal costs or risks of action or
inaction with respect to target
behavior.
Present messages as individual and
undeniable, and compare them with
absolute and normative standards

Answer 2

Personalise Risk

Question 3

Providing information that may aid
the construction of an image of the
ways in which a future loss or
accident might occur.
Plausible scenario with a cause and
an outcome; imagery. Most effective
when people generate their own
scenario or when multiple scenarios
are provided.

Answer 3

Scenario-based risk information

Question 4

Using gain-framed messages
emphasizing the advantages of
performing the healthy behavior; or
loss-framed messages, emphasizing
the disadvantages of not performing
the healthy behavior.
Requires high self-efficacy
expectations. Gain frames are more
readily accepted and prevent
defensive reactions.

Answer 4

Framing

Question 5

Encouraging combining both
cognitive and affective assessments
of one’s self-image with and without
an unhealthy behavior.
Stimulation of both cognitive and
affective appraisal of self-image.
Can use feedback and confrontation;
however, raising awareness must be
quickly followed by increase in
problem-solving ability and selfefficacy

Answer 5

Self-reevaluation

Question 6

Encouraging emotional experiences,
followed by reduced affect or
anticipated relief if appropriate
action is taken
Preferably should be done in
counseling context so that emotions
can be aroused and subsequently
relieved.

Answer 6

Dramatic relief

Question 7

Encouraging combining the
affective and cognitive assessments
of how the presence or absence of a
personal behavior affects one’s
social environment.
May include awareness about
serving as a role model for others

Answer 7

Environmental Reevaluation

Question 8

Arousing negative emotional
reactions in order to promote selfprotective motivation and action.
Requires high self-efficacy
expectations rather than high
outcome expectations alone; is
rarely effective.

Answer 8

Fear Arousal

Question 9

Increasing people’s self-image by
having them elaborate on their
relevant values or desirable
characteristics.
Must be tailored to individual selfimage.

Answer 9

Self-affirmation