Lecture 16: Building an intention to start

Question 1

What is bias?

Answer 1

Negative beliefs and attitudes towards people with certain characteristics e.g. people with overweight/obesity

Question 2

When are biases exhibited?

Answer 2

When people are given negative labels, e.g. lazy, lacking willpower, lack physical ability

Question 3

What are the consequences of exhibiting bias?

Answer 3

Negatively impacts on relationships between person and “professional” and their engagement in health-based services
- causes poor mental health in the individuals, can have a knock-on effect on their engagement

Question 4

Why is bias common in PE, exercise, sport science students and fitness professionals?

Answer 4

• Beliefs that weight is under personal control
• Perceiving the “athletic body” to be the ideal”
• Not having a close family member/friend who is overweight

Question 5

What is the first step to changing bias?

Answer 5

Being aware of them

Question 6

What are the 5 stages of the Stages of Change Model?

Answer 6

1. Pre-contemplation
2. Contemplation
3. Preparation
4. Action
5. Maintenance

Question 7

What is Pre-contemplation?

Answer 7

No intention to change;
They have no desire to change their behaviour to become physically active, they don’t see the reasons

Question 8

What is contemplation?

Answer 8

Thinking about change;
Thinking about doing it at some point, but not quite there yet

Question 9

What is preparation?

Answer 9

Ready to change;
Taking steps to make the change (e.g. buying shoes/equipment to do the exercise) - just put the toe in the water but not yet meeting the full goal

Question 10

What is Action?

Answer 10

Started doing it!
E.g. meeting the PA guidelines

Question 11

What is Maintenance?

Answer 11

Been doing it for > 6 months;
Are maintaining this behaviour, after 6 months there is less risk of dropping out as behavioural habit has been made

Question 12

What is relapse?

Answer 12

• We have moved back or regressed back through the previous stages
• At action we are more at risk of dropping out
• More rare to move back to pre-contemplation from contemplation

Question 13

What does the Stages of Change Model not explain?

Answer 13

Why people are at certain phases or how to move from each phase to another
- We need theoretical processes to explain that

Question 14

What stratagies are required to motivate behaviour change during pre-contemplation and contemplation stages?

Answer 14

Build motivation/create intention/desire to be active
- Need to get people to see reason as to why they should be doing something

Question 15

What stratagies are required to motivate behaviour change during Preparation, Action and Maintenance?

Answer 15

Enact and retain motivation/intention/prevent relapse
- Maintain and build on it to prevent relapse

Question 16

What is the stage we know the least about?

Answer 16

Pre-contemplation; They are the people who wouldn’t volunteer for studies

Question 17

How do we apply psych stratagies?

Answer 17

1. HOW - Specific Strategy
2. WHAT - Target ‘psych’ concept important for motivation
3. RESULT - Physical Activity

Question 18

What is intention?

Answer 18

Willingness and extent of effort to perform behaviour

Question 19

What three concepts cause us to have an intention? (Theory of Planned Behaviour)

Answer 19

Attitude, Subjective norm and Perceived Behavioural Control

Question 20

What is the relationship between intention and PA?

Answer 20

Direct relationship

Question 21

What is the relationship between perceived behavioural control and PA?

Answer 21

Both direct and indirect (through intention)

Question 22

How can there be a direct relationship between perceived behavioural control and PA?

Answer 22

Even with intent if there is a barrier that cannot be overcome this will overrule intention

Question 23

What are affective attitudes?

Answer 23

Emotions/feelings:
Do I like it, does it make me feel good?

Question 24

What are instrumental attitudes?

Answer 24

Gains/losses expected:
Do I think it’s important? What are the benefits I am going to gain? What will I have to give up, or bad experiences I may have?

Question 25

?? attitudes are stronger predictors of intention than ?? attitudes

Answer 25

Affective attitudes are stronger predictors of intention than instrumental attitudes

Question 26

What is the decision balance exercise for instrumental attitudes?

Answer 26

We are trying to tip the balance so the good things outweigh the bad things
- Emphasise meaning to their life; needs to be relevant to them and what they care about

Question 27

When can it be easier to change attitudes towards exercise?

Answer 27

If they have already started and can think back to a past good/positive experience e.g. using imagery

Question 28

How do we change attitudes?

Answer 28

Change the cognitive appraisal of exercise

Question 29

What is subjective norm?

Answer 29

Beliefs about what others expect of your - represents the social pressure to exercise

Question 30

How can subjective norm be harnessed positively?

Answer 30

• Making activity seem the “norm”
• Discussing how your behaviour influences those around you

Question 31

Subjective norms will only work when…

Answer 31

If you care what the person who is telling you thinks of you e.g. more likely to care about the pressure from a healthcare professional

Question 32

What is perceived behavioural control?

Answer 32

Perceived ease or difficulty of actually exercising
- What are your barriers and can you overcome them?
- Are there things that can help you to exercise?

Question 33

What is the intention behaviour gap?

Answer 33

the disconnect between what people intend to do and what they actually do

Question 34

Collectively, attitude, subjective norm & PBC predict ??? of intention for PA

Answer 34

45%

Question 35

Intention (& PBC) predicted to directly influence PA but only explains ???

Answer 35

27%

Question 36

Why does intention only predict 27% of our behaviour?

Answer 36

The intention behaviour gap
- Might have the good intention but didn’t follow through