The Effects of Theory-Based Messages on Cancer Patients’ Attitudes, Norms, and Intention to Express Concerns

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Paper Session: Health Communication Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

We used the integrative model of behavioral prediction to develop theory-based messages to target the determinants of cancer patients’ intention to express concerns in consultations. We found that patients’ affective attitudes and injunctive norm were the intervention targets. As a next step we developed messages that target these determinants together and separately to test the combined and single effects on cancer patients’ affective attitudes, injunctive norm and intention. We used a pre-test post-test design with four conditions (attitude message, norm message, combined message, information message).We found time-effects for all the determinants but no differences between the conditions. A second data-collection was conducted to examine whether the time-effect was caused by exposure to a message or a baseline questionnaire. Again we found the time-effect in all conditions. These results indicate that exposure to a baseline questionnaire can already yield differences in patients’ affective attitudes, injunctive norms and intention to express concerns.

Authors

• Kim Brandes, Amsterdam School of Communication Research/ University of Amsterdam

• Annemiek Linn, ASCOR, U of Amsterdam

• Julia C.M. van Weert, ASCOR, U of Amsterdam

• Edith Gloria Smit, U of Amsterdam