"When no means no": can reactance augment the theory of planned behavior?
A longitudinal study examined women's clinic attendance for treatment and follow-up after having received an abnormal cervical screening result. Participants (N = 660) completed questionnaire measures of variables specified by the theory of planned behavior and J. Kuhl's (2000) measure of low volitional control--reactance--prior to receiving up to 3 subsequent appointments during the following 15 months. The theory of planned behavior was capable of predicting persistent attendance and discriminated women who kept all of their scheduled appointments from those who dropped out from treatment. Consideration of reactance enhanced prediction of behavior and discriminated between women who delayed appointment keeping and women who ceased attending.
Orbell
Sheina
S
Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom. sorbell@essex.ac.uk
Hagger
Martin
M
D000328:Adult; D003127:Colposcopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D014836:Volition