The instability of health cognitions: visceral states influence self-efficacy and related health beliefs.
OBJECTIVE
To determine how visceral impulses, such as hunger and drug craving, influence health beliefs.


METHODS
The authors assessed smokers' self-efficacy and intentions to quit while in a randomly assigned state of cigarette craving or noncraving (Study 1), and assessed dieters weight-loss beliefs while hungry or satiated (Study 2).


METHODS
Self-efficacy, smoking cessation, weight-loss goals.


RESULTS
The authors found, in both the context of smoking and weight-loss, that participants in a cold (e.g., satiated) state had different health beliefs than participants in a hot state (e.g., hungry). Specifically, in Study 1, the authors found that smokers who experienced cigarette craving had lower self-efficacy than did satiated smokers. Consequently, smokers who craved a cigarette had less intention to quit smoking in the future compared with satiated smokers. In Study 2, the authors found that hungry dieters had less self-efficacy than did satiated dieters. This difference led hungry dieters to form less ambitious future weight-loss goals and view prior weight-loss attempts with more satisfaction.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings contribute to our understanding of the nature of health beliefs and reveal that health beliefs are more dynamic than previously assumed.
Nordgren
Loran F
LF
Social Psychology Department, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 1-nordgren@kellogg.northwestern.edu
van der Pligt
Joop
J
van Harreveld
Frenk
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003071:Cognition; D003469:Culture; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015431:Weight Loss