title: Communication as a predictor of willingness to donate one's organs: an addition to the Theory of Reasoned Action.
abstract: Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of reasoned action has been used by many researchers, particularly in regard to health communication, to predict behavioral intentions and behavior. According to that theory, one's intention is the best predictor that one will engage in a behavior, and attitudes and social norms predict behavioral intentions. Other researchers have added different variables to the postulates of attitudes and social norms that Fishbein and Ajzen maintain are the best predictors of behavioral intention. Here we draw on data from a 2006 telephone survey (N = 420) gauging the awareness of an organ donation campaign in Northeast Ohio to examine the impact of communication on people's intentions. The current study supports the hypothesis that those who communicate with others are more likely to express a greater willingness to become an organ donor, but it expands the range of communication contexts. With demographics and attitudes toward organ donation controlled for, this study shows that communication with others about organ donation increases the willingness of individuals to have favorable attitudes about being an organ donor.
authors.affiliation: School of Communication, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA. l.jeffres@csuohio.edu
authors.forename: Leo W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Jeffres
authors.forename: Jeanine A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: Bridget E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Rubenking
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Amschlinger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian / Q000208:ethnology; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009820:Ohio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012945:Social Values; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology