title: Preventing the spread of H1N1 influenza infection during a pandemic: autonomy-supportive advice versus controlling instruction.
abstract: Wearing facemask is an effective strategy for preventing the spread of the H1N1 in enclosed public spaces. This quasi-experiment examined the effects of University professor 'autonomy support on students' motivation, social cognitive factors, and intention to wear facemasks in the lecture hall during a hypothetical H1N1 pandemic. University students (N = 705) completed self-report measures of motivation, social cognitive factors, and intention according to a hypothetical H1N1 pandemic scenario in which their professors asked them to wear facemasks in the lecture hall, using either an 'autonomy-supportive' interpersonal style or a 'controlling' style. The results showed that the manipulation of professors' autonomy support exerted a positive effect on students' perception of autonomy support, which positively predicted their self-determined motivation, social cognitive factors, and intentions to wear facemasks. In conclusion, promoting self-determined motivation using autonomy-supportive communication styles might be an effective means of fostering individuals' adaptive beliefs and motivation of H1N1 prevention.
authors.affiliation: Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine Research Group, School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Australia, kc.derwin@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Derwin King-Chung
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Sophie Xin
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mullan
authors.forename: Xiumin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Nikos L D
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Chatzisarantis
authors.forename: Martin S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hagger
mesh_terms: D003068:Coercion; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000635:transmission; D033182:Intention; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008397:Masks; D009042:Motivation; D058873:Pandemics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult