Behavioral intention and health behavior

Within the context of Fishbeln's theory of behavioral intention, verbal measures of expectancy and value of perceived outcomes regarding health behaviors were used to predict intention to make a preventive visit to a dentist and to attend a smoker's clinic. The results provided only weak support for the theory. This was explained in terms of the limitations of the theory. In particular, the conditions for assuming rationality and intentionality are defined. It was concluded that verbal measures will reflect rationality and intention only for routine behaviors which the subject can easily predict. Health behaviors such as dental visits and the cessation of cigarette smoking do not fall in this category, and thus intentions and behavior may be inconsistent. If rationality and intentionality cannot be assumed, then verbal measures can be treated as indicants of motivational factors related to the referents of the verbalizations. The relationships among verbal responses and between verbal and behavioral responses lead to the generation of hypotheses concerning the motivational factors antecedent to behavior.Psychology, Department o