Desire or reason: Predicting health behaviors from affective and cognitive attitudes.

• DOI: 10.1037/a0013424
• Publication Date: 2009-01-13T13:59:06Z
• Authors: Rebecca Lawton; Mark Conner; Rosemary McEachan
• Keywords: Affect; Health behavior

The authors explore the role of affective attitudes in predicting 14 health-promoting or health-risk behaviors.Participants (n = 390) completed questionnaire measures and cognitive attitude and, 1 month later, reported their intentions behavior.The outcome this study were Time 2 self-report intention behavior.A series hierarchical regression analyses revealed that was a significantly more powerful predictor behavior than for 9 behaviors. Also, had direct effect on not fully mediated by In final regressions, higher divergence between shown to strengthen relationship illegal drug use, binge drinking, smoking.The findings underscore importance affect performance health-related behaviors suggest interventions could usefully target consequences engaging these theoretical practical implications are discussed.