Abstract
Compensatory health beliefs (CHBs) are beliefs that an unhealthy behavior can be compensated with a healthy behavior. In line with the CHBs model, the aim of this study was twofold. First, the study investigated the relationship between autonomous motivation and CHBs that physical inactivity can be compensated by taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Second, the study focused on the associations between CHBs and readiness to use the stairs more often and stair and elevator use. Thus, a cross-sectional online questionnaire was designed that was filled out by 135 participants. Path analysis showed that individuals with stronger autonomous motivation to use the stairs strongly agreed that sedentary behavior could be compensated by taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Moreover, CHBs were positively related to readiness to change behavior, but not to self-reported stair and elevator use. Even though future research is necessary to replicate these findings, autonomous motivation seems to have a positive impact on CHBs which, in turn, might boost an intended behavior change. Thus, promoting possible compensation of physical inactivity might foster the readiness to change the unhealthy behavior.
Highlights
Individuals make daily decisions about which behaviors to engage in
compensatory health beliefs (CHBs) were significantly correlated with autonomous motivation to use the stairs but not with autonomous motivation to use the elevator
Our results showed that autonomous motivation to use the stairs was mediated via CHBs about readiness to engage in stair use
Summary
Individuals must decide whether to eat a delicious cake despite the high fat and sugar intake, which might contradict their aim of eating healthily, or whether to use the stairs instead of the elevator to be physically active. Deciding between these opposite behavioral options can induce cognitive dissonance [1]. This person pursues the goal of living a healthy life and is aware that taking the elevator is counterproductive for his or her level of physical activity In this example, cognitive dissonance arises and the dissolution requires self-regulatory processes [2]. One strategy for reducing cognitive dissonance is activating compensatory health beliefs (CHBs; [2])
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