Health values as truisms

Abstract

The current research examined whether health values function as truisms (i.e. are strongly endorsed but rarely questioned) and explored the impact of building cognitive support for health values on fruit and vegetable consumption and exercise. In Experiment 1, 150 participants rated the importance of a range of values (including four health values), then wrote down reasons why health values were (un)important to them (experimental group), or why they (dis)liked particular television shows (control group). Finally, all participants completed a second questionnaire assessing value importance, including the four health values. In Experiment 2, 43 students either analysed reasons for health values (experimental group) or completed health-related word puzzles (control group). One week later they reported on their diet and exercise behaviours during the previous week. Experiment 1 showed that health values ratings changed more after reasons analysis than in the control condition ( p < .02), indicating that health values were functioning as truisms. In Experiment 2, participants who completed the reasons analysis subsequently reported more exercise ( p = .08) and less food consumption ( p = .06) than those in the control condition. The findings indicate that health values function as truisms and that thinking about reasons for health values resulted in participants reporting more exercise one week later. The finding that they also reported lower levels of food consumption may be an indication of increased dieting. Further research using more detailed dietary questionnaires in conjunction with observational and physiological measures will help test this interpretation and the efficacy of this strategy in motivating behaviour change.