Self-Evaluation and Motivation To Change: Social Cognitive Constructs In Smoking Cessation

Abstract

Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) recognizes physical, social and self-evaluative outcome expectations. Particularly the latter have a central place in motivation. Furthermore, SCT recognizes self-evaluation inhibiting processes. The proposed relationships among these cognitive factors and their relation to behavior are summarized in the Self-Evaluation Motivation model and explored in the present study. Smokers (N= 1546) were recruited via newspaper advertisements to take part in a study on smoking cessation. They filled in a questionnaire assessing specific cognitive variables described in SCT. Follow-up assessments of quitting behavior were conducted after three and after fourteen months. Multivariate regression analyses indicated, first, that the influence of physical and social outcome expectations and of dissonance reducing cognitions and attentional change processes on intention and behavior, was mediated by self-evaluation. Second, perceived long-term health outcomes were not related to self-evaluation when smokers used few attentional change processes. Third, the influence of dissonance reducing cognitions and attentional change processes on self-evaluation was partly mediated by their influence on physical and social outcome expectations. Suggestions for interventions to increase motivation to quit smoking are given.