Theories of Attitude Change and the “Beyond Family Planning” Debate: The Case for the Persuasion Approach in Population Policy

Abstract

Suggestions for population policy strategies have ranged from “do nothing” to “use inescapable force.” In practice, however, persuasion and positive incentives are the two strategies that are most widely employed in contemporary population planning programs. Other means for lowering the birth rate tend to be rejected by policymakers as ethically unacceptable, ineffective, or infeasible. In both social psychological theory and population policy practice there is a growing skepticism about the efficacy of communication and persuasion as means for producing behavior change. This paper challenges that estimate. Recent advances in attitude theory and measurement may provide a useful set of guidelines for family planning communication programs.