Effects of self-affirmation on responses toward graphic cigarette warning labels: testing the mediating role of perceived susceptibility and self-efficacy
ISSN: 0965-4283
Article publication date: 12 November 2020
Issue publication date: 19 January 2021
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of self-affirmation on African American smokers' intentions to quit smoking sooner and desire to stop smoking altogether in response to viewing graphic cigarette warning labels. It also tested the mediating role of perceived susceptibility and self-efficacy in explaining the impact of self-affirmation.
Design/methodology/approach
African American smokers (N = 158) were recruited to participate in a controlled experiment. Participants first completed a short questionnaire about their demographic background and smoking-related attitudes and behavior. They were then randomly assigned to engage in either a self-affirmation task or a control task and viewed two graphic cigarette warning labels subsequently. Participants then responded to a questionnaire about their perceived susceptibility to smoking-related diseases, perceived self-efficacy to quit smoking, intentions to quit smoking and desire to stop smoking altogether.
Findings
Results showed that engaging in self-affirmation prior to exposure to graphic cigarette warning labels increased African American smokers' perceived susceptibility to smoking-related diseases, but decreased their perceived self-efficacy to quit smoking. Furthermore, self-affirmation indirectly enhanced smokers' intentions to quit smoking sooner and desire to stop smoking altogether through increased perceived susceptibility. It also had an unexpected negative indirect effect on intentions to quit smoking sooner through decreased self-efficacy.
Originality/value
This study is one of the few studies that investigates the effect of self-affirmation on African American smokers' responses toward graphic cigarette warning labels.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number 1R21CA187631-01. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Citation
Ma, Z., Nan, X., Iles, I.A., Butler, J., Feldman, R. and Wang, M.Q. (2021), "Effects of self-affirmation on responses toward graphic cigarette warning labels: testing the mediating role of perceived susceptibility and self-efficacy", Health Education, Vol. 121 No. 1, pp. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-06-2020-0039
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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