OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the question-behaviour effect of measuring intention in the interrogative or declarative form combined or not with a measure of moral norm. DESIGN: A sample of 762 participants was randomised according to a 2 × 2 factorial design. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cognitions were assessed at the baseline, and physical activity behaviour was self-reported three weeks later. RESULTS: At baseline, there were no significant differences on the studied variables. An ANOVA showed a significant interaction effect between the two experimental conditions (p = 0.04). Post-hoc contrast analyses showed that the interrogative intention-only condition significantly differed from the declarative intention-only (d = 0.21, p = 0.03) and interrogative intention + moral norm (d = 0.22, p = 0.03) conditions. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that self-posed questions about a future action increases the likelihood of doing it when these questions are not accompanied by measures of moral norm. This provides support for using introspective self-talk to favour the adoption of behaviour.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the question-behaviour effect of measuring intention in the interrogative or declarative form combined or not with a measure of moral norm. DESIGN: A sample of 762 participants was randomised according to a 2 × 2 factorial design. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cognitions were assessed at the baseline, and physical activity behaviour was self-reported three weeks later. RESULTS: At baseline, there were no significant differences on the studied variables. An ANOVA showed a significant interaction effect between the two experimental conditions (p = 0.04). Post-hoc contrast analyses showed that the interrogative intention-only condition significantly differed from the declarative intention-only (d = 0.21, p = 0.03) and interrogative intention + moral norm (d = 0.22, p = 0.03) conditions. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that self-posed questions about a future action increases the likelihood of doing it when these questions are not accompanied by measures of moral norm. This provides support for using introspective self-talk to favour the adoption of behaviour.
Authors: Agathe Delanoë; Johanie Lépine; Stéphane Turcotte; Maria Esther Leiva Portocarrero; Hubert Robitaille; Anik Mc Giguère; Brenda J Wilson; Holly O Witteman; Isabelle Lévesque; Laurence Guillaumie; France Légaré Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2016-10-28 Impact factor: 5.428