CDR Seminar: Mark Conner - "Health cognitions, health affect and health behaviours"

Abstract:

Recent research has explored the effects of two affective influences within models such as the theory of planned behaviour and reasoned action approach: experiential attitude and anticipated affect. Published and new primary and meta-analytic data supporting the role of these two affective variables on health behaviour will be presented.

The correlational data uses prospective designs and controlled for other health cognitions and past behaviour where possible. The experimental data examines whether the affective variables mediate the impact of the intervention on behaviour. Strong support is found across studies for both experiential attitude and anticipated affect as important determinants of health behaviours even when controlling for other health cognitions and past behaviour.

The need for further experimental studies with objective measures of health behaviour is noted. The testing of the combined effects of manipulating both affective variables is highlighted for further attention.

About the speaker:

Professor Mark Conner is an applied social psychologist. He has a BSc in Psychology from University of Lancaster and PhD in Psychology from University of Birmingham. He came to Leeds in 1990 as a lecturer and has been Professor of Applied Social Psychology since 2005. His current research interests focus on understanding and changing health behaviours. This includes work on the attitude-behaviour relationship, psychological models of the determinants of health behaviours, cognitive versus affective influences on behaviour, the effects of the mere measurement of cognitions, and attitudinal ambivalence.