Resolving the theory of planned behaviour's 'expectancy-value muddle' using dimensional salience

作者：Newton Joshua D; Ewing Michael T; Burney Sue; Hay Margaret^*

来源：Psychology and Health, 2012, 27(5): 588-602.

DOI：10.1080/08870446.2011.611244

• beliefs
• attitude
• theory of planned behaviour
• organ donation

The theory of planned behaviour is one of the most widely used models of decision-making in the health literature. Unfortunately, the primary method for assessing the theory's belief-based expectancy-value models results in statistically uninterpretable findings, giving rise to what has become known as the 'expectancy-value muddle'. Moreover, existing methods for resolving this muddle are associated with various conceptual or practical limitations. This study addresses these issues by identifying and evaluating a parsimonious method for resolving the expectancy-value muddle. Three hundred and nine Australian residents aged 18-24 years rated the expectancy and value of 18 beliefs about posthumous organ donation. Participants also nominated their five most salient beliefs using a dimensional salience approach. Salient beliefs were perceived as being more likely to eventuate than non-salient beliefs, indicating that salient beliefs could be used to signify the expectancy component. The expectancy-value term was therefore represented by summing the value ratings of salient beliefs, an approach that predicted attitude (adjusted R-2 = 0.21) and intention (adjusted R-2 = 0.21). These findings suggest that the dimensional salience approach is a useful method for overcoming the expectancy-value muddle in applied research settings.

• 出版日期2012