Joking about cancer as an avoidance strategy among US adults

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 420-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Carcioppolo ◽  
Kevin K John ◽  
Jakob D Jensen ◽  
Andy J King
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Moderated Mediation ◽  
Fear Appeals ◽  
Fear Appeal ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Avoidance Strategies ◽  
Avoidance Strategy

Summary Findings from years of research on fear appeals suggest that individuals with low efficacy utilize avoidance strategies when they perceive a significant threat—a process called fear control. Some research suggests that joking could be an avoidance strategy. The current study identifies conditions in which people are more likely to joke about colorectal cancer and explores how this behavior may be associated with screening avoidance. Older adults (N = 209) recruited from eight different worksites completed a survey measuring fear appeal constructs and enactment of colorectal cancer-related joking. Results of a moderated mediation analysis suggest that men were more likely to joke about colorectal cancer than women, particularly if they perceived significant threat but had limited self-efficacy, signifying fear control. Results support prior fear appeal research, suggesting that an increase in joking behavior concerning colorectal cancer may be indicative of screening avoidance, and describe belief-based mechanisms that explain differences between biological sex and joking.

The Role of Agency and Threat-Immediacy in Interactive Digital Narrative Fear Appeals for the Prevention of Alcohol Abuse: An Empirical Study Among College Students (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendrik Engelbrecht ◽  
Nynke van der Laan ◽  
Renske van Enschot ◽  
Emiel Krahmer
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Abuse ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Communication Theory ◽  
Efficacy Beliefs ◽  
Fear Appeals ◽  
Fear Appeal ◽  
Digital Narrative

BACKGROUND Serious games for the training of prevention behaviors have been widely recognized as a potentially valuable tool for adolescents and young adults across a variety of risk behaviors. However, the role of agency, as a distinguishing factor from traditional health interventions, has seldomly been isolated and grounded in persuasive health communication theory. Fear appeals have different effects on intentions to perform a prevention behavior depending on the immediacy of the consequences. Looking into how to increase self-efficacy beliefs for health behavior with distant consequences is a first step to improving game-based interventions for adverse health outcomes. OBJECTIVE The current study investigated the effect of agency on self-efficacy and intention to drink less alcohol in an interactive digital narrative fear appeal. Further, the communicated immediacy of threat outcomes was evaluated as a potential moderator of the effect of agency on self-efficacy. METHODS An experimental study was conducted among university students (N=178). Participants were presented with a fear appeal outlining the consequences of alcohol abuse in an interactive narrative format. Participants either had perceived control over the outcome of the narrative scenario (high-agency) or no control over the outcome (low-agency). The threat was either framed as a short-term or long-term negative health outcome resulting from the execution of the risk behavior (drinking too much alcohol). RESULTS Self-efficacy and intention to limit alcohol intake were not influenced by the agency manipulation. Self-efficacy was shown to be a significant predictor of behavioral intention. Immediacy of the threat did not moderate the relationship between agency and self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS Although the agency manipulation was successful, we could not find evidence for an effect of agency or threat immediacy on self-efficacy. The implications for different operationalizations of different agency concepts is discussed, as well as the malleability of self-efficacy beliefs for long-term threats. The usage of repeated, versus single, interventions and different threat types (e.g., health and social threats) should be tested empirically to establish a way forward for diversifying intervention approaches.

Self-efficacy in classroom management, classroom disturbances, and emotional exhaustion: A moderated mediation analysis of teacher candidates.

2014 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 569-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theresa Dicke ◽  
Philip D. Parker ◽  
Herbert W. Marsh ◽  
Mareike Kunter ◽  
Annett Schmeck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Classroom Management ◽  
Emotional Exhaustion ◽  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Moderated Mediation

Acceptance of Workplace Bullying Behaviors and Job Satisfaction: Moderated Mediation Analysis With Coping Self-Efficacy and Exposure to Bullying

2018 ◽  
Vol 122 (5) ◽  
pp. 1883-1906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milica Vukelić ◽  
Svetlana Čizmić ◽  
Ivana B. Petrović
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Workplace Bullying ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Moderated Mediation ◽  
Efficacy Beliefs ◽  
Bullying Behaviors ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Negative Acts

Previous research explored workplace climate as a factor of workplace bullying and coping with workplace bullying, but these concepts were not closely related to workplace bullying behaviors (WBBs). To examine whether the perceived exposure to bullying mediates the relationship between the climate of accepting WBBs and job satisfaction under the condition of different levels of WBBs coping self-efficacy beliefs, we performed moderated mediation analysis. The Negative Acts Questionnaire – Revised was given to 329 employees from Serbia for assessing perceived exposure to bullying. Leaving the original scale items, the instruction of the original Negative Acts Questionnaire – Revised was modified for assessing (1) the climate of accepting WBBs and (2) WBBs coping self-efficacy beliefs. There was a significant negative relationship between exposure to bullying and job satisfaction. WBB acceptance climate was positively related to exposure to workplace bullying and negatively related to job satisfaction. WBB acceptance climate had an indirect relationship with job satisfaction through bullying exposure, and the relationship between WBB acceptance and exposure to bullying was weaker among those who believed that they were more efficient in coping with workplace bullying. Workplace bullying could be sustained by WBB acceptance climate which threatens the job-related outcomes. WBBs coping self-efficacy beliefs have some buffering effects.

Positive experience, self-efficacy, and action control predict physical activity changes: A moderated mediation analysis

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 395-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Parschau ◽  
Lena Fleig ◽  
Milena Koring ◽  
Daniela Lange ◽  
Nina Knoll ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Moderated Mediation ◽  
Action Control ◽  
Positive Experience

scholarly journals Mobile Exercise Apps and Increased Leisure Time Exercise Activity: A Moderated Mediation Analysis of the Role of Self-Efficacy and Barriers

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. e195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leib Litman ◽  
Zohn Rosen ◽  
David Spierer ◽  
Sarah Weinberger-Litman ◽  
Akiva Goldschein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Moderated Mediation ◽  
Exercise Activity

scholarly journals Public Pension, Labor Force Participation, and Depressive Symptoms across Gender among Older Adults in Rural China: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 3193
Author(s):  
Xin Gao ◽  
Tieying Feng
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Labor Force ◽  
Labor Force Participation ◽  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Moderated Mediation ◽  
Public Pension ◽  
Pension Scheme

Due to insufficient financial support and unceasing work, the rural elderly in China experience a range of mental disorders, and the most common one is depression. This study aims to investigate the association between public pension, labor force participation (LFP), and depressive symptoms for older men and women in rural China. A moderated mediation analysis is conducted using data in the 2015 wave extracted from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a continuous national social survey. A total of 2709 available surveys were obtained in our analysis. Using PROCESS, results revealed that the income from China’s New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) was directly negatively related to depressive symptoms. However, LFP did not mediate the link between pension income (PI) and depressive symptoms in the total study population. The results of moderated mediation estimates indicated that gender significantly moderated the relationship between LFP and depressive symptoms. Specifically, for older women, the indirect effect of PI on depressive symptoms via LFP was significant, but not for the opposite sex. In order to improve the mental health of older adults in rural China, the policy makers and mental health therapists need to pay attention to the aforementioned factors.

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