If I know how to change, I will:
Investigating the mediating role of certainty
and self-efficacy theory in the relationship
between disgust and health behavior change
Ismay Schaaij
MSc Marketing Management Thesis defense
Table of contents
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Relevance
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Theoretical Framework
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Conceptual Model
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Methodology
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Results
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Discussion
Relevance
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Health and well-being becoming an increasingly important topicworldwide (Apostolidis & McLeay, 2016; Pierce et al., 2012; World Health Organization, 2019)
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Emotions important factor influencing decision-making andchange (e.g., Grecucci et al., 2013; Lerner et al., 2015; Lupton, 2015)
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Disgust-eliciting elements enhance fear appeals’ effectiveness(Morales et al., 2012) → avoidance reaction
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Increase understanding role of disgust in basic consumer processes▷
Goal of this paper: provide insights into the emotion of disgustand its effect on behavioral change
Theoretical Framework
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Fear vs. Disgust○
Different emotions○
Different avoidance behaviors (Rosen & Schulkin, 1998)○
State of maximum uncertainty vs. Strong sense of certainty(Smith & Ellsworth, 1985)
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Self-efficacy theory(Bandura, 1977)○
Efficacy expectancies○
Outcome expectancies▷
H1: A disgust appeal leads to an increased feeling of self-efficacycompared to a fear appeal, thereby leading to behavioral change.
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H2: The relationship between a disgust appeal and level of perceived self-efficacy is mediated by a feeling of certainty.Methodology
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Data collected through online survey (N = 135, MAge= 28.76, SDAge= 13.07, 67.4% female)
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Introduced by worldwide increased alcohol intake due to COVID-19 pandemic▷
Fear (n = 63) vs. Disgust appeal (n = 72)▷
Measured variables○
Certainty○
Perceived level of self-efficacy(Sobell et al., 1996)○
Behavioral change (Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010)○
Outcome expectancies(Leigh & Stacey, 1993)○
Morality○
Manipulation check (Harmon-Jones et al., 2016)Results
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Fear-condition elicited more disgust than disgust-condition▷
H1 rejected: self-efficacy is not a mediator between disgust andbehavioral change
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H2 rejected: certainty is not a mediator between disgust andself-efficacy
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H3 rejected: outcome expectancies is not a mediator betweendisgust and behavioral change
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Significant relationships:○
Disgust increases the amount of certainty (𝛽 = 0.439, t = 2.361, p = 0.020)○
Certainty decreases behavioral change (𝛽 = -0.197, t = -2.210, p = 0.029)○
Disgust decreases behavioral change (𝛽 = -0.415, t = -2.143, p = 0.034)Discussion
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Disgust does not lead to behavioral change○
Psychological reactance (Reynolds-Tylus, 2019)○
Questioning of causality (De Hoog et al., 2007)▷
Self-efficacy is not a mediator○
Message in appeal might be more effective (Tannenbaum et al., 2015; Witte & Allen, 2000)▷
Certainty is a mediator between disgust and change○
In line with definition of disgust (Smith & Ellsworth, 2015)○
Negative effect on change■
Psychological reactance■
Questioning of causalityLimitations and Future Research
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Sketched COVID-19 situation could have contributed to feelingof psychological reactance
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Exact message in label might have contributed to questioningcausality → lowered perceived susceptibility
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Behavior addressed in label → future research!○
Socially acceptable (Fauci et al., 2019)○
Relatively young respondents▷
Repeated exposure to a threat is more effective(Shi & Smith, 2016)→future research!
