I received this poem from a family friend the day I graduated from high school.
The Victor
by C. W. Longenecker
If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win but think you can't,
It's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you're lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will.
It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you are out classed, you are.
You've got to think high to rise.
When I got this poem I was 18 and, naturally, thought it was really, really lame. I actually still do. It's not a great poem. But, I share it here because it is still what I think of when I think of self-efficacy. Self efficacy is the perceived ability to perform a given behavior given the skills you posses. That's why I think the above poem is sort-of stupid. I think I can be beaten in a cage-fighting match because I do not possess the skills to be successful in a cage fight. I do think I can be successful in buying groceries at Central Market because I like Central Market, I like buying groceries, and I have experience buying healthy, cost-effective groceries (both direct and indirect).
But, suppose you hated buying groceries. You hated your grocery store, for whatever reason, and you had no experience in buying healthy, cost-effective groceries. You have no self-efficacy in your ability to buy groceries to feed your family healthy, good food. So, you bail. You go to Wendy's and feed your family of 6 for $20 bucks and no one complains they don't like it. You win.
So, self-efficacy plays a big role in getting individuals to make healthy decisions. The "perceived behavior control reflects motivational factors that have an indirect effect on behavior through intentions", meaning that someones intentions to make a behavioral choice are formed by their motivation to and confidence in their ability to perform that behavior (Madden, Ellen, Ajzen, 1992). Remember my cage fighting match example? It should be noted that, "only when the perceptions of control were accurate was perceived behavioral control a significant predictor of target behavior" (Madden, Ellen, Ajzen, 1992). My 100% confidence in my inability to win a cage fighting match predicts my behavior not to engage in such a match.
When health communications campaigns seek to change individual behavior, they are seeking to increase the confidence that individual has in being able to complete the healthy behavior change, among other things. Instead of telling a family they should buy more produce, perhaps the campaign is incomplete in effectively changing behaviors unless the campaign shows the family how to choose, cook, and serve the produce. Without those elements, the self-efficacy of individuals to complete the behavior change is likely to be low. Going to Wendy's is much easier, is comfortable, and predictable.
It seems, then, that understanding the ways in which people make decisions before asking them to make lifestyle change decisions is crucial to maximizing the effectiveness of health communications campaigns.
See, even Kung Fu panda learns to have self-efficacy.
References
Madden, Thomas J., Ellen, Pamela Scholder , Ajzen, Icek (1992). A Comparison of the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Theory of Reasoned Action. PSPB, Vol. 18 No 1. February 1992 3-9.
But, suppose you hated buying groceries. You hated your grocery store, for whatever reason, and you had no experience in buying healthy, cost-effective groceries. You have no self-efficacy in your ability to buy groceries to feed your family healthy, good food. So, you bail. You go to Wendy's and feed your family of 6 for $20 bucks and no one complains they don't like it. You win.
So, self-efficacy plays a big role in getting individuals to make healthy decisions. The "perceived behavior control reflects motivational factors that have an indirect effect on behavior through intentions", meaning that someones intentions to make a behavioral choice are formed by their motivation to and confidence in their ability to perform that behavior (Madden, Ellen, Ajzen, 1992). Remember my cage fighting match example? It should be noted that, "only when the perceptions of control were accurate was perceived behavioral control a significant predictor of target behavior" (Madden, Ellen, Ajzen, 1992). My 100% confidence in my inability to win a cage fighting match predicts my behavior not to engage in such a match.
When health communications campaigns seek to change individual behavior, they are seeking to increase the confidence that individual has in being able to complete the healthy behavior change, among other things. Instead of telling a family they should buy more produce, perhaps the campaign is incomplete in effectively changing behaviors unless the campaign shows the family how to choose, cook, and serve the produce. Without those elements, the self-efficacy of individuals to complete the behavior change is likely to be low. Going to Wendy's is much easier, is comfortable, and predictable.
It seems, then, that understanding the ways in which people make decisions before asking them to make lifestyle change decisions is crucial to maximizing the effectiveness of health communications campaigns.
See, even Kung Fu panda learns to have self-efficacy.
References
Madden, Thomas J., Ellen, Pamela Scholder , Ajzen, Icek (1992). A Comparison of the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Theory of Reasoned Action. PSPB, Vol. 18 No 1. February 1992 3-9.
No comments:
Post a Comment