Adolescent health-threatening and health enhancing behaviors: A
study of word association and imagery
Alida Benthin, P. Slovic, P. Moran, H. Severson, C. K. Mertz, Meg
Gerrard
(1995) Journal of Adolescent Health, 17, 143-152.
Purpose: To examine the ways in which perceived
risks and benefits relate to health-threatening and health-enhancing behaviors
by adolescents.
Method: The study used a word association
methodology to explore adolescents’ thoughts and affective feelings associated
with five health-threatening behaviors (e.g., drinking beer, smoking
cigarettes) and three health-enhancing behaviors (e.g., exercising, using a
seat belt).
Results: Each behavior elicited a mix of positive
and negative associations. Health-threatening behaviors had many positive
associations in common, such as having fun, social facilitation, and
physiological arousal. Health-enhancing behaviors had much less commonality in
their positive associations. Patterns of negative associations were not highly
similar across behaviors. The content and affective tone of the associations
were closely linked to participation in health-threatening behaviors and
health-enhancing behaviors. Participants in an activity were far more likely
than nonparticipants to associate that activity with positive outcomes,
concepts, and affect and less likely to produce negative associations.
Conclusions: The word association methodology
provides a useful technique for exploring adolescents’ cognitions and affective
reactions with regard to health-related behaviors. The data provided by this method
have implications for prevention and intervention programs, as well as for
future research.