Skip to main content
NCBI home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1990 Oct;80(10):1174–1179. doi: 10.2105/ajph.80.10.1174

The attitude/behavior discrepancy as a methodological artifact: comment on 'sexually active adolescents and condoms'.

C A Nickerson 1
PMCID: PMC1404834  PMID: 2400025

Abstract

A recent questionnaire-based study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that although sexually active adolescents both believe that the use of condoms offers protection against sexually transmitted diseases and value such protection, they do not intend to use (or have their partners use) condoms. This attitude/behavior discrepancy is more apparent than real. Six methodological problems in the study are discussed in detail in order to demonstrate how the overly simplified treatment of a complex behavior can lead to invalid conclusions.

Full text

PDF
1174

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Callan V. J., Gallois C. Perceptions of contraceptive methods: a multidimensional scaling analysis. J Biosoc Sci. 1984 Apr;16(2):277–286. doi: 10.1017/s0021932000015054. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Crawford T. J. Beliefs about birth control: a consistency theory analysis. Represent Res Soc Psychol. 1973 Jan;4(1):53–65. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Crosbie P. V., Bitte D. A test of Luker's theory of contraceptive risk-taking. Stud Fam Plann. 1982 Mar;13(3):67–78. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Davidson A. R., Morrison D. M. Predicting contraceptive behavior from attitudes: a comparison of within- versus across-subjects procedures. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1983 Nov;45(5):997–1009. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.45.5.997. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gardner W., Scherer D., Tester M. Asserting scientific authority. Cognitive development and adolescent legal rights. Am Psychol. 1989 Jun;44(6):895–902. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.44.6.895. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hester N. R., Macrina D. M. The health belief model and the contraceptive behavior of college women: implications for health education. J Am Coll Health. 1985 Jun;33(6):245–252. doi: 10.1080/07448481.1985.9935034. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Insko C. A., Blake R. R., Cialdini R. B., Mulaik S. A. Attitude toward birth control and cognitive consistency: theoretical and practical implications of survey data. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1970 Oct;16(2):228–237. doi: 10.1037/h0029826. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kee P. K., Darroch R. K. Perception of methods of contraception: a semantic differential study. J Biosoc Sci. 1981 Apr;13(2):209–218. doi: 10.1017/s0021932000013389. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kegeles S. M., Adler N. E., Irwin C. E., Jr Sexually active adolescents and condoms: changes over one year in knowledge, attitudes and use. Am J Public Health. 1988 Apr;78(4):460–461. doi: 10.2105/ajph.78.4.460. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kisker E. E. Teenagers talk about sex, pregnancy and contraception. Fam Plann Perspect. 1985 Mar-Apr;17(2):83–90. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Marshall J. F. Acceptability of fertility regulating methods: designing technology to fit people. Prev Med. 1977 Mar;6(1):65–73. doi: 10.1016/0091-7435(77)90005-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Morrison D. M. Adolescent contraceptive behavior: a review. Psychol Bull. 1985 Nov;98(3):538–568. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Orr M. T., Forrest J. D. The availability of reproductive health services from U.S. private physicians. Fam Plann Perspect. 1985 Mar-Apr;17(2):63–69. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Pagel M. D., Davidson A. R. A comparison of three social-psychological models of attitude and behavioral plan: prediction of contraceptive behavior. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1984 Sep;47(3):517–533. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.47.3.517. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Potts M. Birth control methods in the United States. Fam Plann Perspect. 1988 Nov-Dec;20(6):288–297. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Silverman J., Torres A., Forrest J. D. Barriers to contraceptive services. Fam Plann Perspect. 1987 May-Jun;19(3):94-7, 101-2. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Tanfer K., Rosenbaum E. Contraceptive perceptions and method choice among young single women in the United States. Stud Fam Plann. 1986 Nov-Dec;17(6 Pt 1):269–277. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Trussell J. Teenage pregnancy in the United States. Fam Plann Perspect. 1988 Nov-Dec;20(6):262–272. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Wall E. M. Development of a decision aid for women choosing a method of birth control. J Fam Pract. 1985 Nov;21(5):351–355. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Wall E. M. Valued outcomes in the selection of a contraceptive method. West J Med. 1984 Sep;141(3):335–338. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES