Table 1.

Key constructs, definitions and measures (adapted from Witte et al⁴⁰)

Definitions of constructs	How measured on RBD scale or other
Perceived threat: awareness of a specific harm in the environment, consisting of	Total of perceived threat scores
Susceptibility to threat: belief about one's risk of experiencing the threat	Subtotal of susceptibility scores
Severity of threat belief about the magnitude of the threat	Subtotal of severity scores
Perceived efficacy: thoughts about ease, feasibility and the effectiveness of averting the threat, consisting of	Total of perceived efficacy scores
Self-efficacy: belief in one's ability to perform recommended response	Subtotal of self-efficacy scores
Response efficacy: belief about effectiveness of recommended response to avert the threat	Subtotal of response efficacy scores
Danger control dominance: the dominant response in the person faced with a threat, who considers themselves able to perform the recommended response, believes the response to be effective, therefore tries to reduce the danger by taking positive action (protective motivation)	High-efficacy score and high-threat score
Danger control responses (protective motivation): beliefs, attitudes, intentions, and behaviour changes in accordance with the message recommendations	Score from intentions to quit/seek help scales (Wong and Cappella) and responses to MTSS questions
Fear control dominance: the dominant emotional response in the person when faced with a threat, who feels unable to perform the recommended response and/or believes the response to be ineffectual, and tries to psychologically reduce their fear by defensive motivation	Low-efficacy score with high-threat score
Fear control responses (defensive motivation): coping responses that diminish fear	Score from questions about defensive avoidance, denial, reactance, message derogation and perceived manipulation
Critical point: when perceptions of threat begin to outweigh perceptions of efficacy, causing shift from danger control to fear control processes	The exact critical point can vary with topics and populations
Discriminating value: a numerical value used to discriminate between people in danger vs fear control	Formula: (∑ perceived efficacy)−(∑ perceived threat)=discriminating value A positive score indicates danger control processes; a negative score indicates fear control processes
Protective responses: similar to danger control responses, but beliefs/attitudes are centred around protecting others from tobacco smoke	Score from 5 new measures to attitudes about smoking exposure for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders, babies and children

RBD, risk behaviour diagnosis; MTSS, motivation to stop smoking; Σ, sum of.