so that they can develop everyday skills to create energy deficits (see Chapter 8 for a
discussion about how to provide information effectively). Similarly, if people are not
aware that their behaviour patterns may lead to long-term illness then providing such
information allows people to choose to change their behaviour. For example, if a group
of parents are not aware that children playing in the sun without sun protection may
cause long-term skin cancer, providing this information is the first step in enabling
change.
Some target audiences are well informed but, nonetheless, not motivated to change.
In such cases, techniques known to change determinants of motivation can be
employed. Determinants of motivation are described by a variety of models (as
discussed in Chapter 7 e.g. the theory of planned behaviour). Combining key features
of a number of social cognition models Fishbein and colleagues (2001) proposed that
motivation is influenced by:
(a) an individual’s beliefs about the advantages of changing their behaviour out -
weighing the disadvantages;
(b) the anticipation that changing behaviour will lead to a positive emotional reaction;
(c) the belief that others will approve of the proposed change;
(d) the belief that the behaviour change is consistent with the person’s self-image or
identity; and finally
(e) that the person feels capable of changing their behaviour, that is they have high
self-efficacy.
Having established that the target audience is well informed or having decided
how to provide appropriate information, assessing each of these five determinants
of motivation can help identify any deficits in motivation. Once such deficits are
identified then change techniques known to boost particular determinants of
motivation can be selected. Early identification of population or subgroup deficits in
this way has been referred to as elicitation research because it identifies the psycho -
logical targets, which, if changed, are most likely to result in behaviour change.
Elicitation research forms part of stage 2 of the intervention mapping process.
198 MOTIVATION AND BEHAVIOUR
InformationMotivationBehavioural
skills BehaviourFIGURE 9.3The information-motivation-behavioural skills (IMB) model.
Source: From Fisher and Fisher (1992). Copyright © 1992 by the American Psychological Association.
Reprinted with permission.