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Abstract
Using the risk perception attitude (RPA) framework and the 2005 Health Information National Trends Survey data, this research investigated the role of perceived personal risk, perceived comparative risk, response efficacy, communication efficacy, and anxiety in smokers' active cancer information seeking. The RPA predictions on the interactions between perceived personal risk and the two efficacy measures were not supported. Perceived personal risk and response efficacy were associated with cancer information seeking both directly and through the mediation of anxiety. Optimistic comparative risk perceptions were associated with less anxiety and were found to moderate the relationship between perceived personal risk and cancer information seeking. Surprisingly, communication efficacy emerged as a negative predictor of cancer information seeking. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Notes
1Although the avoidance group are active information seekers, they are poor at retaining information (CitationRimal & Real, 2003; CitationTurner et al., 2006). This effect is attributed to the negative impact of anxiety on information processing.
2This perspective on perceived comparative risk as a moderator of the effect of perceived personal risk also leads us to suspect that interactions between perceived comparative risk and the two efficacy measures are not likely. Within the RPA framework, efficacy and perceived comparative risk play similar moderating roles. There is no theoretical reason to predict that these moderating variables would also interact among themselves.