Quantifying the strength of the associations of prototype perceptions with behaviour, behavioural willingness and intentions: a meta-analysis

Abstract

Prototypes (i.e., social images representing perceptions of typical persons engaging in or refraining from certain behaviour) have been shown to explain health-related behaviours. The present meta-analysis quantified the strength of the associations of prototype perceptions with health motivation and behaviour. Specifically, the analysis addressed (i) the relationship of prototype favourability (i.e., degree of likability) and similarity (i.e., perceived resemblance to the self) with behaviour, willingness and intentions; (ii) the effect of the interaction between favourability and similarity; and (iii) the extent to which health-risk and health-protective prototypes differed in their association with these outcomes. A total of 80 independent studies were identified based on 69 articles. The results indicated that prototype favourability and similarity were related to behaviour, intentions and willingness with small-to-medium effect sizes (r₊ = 0.12–0.43). Direct measures of prototype perceptions generally produced larger effects than indirect measures. The interaction between favourability and similarity produced small-to-large effect sizes (r₊ = .22–.54). The results suggest that both health-risk and health-protective prototypes might be useful targets for interventions (r₊ = .22–.54). In order to increase health-protective behaviours, intentions and behaviour could be targeted by increasing similarity to health-protective prototypes. Health-risk behaviour might be decreased by targeting willingness by modifying health-risk prototype favourability and similarity.

Keywords:

• meta-analysis
• review
• prototypes
• behaviour
• intentions
• willingness

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Rick Gibbons and Meg Gerrard for their feedback on construct definitions. The authors thank the following individuals for providing further details regarding their studies: Judy Andrews, Maureen Barckley, Hart Blanton, Maria Comello, Yifu Chen, Elliot Coups, Paul Etcheverry, Meg Gerrard, Rick Gibbons, David Lane, Barbara Maglica, Heike Mahler, Ingrid Myklestad, Judith Ouellette, Melissa Peterson, Bettina Piko, Wendy Rogers, Bridie Scott-Parker, Paschal Sheeran, Hanneke Teunissen, Jemma Todd and John de Wit.

Funding

The study was supported by a research grant [Project No. 121020020] from ZonMW, Organisation for Health Research and Development, the Netherlands. Collaboration was supported by a travel grant from the Erasmus Trust Fund.

Supplemental material

Supplemental material for this article can be accessed here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2014.941997

Additional information

Funding

Funding: The study was supported by a research grant [Project No. 121020020] from ZonMW, Organisation for Health Research and Development, the Netherlands. Collaboration was supported by a travel grant from the Erasmus Trust Fund.