Papers by Michael Hennessy
Psychology Health & Medicine, 2003
Behavioural theorists have identified attitudes, perceived norms and self-efficacy as the importa... more Behavioural theorists have identified attitudes, perceived norms and self-efficacy as the important determinants of people's intentions to engage in a given behaviour. Because intentions predict behaviour, these same variables also account for a considerable amount of the variation in behaviour. Nevertheless, there is often a substantial proportion of the population who do not act on their intentions. While a recently
Aids Care-psychological and Socio-medical Aspects of Aids/hiv, 2008
Behavioral theory informs HIV prevention programs by identifying important predictors of the rele... more Behavioral theory informs HIV prevention programs by identifying important predictors of the relevant behavior. Changes in those predictors brought about by program messages should theoretically translate into behavior change. Program evaluation, however, may examine only whether message exposure is associated with behavior change, assuming that if people changed their behavior, the intervention must have effectively changed the determinants. This practice
Hormones and behavior, 2006
The ability of specific adult females to moderate plasma cortisol responses throughout the life s... more The ability of specific adult females to moderate plasma cortisol responses throughout the life span was examined in male guinea pigs maintained in large mixed age/sex groups. At four critical life stages of social development (preweaning, periadolescent, sexually but not socially mature, and sexually and socially mature), the same male guinea pigs were exposed to the stressor of exposure to a novel environment for 4 h while either alone, with an unfamiliar adult female, or with a favored adult female, as based on objective criteria from behavioral observation at that life stage. In preweaning males (9-19 days of age), the favored female (biological mother), but not an unfamiliar female, reduced the cortisol response in the novel environment. In periadolescents (49-61 days), an unfamiliar female, but not the favored female, buffered the cortisol response. At the sexually but not socially mature stage (114-126 days), the cortisol response to novelty was depressed in all conditions, a...
This study investigates the semantic-differential item easy-dificult in order to evaluate whether... more This study investigates the semantic-differential item easy-dificult in order to evaluate whether it can be considered a measure of attitude or self-efficacy in relation to consistent condom use with sex partners. Using confirmatory factor analysis and comparing a set of logically nested models, our findings suggest that easy-difficult acts most like an attitude item in relation to this particular behavior, especially for males rating condom use with their main sex partners. However, for females and to aless extent males with nonmain sex partners, easy-difficult acts as a measure of both attitude and self-efficacy. Therefore. the use of easytiifficult items should be avoided or used with caution in this research context.
Psychological bulletin, 2015
A meta-analysis of 150 research reports summarizing the results of multiple behavior domain inter... more A meta-analysis of 150 research reports summarizing the results of multiple behavior domain interventions examined theoretical predictions about the effects of the included number of recommendations on behavioral and clinical change in the domains of smoking, diet, and physical activity. The meta-analysis yielded 3 main conclusions. First, there is a curvilinear relation between the number of behavioral recommendations and improvements in behavioral and clinical measures, with a moderate number of recommendations producing the highest level of change. A moderate number of recommendations is likely to be associated with stronger effects because the intervention ensures the necessary level of motivation to implement the recommended changes, thereby increasing compliance with the goals set by the intervention, without making the intervention excessively demanding. Second, this curve was more pronounced when samples were likely to have low motivation to change, such as when intervention...
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 2002
Factorial survey methods were used to elicit preferences for partner-notification contact, interv... more Factorial survey methods were used to elicit preferences for partner-notification contact, interviewing, and treatment procedures. Most of the experimental alternatives were not rated as highly as standard practice, although there were differences in ratings in accordance with respondents' roles as infected persons or sex partners of infected persons. To report on research that identifies the preferences of clients and potential clients for different features of partner-notification programs. A factorial survey was used to investigate which aspects of current and potential partner-notification programs increase the likelihood of cooperation. Six dimensions defined the hypothetical programs: (1) the sex of the client, (2) the ethnicity of the person meeting with the client,(3) the location of the first meeting with the client, (4) the method of collecting data on sex partners, (5) the contact and referral methods for partners, and (6) how infected sex partners receive medical treatment. Respondents (n = 186) were recruited from a county-run STD clinic, a community clinic, and a community-based organization that primarily provided drug treatment. Each respondent evaluated five different vignettes from two different perspectives: (1) as an infected person and (2) as a sex partner of an infected person. Regression analysis of the responses showed that most experimental approaches to partner notification were negatively evaluated in comparison with evaluations for the conventional program description. There were some differences between the two sets of results, depending on the role of the respondent, suggesting that as sex partners of infected persons, respondents are less concerned about confidentiality at the notification stage but more concerned about it at the treatment stage. Finally, there was no effect of the ethnic or sex match between the disease intervention specialist program staff and the client; this demonstrates that professionalism and training can overcome cultural or ethnic disparities between program staff and clients.
Psychology, Health & Medicine, 2004
This paper reports on a study that identified which of 36 possible attributes of potential romant... more This paper reports on a study that identified which of 36 possible attributes of potential romantic partners were perceived as most important for selecting a romantic partner. It also quantified perceived risk and perceived attractiveness judgments for 159 partner characteristics ('aspects'). Thus, it directly investigated the partner characteristics that reflect both risk and attractiveness as well as the correlation between these two concepts. Every one of the 36 attributes were viewed as important by at least some respondents and there was wide variance in the frequency with which they were chosen. While almost 80% of the respondents felt it was important to know something about the potential partner's 'appearance', less than 4% felt it was important to know about 'accessories'. In addition to 'appearance', only 3 other attributes were selected as one of the 15 most important by at least 60% of respondents. The gamma association across aspects between average risk and average attractiveness was 7 0.61, suggesting that the more one is attracted to some aspect of a potential partner, the less likely is one to view that aspect as 'risky'. This may help explain why it sometimes appears that risk information is ignored when it concerns a partner to whom one is attracted. Somewhat surprisingly, there were remarkable similarities between gender and among ethnicities with respect to both selecting attributes that are important in partner selection and in identifying both attractive and risky aspects.
Psychology, Health & Medicine, 2008
This article investigates two kinds of information search strategies in the context of selecting ... more This article investigates two kinds of information search strategies in the context of selecting romantic partners. Confirmatory searching occurs when people ask for more information about a romantic partner in order to validate or confirm their assessment. Balanced searches are characterized by a search for risk information for partners rated as attractive and for attractiveness information about partners rated as risky in order to attain a more complete evaluation. A factorial survey computer program randomly constructed 5 types of partner descriptions and college-age respondents evaluated nine descriptions in terms of both health risk and romantic attractiveness outcomes. The results show little evidence of balanced search strategies: for all vignette types the respondents searched for attractiveness information. Regression analysis of the search outcomes showed no difference between males and females in the desire for attractiveness or risk information, the amount of additional information desired, or the proportion of descriptions for which more information was desired. However, an attractive physical appearance did increase the amount of additional information desired and the proportion of vignettes for which more information was desired. The results were generally inconsistent with a balanced search hypothesis; a better characterization of the respondents' strategy might be "confirmatory bias."
Preventive Medicine, 2014
We identified household, child, and demographic characteristics associated with not having a smok... more We identified household, child, and demographic characteristics associated with not having a smoking ban and having a rule about smoking in the presence of children in an urban population. We conducted a cross-sectional random digit dial telephone survey (n=456) of Philadelphia parents in June 2012. Forty-eight percent of homes reported a full smoking ban. In homes that allowed smoking, over half allowed smoking in front of children. Cigarettes smoked in the home decreased as the restrictiveness of the bans increased. Multinomial logistic regression analyses showed that compared to having a full ban, banning smoking only in the presence of children was associated with being African-American, having a child >5 years old, and having an asthma-free child. These characteristics, as well as having both parents as smokers and not having an outdoor space, were also associated with not having any restrictions. It is possible that households attempt to reduce home smoking by limiting smoking in the presence of children. Health communication messages should be used to inform families about the lingering effects of SHS in the home even when smoking does not occur in the presence of a child.
Prevention Science, 2007
Adolescence is a period of heightened experimentation with risky behavior. Models of brain develo... more Adolescence is a period of heightened experimentation with risky behavior. Models of brain development suggest that this phenomenon is partly the result of increased adolescent sensation seeking unaccompanied by maturation in ability to evaluate risks. We test an alternative biosocial-affect model in which favorable affect attached to behavior leads to discounting of risks. Although the model applies to both adolescents and adults, it predicts that the surge in sensation seeking during adolescence increases affective attraction to risky behavior, reduces perceived risk of the behavior, and results in peer-group reinforcement of these effects. We estimated models that included these influences for three drugs (tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana) in a national sample of youth ages 14 to 22. Consistent with brain maturation models, sensation seeking rose during the age period under study with girls peaking earlier than boys. Nevertheless, independent of age or gender, the biosocial-affect model explained the relation between sensation seeking and drug use. The findings indicate that although adolescents recognize the risks of drug use, they are subject to both biological and social influences that encourage risk taking. Implications for the prevention of risky adolescent behavior are discussed.
Personality and Individual Differences, 2005
This study examined the relationship between sensation seeking and evaluations of risk and attrac... more This study examined the relationship between sensation seeking and evaluations of risk and attractiveness of potential romantic partners. We presented respondents with a series of computer-generated descriptions of potential romantic partners. The valence of the descriptions varied: some were composed only of positive attributes, some only negative, and others a mixture of positive and negative. Compared to low sensation seekers, high sensation seekers rated potential partners as more attractive, less risky and were more likely to want to date the individual described. However, they rated their likelihood of acquiring an STD infection after unprotected sex with the potential partner as lower than did the low sensation seekers. These differences between high and low sensation seekers were largest when the descriptions of potential partners contained only negative attributes and smallest when they contained only positive attributes. The findings demonstrate the importance of the sensation seeking trait in judgments of sexual risk and attractiveness in a romantic context and have implications for the development of effective health messages.
Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2014
Smoking in homes exposes family members to secondhand smoke, an exposure that is harmful to child... more Smoking in homes exposes family members to secondhand smoke, an exposure that is harmful to children and adults. This study identifies barriers to instituting household smoking bans and beliefs that are positively and negatively related to smoking bans in households with smokers. A telephone survey of parents living in Philadelphia with at least 1 smoker and a child under the age of 13 years in the household was conducted in 2012. Using the reasoned action model, the survey assessed beliefs regarding attitudes, norms, and self-efficacy/control predictors of intention to ban household smoking. Forty-seven percent of households reported high intention to not allow smoking in the home. Regression analysis to identify the reasoned action predictors associated with intention to restrict smoking in the home showed that all 3 of the predictors of intention (attitude, normative pressure, and control) were significantly related to intention. Important underlying beliefs related to intention included beliefs about the health effects of secondhand smoke on children's health, norms regarding those restrictions, and barriers to enforcing such restrictions. Messages that increase concern about the health effects of secondhand smoke on children, that contrast the rights of smokers with negative health effects, and that suggest alternative locations to smoke are promising strategies to motivate smokers to implement indoor smoking bans.
Media Psychology, 2008
Using a longitudinal web-based survey of adolescents 14-16 years of age, we estimate regression m... more Using a longitudinal web-based survey of adolescents 14-16 years of age, we estimate regression models where self-reported sexual behavior and content analytic-based exposure to sex in the media are related cross-sectionally and longitudinally. We find evidence for both cross-sectional non-recursive and prospective longitudinal relationships even after adjusting for both established predictors of sexual behavior (e.g., physical development, having a romantic partner, parental monitoring, peer and parental norms, respondent's age) and of exposure to sexual media content (e.g., time the respondent goes to bed, extracurricular activities, television in the bedroom, total time spent with television, music, videogames, and magazines). Sexually active adolescents are more likely to expose themselves to sex in the media and those exposed to sex in the media are more likely to progress in their sexual activity. These findings are consistent with others in the literature that demonstrate a causal effect of exposure to sexual content on sexual behavior but extend established results by also looking at the causal effect of sexual behavior on exposure both cross-sectionally and over time.
Journal of Sex Research, 2011
This paper reports on the extent to which adolescents report actively seeking sexual content in m... more This paper reports on the extent to which adolescents report actively seeking sexual content in media, identifies from which media they report seeking, estimates the association between seeking sexual information and romantic and sexual behavior, and shows that active seeking of sexual content in media sources is explained by an intention to seek such content using the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction, a reasoned action approach. The data are a national sample of 810 adolescents aged 13-18 years. Results show that fifty percent of adolescents reported actively seeking sexual content in their media choices, which included movies, television, music, internet pornography sites, and magazines. Males sought sex content more than females and gender differences were greatest for seeking from internet pornography sites, movies, and television. Path analysis demonstrate that seeking sexual content is well predicted by intentions to seek and intentions are primarily driven by perceived normative pressure to seek sexual content.
Journal of Research in Personality, 2006
This study examined whether sensation seekers differ in the quantity and quality of information t... more This study examined whether sensation seekers differ in the quantity and quality of information they seek about potential romantic partners. Young adults (N=393) each evaluated nine written descriptions of potential partners. Partners were described with only attractive characteristics, with only risky characteristics, or with attractive and risky characteristics. Individuals higher in sensation seeking rated the potential partners as more attractive
Journal of Adolescent Health, 2011
Purpose-To test the long-term effects of a mass media intervention that used culturally and devel... more Purpose-To test the long-term effects of a mass media intervention that used culturally and developmentally appropriate messages to enhance HIV-preventive beliefs and behavior of highrisk African-American adolescents.
Journal of Adolescent Health, 2010
Purpose-To examine the effect of a community-based sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening... more Purpose-To examine the effect of a community-based sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening program on sexual risk behavior among African-American adolescents. We hypothesized that adolescents testing positive for an STI and receiving post-test counseling would reduce risky sexual practices, whereas STI-negative adolescents would show little or no change in protective sexual behavior after screening.
Journal of Adolescent Health, 2009
Purpose-To evaluate the test-retest reliability of self-reported sexuality-related data in a samp... more Purpose-To evaluate the test-retest reliability of self-reported sexuality-related data in a sample of African-American adolescents residing in four U. S. cities.
Criminology, 1978
This paper uses data from middle class suburban high school students to examine the relationship ... more This paper uses data from middle class suburban high school students to examine the relationship between broken homes and selj-reported delinquency. Only small effects of family structure on delinquent acts are discovered. Methodological and theoretical problems which are common to research on broken homes are outlined and the contradictions between our results and those of other researchers are then analyzed from the alternative explanations of specification and spuriousness.
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Papers by Michael Hennessy