EFFECTS OF SIMILAR AND DIVERSIFIED MODELING ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMENS EFFICACY EXPECTATIONS AND INTENTIONS TO PERFORM BREAST SELF-EXAMINATION

This experiment tested the impact of similar and diversified modeling on African American women's self-efficacy beliefs, perceptions of mode l appropriateness, and intentions to perform breast self-examination. Perceptions of physician source credibility also were assessed. Subjec ts in the similar-modeling condition viewed a videotape that used an A frican American female physician to impart information about breast ca ncer and breast self-examination and an African American model to demo nstrate how to perform breast self-examination. Subjects in the divers ified-modeling condition were exposed to a videotape that used a White male physician and multirace models for this purpose. Control conditi on subjects watched a tape that contained no modeling or efficacy info rmation. Overall, efficacy expectations, physician credibility, and mo del appropriateness were greater for the similar-modeling condition th an for the diversified-modeling and control conditions. Recommendation s for breast self-examination campaigns for African American women are discussed based on the findings.