TESTING THE IMPACT OF TRYING IN BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION

Trying -that is, the initiation of thoughts and efforts directed at en d-state goals such as a change in behavior -is key in understanding ho w smoking cessation and related behaviors succeed or fail. In the past , trying, especially in the context of consumption, was incorporated i nto traditional attitude models in an effort to predict behavior. Howe ver, such efforts have been frustrated by the problem of weak predicti veness, and lack of pragmatic, external validity. This article attempt s to measure the impact of trying in a more direct way using a Markovi an model. The findings suggest that the trying process is influenced m ost by the frequency of trying and the recency of past trying. The sim ulation approach followed in this study is believed to have direct imp act on intervention programs directed at hard-core cigarette smokers, alcohol abusers, etc. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserv ed.