Attitudes towards smoking and the subjective importance of attributes: Implications for changing risk-benefit ratios

This study examines the role of attribute importance in expectancy-value mo dels. Attitudes towards smoking were assessed by a) a direct attitude measu re (four semantic differentials) and b) a series of 15 attribute statements . These attributes (negative and positive consequences of smoking) were rat ed in terms of their probability and desirability. Attitude scores were der ived by summing (over the various possible attributes) the perceived probab ility multiplied by the desirability of each attribute. Subsequently, parti cipants were asked to select the five attributes they considered to be the most important to their attitude towards smoking. Results show that smokers and non-smokers differ considerably in their selection of important attrib utes, and vary in the importance assigned to the positive and negative outc omes of smoking. Smokers tend to emphasize short-term benefits, while non-s mokers stress the longer-term health consequences. Moreover, attitudinal di fferences between the two groups were more pronounced when focusing on indi vidually selected important attributes then when using all attributes or th e remaining less important attributes. Finally an attitude score based on t he five important attributes is a predictive of attitude and behaviour as a measure based on all attributes and much more predictive than a measure ba sed on the ten non-selected attributes. It is argued that a measure of attr ibute importance can provide additional insight in the structure of attitud es of smokers and non-smokers. Implications for attitude change programs wi th respect to smoking are discussed.