Table 3 Measuring the salient beliefs underlying attitudes, perceived normative pressure and self-efficacy

Formative research questions:

What do you believe are the advantages (disadvantages) of telling your doctor today about your preferences for different colon cancer screening options?

Is there anything else you associate with telling (not telling) your doctor today about your preferences for different colon cancer screening options?

Advantages:

My doctor will know what is important to me

Disadvantages:

My doctor may think that I lack confidence in his judgment

Survey items assessing behavioral beliefs:

If I tell my doctor about my preferences for colon cancer screening when I see him/her for a consultation today, he/she will know what is important to me

Unlikely    -3    -2    -1    0    1    2    3    Likely

If I tell my doctor about my preferences for colon cancer screening when I see him/her for a consultation today, he/she may think that I lack confidence in his/her judgment

Unlikely    -3    -2    -1    0    1    2    3    Likely

Survey items assessing outcome evaluations:

My doctor knowing what is important for me is:

Very undesirable    -3    -2    -1    0    1    2    3    Very desirable

My doctor thinking that I lack confidence in his/her judgment is:

Very undesirable    -3    -2    -1    0    1    2    3    Very desirable

Perceived normative pressure

Hypothetical results

Formative research questions:

Please list any individuals or groups who would approve (disapprove) of your telling your doctor about your preferences for colon cancer screening.

Please list any individuals or groups who tell (do not tell) their doctor about their preferences for colon cancer screening.

Are there any other people or groups you associate with telling (not telling) your doctor your preferences about colon cancer screening?

Individuals who approve:

Doctor

Individuals who disapprove:

Wife [because the doctor knows what is best]

Individuals who perform the behavior:

Colleagues

Individuals who do not perform the behavior:

Other people my age

Survey items assessing injunctive normative beliefs:

My doctor thinks I

should not    -3    -2    -1    0    1    2    3    should

tell him/her about my preferences for colon cancer screening when I see him/her for a consultation today

My wife thinks I

should not    -3    -2    -1    0    1    2    3    should

tell my doctor about my preferences for colon cancer screening when I see him/her for a consultation today

Survey items assessing descriptive normative beliefs:

Most of my colleagues would tell their doctors their preferences for colon cancer screening when they see him/her for a consultation

Unlikely    -3    -2    -1    0    1    2    3    Likely

Other people my age have told their doctors their preferences for colon cancer screening when they saw him/her for a consultation

Unlikely    -3    -2    -1    0    1    2    3    Likely

Self-efficacy

Hypothetical results

Formative research questions:

What factors or circumstances would make it easy (difficult or impossible) for you to tell your doctor your preferences for colon cancer screening when you see him/her for a consultation today?

Enabling factors:

My doctor asks me what my preferences are

Factors that make it difficult or impossible:

Not having enough time to talk to my doctor

Survey items assessing the strength of efficacy beliefs:

I could tell my doctor my preferences for colon cancer screening when I see him/her for a consultation today even if he/she didn't ask about my preferences

Unlikely    -3    -2    -1    0    1    2    3    Likely

I could tell my doctor my preferences for colon cancer screening when I see him/her for a consultation today even if I have very little time to talk to my doctor.

Unlikely    -3    -2    -1    0    1    2    3    Likely