Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Attitudes01:54

Attitudes

Attitude is our evaluation of a person, an idea, or an object. We have attitudes for many things ranging from products that we might pick up in the supermarket to people around the world to political policies. Typically, attitudes are favorable or unfavorable: positive or negative (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993). And, they have three components: an affective component (feelings), a behavioral component (the effect of the attitude on behavior), and a cognitive component (belief and knowledge;...
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping02:05

Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping

People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about the way you...
Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
Strategies of Self-Presentation III: Self-Monitoring01:24

Strategies of Self-Presentation III: Self-Monitoring

Self-monitoring is a central construct in understanding individual differences in self-presentation strategies across social contexts. It refers to how individuals observe, regulate, and control their expressive behavior and self-presentation following situational cues. Self-monitoring reflects a person's sensitivity to social appropriateness and willingness to adapt behavior to fit varying interpersonal demands.High vs. Low Self-Monitoring IndividualsIndividuals high in self-monitoring are...
Self-Regulation01:25

Self-Regulation

Self-regulation, also known as self-control, encompasses a range of cognitive and behavioral processes that allow individuals to adjust their internal states and outward actions to align with socially acceptable norms and long-term goals. It plays a fundamental role in adaptive functioning, from resisting impulsive behaviors to persisting through challenging tasks. While its benefits are widely recognized, self-regulation is not limitless. Muraven and Baumeister's theory posits that...
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination02:55

Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination

Humans are very diverse and although we share many similarities, we also have many differences. The social groups we belong to help form our identities (Tajfel, 1974). These differences may be difficult for some people to reconcile, which may lead to prejudice toward people who are different. Prejudice is a negative attitude and feeling toward an individual based solely on one’s membership in a particular social group (Allport, 1954; Brown, 2010). Prejudice is common against people who are...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The effect of a police crackdown on online drug sales: on the importance of targeting vendors' reputation?

The International journal on drug policy·2025
Same author

Mediators and moderators of physical activity changes in a school-based intervention targeting childhood obesity.

Journal of health psychology·2021
Same author

Determinants of the intention to participate in a programme of plasma donation for fractionation among men who have sex with men.

Vox sanguinis·2021
Same author

Psychosocial determinants of adherence to oral antidiabetic medication among people with type 2 diabetes.

Journal of clinical nursing·2019
Same author

'One step closer': Acceptability of a programme of plasma donation for fractionation from men who have sex with men.

Vox sanguinis·2019
Same author

Responsiveness of a simple tool for assessing change in behavioral intention after continuing professional development activities.

PloS one·2017

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
12:55

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties

Published on: September 27, 2020

Does the easy-difficult item measure attitude or perceived behavioural control?

Camille Gagné1, Gaston Godin

  • 1Research Group on Behaviours in Field of Health, Faculty of Nursing, Laval University, Quebec, Canada. Camille.Gagne@fsi.ulaval.ca

British Journal of Health Psychology
|October 13, 2007
PubMed
Summary

The easy-difficult item primarily measures perceived behavioral control (PBC), not attitude. Further research is needed to refine measures of the perceived difficulty dimension of PBC for better intention prediction.

More Related Videos

Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
10:26

Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities

Published on: September 11, 2021

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm
09:00

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm

Published on: October 3, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
12:55

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties

Published on: September 27, 2020

Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
10:26

Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities

Published on: September 11, 2021

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm
09:00

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm

Published on: October 3, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is a key framework for understanding health-related behaviors.
  • Measuring constructs like attitude and perceived behavioral control (PBC) accurately is crucial for TPB applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if the "easy-difficult" item measures attitude or perceived behavioral control (PBC).
  • To analyze the measurement properties of the "easy-difficult" item within the TPB framework.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 10 cross-sectional datasets (N=4,552) using the Theory of Planned Behavior.
  • Structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis were employed to assess the discriminant validity and measurement properties of attitude (Aact) and PBC items.

Main Results:

  • Confirmatory factor analysis supported the discriminant validity between attitude and PBC.
  • Structural equation modeling indicated that the "easy-difficult" item predominantly serves as an indicator of PBC across seven out of ten studies.
  • In three studies, the item was found to be an indicator of both attitude and PBC.

Conclusions:

  • The "easy-difficult" item is consistently identified as an indicator of perceived behavioral control (PBC).
  • While sometimes associated with attitude, its primary role is in measuring PBC.
  • The perceived difficulty dimension of PBC significantly predicts intention, highlighting the need for validated measures focusing on this specific aspect.