Beliefs about smoking and health: their measurement and relationship to smoking behavior

A scale was constructed to measure four types of beliefs about smoking and health. According to Krietler and Krietler's (Cognitive Orientation and Behavior, New York, Springer, 1976) cognitive orientation model these four types of beliefs--general beliefs, goal beliefs, self beliefs, and norm beliefs--direct an individual's molar behavior. Four subscales, representing each of the four belief types were found to have moderately high levels of internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Factor analysis indicated a relatively high independence for the two subscales measuring self and goal beliefs, but found some overlap between the two subscales measuring norm and general beliefs. Smokers, former smokers, and nonsmokers were found to differ in predictable ways on the four subscales and the combined scale. Also the length of time that former smokers had been abstinent as well as length of smoking habit and number of cigarettes smoked per day by smokers were found to be related to some of these beliefs. Implications of these findings for smoking cessation intervention programs are discussed.