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Selective memory biases in individuals' memory for health-related information and behavior recommendations.

Behavior change is central to both prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases. Frequently, however, individuals do not initiate the behavior change recommendations suggested by health professionals. One explanation for low rates of compliance with such recommendations may be selective memory...

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Published in:Psychology & Health Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 247 - 273
Main Authors: Kiviniemi MT, Rothman AJ
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Taylor & Francis Ltd Apr2006
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      jtl: Psychology & Health
      issn: 08870446
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      dt: Apr2006
      vid: 21
      iid: 2
      pid: 377
      pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd
      place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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        2009165068
        10.1080/14768320500098715
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        atl: Selective memory biases in individuals' memory for health-related information and behavior recommendations.
      aug:
        au:
          Kiviniemi MT
          Rothman AJ
        affil: Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588; mkiviniemi2@unl.edu
      sug:
        subj:
          Health Behavior
          Health Information
          Memory
          Adult
          Alcohol Drinking
          Analysis of Variance
          Attitude
          Correlational Studies
          Descriptive Statistics
          Female
          Health Beliefs
          Interrater Reliability
          kappa Statistic
          Male
          Questionnaires
          Repeated Measures
          Self Report
          Students, College
          United States
          Human
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Female
          Male
      ab: Behavior change is central to both prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases. Frequently, however, individuals do not initiate the behavior change recommendations suggested by health professionals. One explanation for low rates of compliance with such recommendations may be selective memory biases in favor of information supporting the idea that one is healthy. Two studies examined whether memory for health information would be biased by preexisting health beliefs. In the first study (N=113), individuals' attitudes about the value of alcohol consumption influenced their memory for pro- versus anti-alcohol information. Participants showed better memory for information supporting their attitudes. In Study 2 (N=50), memory for behavioral recommendations depended on participants' behavioral practices. Participants displayed better memory for behavioral recommendations consistent with the idea that they were healthy than for recommendations which challenged those beliefs. These findings illustrate an additional manner in which selective processing can affect health promotion efforts, suggest that a motivation to maintain existing health beliefs may underlie the memory differences, and demonstrate that there may be value in developing efforts to ensure that people remember potentially threatening health recommendations.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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