The Mediating Role of Perceived Likelihood of Success for the Effect of Message Similarity, Task Self-Efficacy, and Coping Self-Efficacy on Behavior Intention = 메시지 유사성, 과제효능감, 대처효능감이 행위의도에 미치는 과정에서 성공가능성의 매개효과

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Self-efficacy refers to an individual's confidence on carrying out specific behaviors to yield desirable outcomes. While the robust predictive power of self-efficacy to form a behavior intention has been demonstrated in extensive research, almost no study has explored the exact mechanism in terms of the factors that influence self-efficacy and how self-efficacy eventually induces behavior intention.
The present study, therefore, examines the extent to which a success story of similar others, or vicarious experience, influences self-efficacy and behavior intention. Drawing on the scrutinization of conceptual definitions, operationalization, and measurement items of self-efficacy in previous studies, two distinct dimensions of self-efficacy (i.e., task self-efficacy and coping self-efficacy) were identified. Yet, the present study paid attention to the fact that ‘certainty of success,’ which was addressed in the original definition of self-efficacy presented by Albert Bandura (1977), has not been examined in prior research. To this end, the current study proposed a new construct, perceived likelihood of success (hereafter abbreviated as PLS), which indicates an individual's assessment on his or her chances of successfully achieving the outcome.
Having PLS as a mediating variable in the process of health promotion messages influencing behavior intention, the present study seeks to illuminate the mechanism in detail.
Two different types of messages, one with high source similarity and the other with low source similarity, were used to test the effects of source similarity on self-efficacy and behavior intention. PLS was found to fully mediate the relationship between source similarity in the message and behavior intention, but the mediating effect of PLS between coping self-efficacy and behavior intention as well as task self-efficacy and behavior intention turned out to be partial. The explanatory power of the model with and without PLS were compared, and the results showed that explanatory power increased when the model involves PLS, suggesting the validity of PLS as a mediating variable. The theoretical and applied implications were discussed, particularly in relation to adding perceived likelihood of success to persuasive campaigns as well as behavior change models.

국문 초록 (Abstract)

자기효능감은 행위의도와 관련하여 가장 많이 연구된 변인이다. 본 연구는 기존 연구에서 다뤄진 자기효능감의 개념, 조작적 정의, 측정문항등을 검토하여 자기효능감이 행위의도에 미치는 과정을 보다 면밀하게 분석하였다. 특히,기존의 자기효능감 관련 연구에서 다뤄지지 않았으나 행위의도에 영향을 미치는 성공에 대한 확신 정도, 혹은 '지각된 성공에 대한 가능성'이라는 새로운 변인을 제시하였다. 이를 바탕으로, 메시지 정보원의 유사성이 행위의도에 영향을 미치는 과정을 ‘성공가능성’이라는 개념을 통해 자세하게 규명하였다. 실험결과, 성공가능성은 메시지 정보원의 유사성과 행위의도를 매개하는 것으로 나타났다. 과제효능감과 대처효능감이 행위의도에 미치는 과정 역시 성공가능성을 매개했으며, 이를 바탕으로 기존의 메시지, 자기효능감, 행위의도만을 바탕으로 한 모델보다, 성공가능성 변인을 포함하는 모델의 설명력이 더 높음을 검증하였다. 성공가능성과 관련된 이론적, 실질적 함의가 논의되었다.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Table of Contents
• Ⅰ. Introduction 1
• Ⅱ. Literature Review and Hypotheses 4
• 1. Self-Efficacy in Health Behavior Studies 4
• 2. Determinants of Self-Efficacy 5
• 3. Explication of Self-Efficacy Construct 10
• 4. Self-Efficacy in Exercise Behavior Studies 11
• 5. Perceived Likelihood of Success 17
• 6. The Effects of Source Similarity, Task Self-Efficacy, an Coping Self-Efficacy
• on Behavior Intention through Perceived Likelihood of Success 20
• Ⅲ. Method 25
• 1. Participants 25
• 2. Procedure 25
• 3. Stimuli and Manipulation of Source Similarity 26
• 4. Measures of Variables 28
• Ⅵ. Results 30
• 1. Manipulation Check of Source Similarity 30
• 2. Testing H1 to H3 30
• 3. Analyses of the Mediation Processes 36
• 4. Explanatory Power of the Model with PLS 39
• Ⅴ. Discussion 43
• 1. Summary of the Study 43
• 2. Theoretical Implications 44
• 3. Practical Implications 46
• 4. Limitations and Suggestions for Future Studies 47
• Ⅵ. References 49
• Ⅶ. Appendices 56