TITLE:
Judgment Formation towards Health Risk Behaviors Concerning Obesity: An Integration Information Theory Approach
AUTHORS:
Aida A. Jimenez-Martinez, Perla Lizeth Hernandez-Cortes, Guadalupe E. Morales-Martinez, Ernesto O. Lopez-Ramirez
KEYWORDS:
Obesity, Cognitive Specification, Judgment Formation, Information Integration Theory, Cognitive Algebra
JOURNAL NAME:
Health,
Vol.9 No.7,
July
17,
2017
ABSTRACT: A sample of 80 secondary students was required to take an information integration
theory study to explore judgment formation toward health risk behavior
regarding obesity. Here, twelve social scenarios containing a simulated
actor were implemented (vignettes) having in mind a three factor experimental
factor design (diet, weight and physical activity). Subjects had to read each
vignette and provide an answer by marking ten points anchored scale to provide
judgment on actors’ possible health risk outcome. Results showed that
study participants valuated diet as the most relevant factor, followed by the
description of weight and finally followed by the factor of physical activity.
They impose systematic thinking to integrate different sources of information
provided by factor manipulation in the vignettes by using a cognitive summative
rule. Implications of this study result to clinical intervention in obesity as
well as for theoretical considerations of cognitive models of health risk behavior
are discussed in the present article.