Zoos and aquariums are well placed to connect visitors with the issues facing biodiversity global... more Zoos and aquariums are well placed to connect visitors with the issues facing biodiversity globally and many deliver interventions that seek to influence visitors' beliefs and behaviors with respect to conservation. However, despite primary studies evaluating the effect of such interventions, the overall effect of engaging with zoos and the factors that influence this effect remain unclear. We conducted a systematic review to investigate the effect of zoo-led interventions on knowledge, beliefs (attitudes, intentions, self-efficacy, and social norms), and behavior among zoo visitors. These outcomes were identified using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a theoretical lens. We identified and described the nature of zoo-led interventions in 56 studies and used the behavior change technique (BCT) taxonomy to identify 6 specific BCTs used in interventions to date. Multilevel meta-analyses revealed a small to medium positive effect of engaging with zoo-led interventions on outcomes (d + = 0.40, 95% confidence interval = 0.28-0.51). Specifically, visitors were more knowledgeable about conservation issues, held more favorable attitudes toward conservation, and reported being more likely to act for the benefit of biodiversity. No evidence of publication bias was present. Effect sizes were, however, heterogeneous and subgroup analyses revealed that the nature of the intervention or type of outcome did not explain this variance. Larger effects were, however, found in studies conducted at a single institution relative to research at multiple institutions and studies that used within-participant designs relative to between-participant designs. Taken together, these findings demonstrate how behavior change frameworks can be used to describe zoo-led interventions and supports the assertion that zoos and aquariums can promote changes in beliefs and behaviors that may help protect biodiversity.
Zoos and aquariums are well placed to connect visitors with the issues facing biodiversity global... more Zoos and aquariums are well placed to connect visitors with the issues facing biodiversity globally and many deliver interventions that seek to influence visitors' beliefs and behaviors with respect to conservation. However, despite primary studies evaluating the effect of such interventions, the overall effect of engaging with zoos and the factors that influence this effect remain unclear. We conducted a systematic review to investigate the effect of zoo-led interventions on knowledge, beliefs (attitudes, intentions, self-efficacy, and social norms), and behavior among zoo visitors. These outcomes were identified using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a theoretical lens. We identified and described the nature of zoo-led interventions in 56 studies and used the behavior change technique (BCT) taxonomy to identify 6 specific BCTs used in interventions to date. Multilevel meta-analyses revealed a small to medium positive effect of engaging with zoo-led interventions on outcomes (d + = 0.40, 95% confidence interval = 0.28-0.51). Specifically, visitors were more knowledgeable about conservation issues, held more favorable attitudes toward conservation, and reported being more likely to act for the benefit of biodiversity. No evidence of publication bias was present. Effect sizes were, however, heterogeneous and subgroup analyses revealed that the nature of the intervention or type of outcome did not explain this variance. Larger effects were, however, found in studies conducted at a single institution relative to research at multiple institutions and studies that used within-participant designs relative to between-participant designs. Taken together, these findings demonstrate how behavior change frameworks can be used to describe zoo-led interventions and supports the assertion that zoos and aquariums can promote changes in beliefs and behaviors that may help protect biodiversity.
Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, Jul 17, 2023
Despite research indicating that responding with self-compassion to lapses in goal pursuit can he... more Despite research indicating that responding with self-compassion to lapses in goal pursuit can help people to achieve their goals, there is evidence that people often struggle to respond with self-compassion when it would benefit them. One reason is that people may not be familiar with the concept of self-compassion or may think negatively of self-compassion. We propose that providing information about self-compassion and its benefits can help people to respond with self-compassion to lapses in goal pursuit. To test this, we randomly assigned participants to a self-compassion psychoeducation condition or control condition and then tested whether they responded with self-compassion to a recalled lapse. The results suggested that, although psychoeducation seemed to influence participants’ beliefs about self-compassion, there was no evidence that psychoeducation increased self-compassionate responding. This finding highlights the need to develop additional strategies to help people to translate knowledge about self-compassion into self-compassionate responses to lapses and difficulties.
Background. Excessive alcohol consumption, including binge drinking, increases when students ente... more Background. Excessive alcohol consumption, including binge drinking, increases when students enter university. This study tests whether combining messages based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) with instructions to form implementation intentions reduces the frequency of binge drinking in new university students. Methods. Students (N = 415) were recruited at the end of their first month at university and randomly assigned to condition in a 2 (TPB messages) × 2 (implementation intention) factorial design. Cognitions about binge drinking, as specified by the TPB, were assessed immediately post-intervention. Frequency of binge drinking was assessed one month later (n = 205). Findings. Participants who received the messages had significantly weaker intentions to engage in binge drinking (d = 0.32) and less favourable cognitions about binge drinking (affective attitude, descriptive norms, and self-efficacy) than those who did not receive the messages. One month later, participants who were instructed to form an implementation intention to avoid binge drinking reported fewer instances of binge drinking (d = 0.37), although this effect only approached significance (p < .10). The main effect of messages on the frequency of binge drinking at follow-up and the interaction between messages and implementation intentions were non-significant. Discussion. The findings provide some support for the use of interventions based on the TPB to reduce intentions to engage in binge drinking and for forming implementation intentions to reduce the frequency of binge drinking in new university students. However, no evidence was found for the synergistic effect of combing the two interventions.
Free training materials for mental health professionals to help their clients to achieve their go... more Free training materials for mental health professionals to help their clients to achieve their goals.
Background. Temporal Self-Regulation Theory (TST) proposes that behaviour is determined by intent... more Background. Temporal Self-Regulation Theory (TST) proposes that behaviour is determined by intention, which is predicted by beliefs about the connectedness (likelihood), temporality and valence of behavioural outcomes. The link between intention and behaviour is hypothesized to be moderated by behavioural prepotency (BPP) and self-regulatory capacity (SRC), which also directly influence behaviour. This study aimed to test these relationships for healthy and unhealthy eating behaviour. Methods. An online survey measured the key components of TST for fruit and vegetable intake (N = 139) or unhealthy snacking (N = 128), i.e., connectedness, temporality and valence beliefs, intention, BPP (past behaviour, habit) and SRC (self-control). Eating behaviour was assessed one week later. Findings. TST explained 23% of variance in fruit and vegetable intentions and 22% of the variance in snacking intentions. TST explained 46% of the variance in fruit and vegetable intake at follow-up, with inte...
Self-regulation is the process by which people direct their thoughts, feelings, and actions in or... more Self-regulation is the process by which people direct their thoughts, feelings, and actions in order to achieve their goals. For example, how does a person control their alcohol consumption or remember to feed the cat? A starting point for understanding self-regulation is the concept of intention, which is assumed to capture the motivational factors that influence behaviour. However, recent experimental evidence suggests that a ‘medium-to-large’ change in intention leads only to a ‘small-to-medium’ change in subsequent behaviour. Investigation of the volitional issues that people face when trying to act on their intentions reveals that intentions are more likely to be translated into behaviour if they are supplemented with specific plans about when, where, and how to perform be aviour (known as ‘implementation intentions’, Gollwitzer, 1999). Furthermore, there is evidence that motivation and volition interact such that implementation intentions only benefit self-regulation when respective goal intentions are strong and activated. The final part of this review considers evidence for two mechanisms which may underlie the beneficial effects of implementation intentions; namely, heightened accessibility of specified situational cues and strong cue-response linkages.
Responding with self-compassion to lapses in goal pursuit helps people to achieve their goals, ye... more Responding with self-compassion to lapses in goal pursuit helps people to achieve their goals, yet evidence suggests that some people struggle to respond with self-compassion. The current research proposes that social cognition models such the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Prototype Willingness Model could explain why some people, such as those high in perfectionistic concerns, struggle to respond with self-compassion. We therefore conducted a pre-registered prospective study that measured participants' beliefs about self-compassion, difficulties enacting self-compassionate responding, perfectionistic concerns, and then tested their ability to be self-compassionate in response to a recalled and future lapse. The results showed that participants were less likely to respond with self-compassion to lapses if they held negative beliefs about self-compassion and experienced difficulties enacting self-compassion. Participants high in perfectionistic concerns were more likely to have negative beliefs about self-compassion and experience difficulties enacting self-compassion. Together, these findings provide evidence that social cognition models can be used to understand self-compassionate responding and identify why some people struggle to respond with self-compassion to goal lapses.
Introduction Despite evidence that public pressure can promote sustainability in various domains ... more Introduction Despite evidence that public pressure can promote sustainability in various domains (for example, retail and travel), no research has considered the public's attitudes towards sustainability in dentistry.Methods A questionnaire was developed to measure attitudes towards sustainable dentistry among adults living in the UK and their willingness to make compromises to reduce the impact of their dental treatment on the environment. In total, 344 adults completed the questionnaire that also measured pro-environmental identity and concern, general willingness to make compromises for the environment, and the tendency to engage in ecological behaviours.Results Participants reported positive attitudes towards sustainable dentistry, and were willing to compromise their time, convenience and durability of their dental treatment, as well as pay more, to reduce the impact of their dental work on the environment. Participants were not willing to compromise their health or the aes...
Zoos and aquariums are well placed to connect visitors with the issues facing biodiversity global... more Zoos and aquariums are well placed to connect visitors with the issues facing biodiversity globally and many deliver interventions that seek to influence visitors&#39; beliefs and behaviors with respect to conservation. However, despite primary studies evaluating the effect of such interventions, the overall effect of engaging with zoos and the factors that influence this effect remain unclear. We conducted a systematic review to investigate the effect of zoo-led interventions on knowledge, beliefs (attitudes, intentions, self-efficacy, and social norms), and behavior among zoo visitors. These outcomes were identified using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a theoretical lens. We identified and described the nature of zoo-led interventions in 56 studies and used the behavior change technique (BCT) taxonomy to identify 6 specific BCTs used in interventions to date. Multilevel meta-analyses revealed a small to medium positive effect of engaging with zoo-led interventions on outcomes (d + = 0.40, 95% confidence interval = 0.28-0.51). Specifically, visitors were more knowledgeable about conservation issues, held more favorable attitudes toward conservation, and reported being more likely to act for the benefit of biodiversity. No evidence of publication bias was present. Effect sizes were, however, heterogeneous and subgroup analyses revealed that the nature of the intervention or type of outcome did not explain this variance. Larger effects were, however, found in studies conducted at a single institution relative to research at multiple institutions and studies that used within-participant designs relative to between-participant designs. Taken together, these findings demonstrate how behavior change frameworks can be used to describe zoo-led interventions and supports the assertion that zoos and aquariums can promote changes in beliefs and behaviors that may help protect biodiversity.
Zoos and aquariums are well placed to connect visitors with the issues facing biodiversity global... more Zoos and aquariums are well placed to connect visitors with the issues facing biodiversity globally and many deliver interventions that seek to influence visitors' beliefs and behaviors with respect to conservation. However, despite primary studies evaluating the effect of such interventions, the overall effect of engaging with zoos and the factors that influence this effect remain unclear. We conducted a systematic review to investigate the effect of zoo-led interventions on knowledge, beliefs (attitudes, intentions, self-efficacy, and social norms), and behavior among zoo visitors. These outcomes were identified using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a theoretical lens. We identified and described the nature of zoo-led interventions in 56 studies and used the behavior change technique (BCT) taxonomy to identify 6 specific BCTs used in interventions to date. Multilevel meta-analyses revealed a small to medium positive effect of engaging with zoo-led interventions on outcomes (d + = 0.40, 95% confidence interval = 0.28-0.51). Specifically, visitors were more knowledgeable about conservation issues, held more favorable attitudes toward conservation, and reported being more likely to act for the benefit of biodiversity. No evidence of publication bias was present. Effect sizes were, however, heterogeneous and subgroup analyses revealed that the nature of the intervention or type of outcome did not explain this variance. Larger effects were, however, found in studies conducted at a single institution relative to research at multiple institutions and studies that used within-participant designs relative to between-participant designs. Taken together, these findings demonstrate how behavior change frameworks can be used to describe zoo-led interventions and supports the assertion that zoos and aquariums can promote changes in beliefs and behaviors that may help protect biodiversity.
Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, Jul 17, 2023
Despite research indicating that responding with self-compassion to lapses in goal pursuit can he... more Despite research indicating that responding with self-compassion to lapses in goal pursuit can help people to achieve their goals, there is evidence that people often struggle to respond with self-compassion when it would benefit them. One reason is that people may not be familiar with the concept of self-compassion or may think negatively of self-compassion. We propose that providing information about self-compassion and its benefits can help people to respond with self-compassion to lapses in goal pursuit. To test this, we randomly assigned participants to a self-compassion psychoeducation condition or control condition and then tested whether they responded with self-compassion to a recalled lapse. The results suggested that, although psychoeducation seemed to influence participants’ beliefs about self-compassion, there was no evidence that psychoeducation increased self-compassionate responding. This finding highlights the need to develop additional strategies to help people to translate knowledge about self-compassion into self-compassionate responses to lapses and difficulties.
Background. Excessive alcohol consumption, including binge drinking, increases when students ente... more Background. Excessive alcohol consumption, including binge drinking, increases when students enter university. This study tests whether combining messages based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) with instructions to form implementation intentions reduces the frequency of binge drinking in new university students. Methods. Students (N = 415) were recruited at the end of their first month at university and randomly assigned to condition in a 2 (TPB messages) × 2 (implementation intention) factorial design. Cognitions about binge drinking, as specified by the TPB, were assessed immediately post-intervention. Frequency of binge drinking was assessed one month later (n = 205). Findings. Participants who received the messages had significantly weaker intentions to engage in binge drinking (d = 0.32) and less favourable cognitions about binge drinking (affective attitude, descriptive norms, and self-efficacy) than those who did not receive the messages. One month later, participants who were instructed to form an implementation intention to avoid binge drinking reported fewer instances of binge drinking (d = 0.37), although this effect only approached significance (p < .10). The main effect of messages on the frequency of binge drinking at follow-up and the interaction between messages and implementation intentions were non-significant. Discussion. The findings provide some support for the use of interventions based on the TPB to reduce intentions to engage in binge drinking and for forming implementation intentions to reduce the frequency of binge drinking in new university students. However, no evidence was found for the synergistic effect of combing the two interventions.
Free training materials for mental health professionals to help their clients to achieve their go... more Free training materials for mental health professionals to help their clients to achieve their goals.
Background. Temporal Self-Regulation Theory (TST) proposes that behaviour is determined by intent... more Background. Temporal Self-Regulation Theory (TST) proposes that behaviour is determined by intention, which is predicted by beliefs about the connectedness (likelihood), temporality and valence of behavioural outcomes. The link between intention and behaviour is hypothesized to be moderated by behavioural prepotency (BPP) and self-regulatory capacity (SRC), which also directly influence behaviour. This study aimed to test these relationships for healthy and unhealthy eating behaviour. Methods. An online survey measured the key components of TST for fruit and vegetable intake (N = 139) or unhealthy snacking (N = 128), i.e., connectedness, temporality and valence beliefs, intention, BPP (past behaviour, habit) and SRC (self-control). Eating behaviour was assessed one week later. Findings. TST explained 23% of variance in fruit and vegetable intentions and 22% of the variance in snacking intentions. TST explained 46% of the variance in fruit and vegetable intake at follow-up, with inte...
Self-regulation is the process by which people direct their thoughts, feelings, and actions in or... more Self-regulation is the process by which people direct their thoughts, feelings, and actions in order to achieve their goals. For example, how does a person control their alcohol consumption or remember to feed the cat? A starting point for understanding self-regulation is the concept of intention, which is assumed to capture the motivational factors that influence behaviour. However, recent experimental evidence suggests that a ‘medium-to-large’ change in intention leads only to a ‘small-to-medium’ change in subsequent behaviour. Investigation of the volitional issues that people face when trying to act on their intentions reveals that intentions are more likely to be translated into behaviour if they are supplemented with specific plans about when, where, and how to perform be aviour (known as ‘implementation intentions’, Gollwitzer, 1999). Furthermore, there is evidence that motivation and volition interact such that implementation intentions only benefit self-regulation when respective goal intentions are strong and activated. The final part of this review considers evidence for two mechanisms which may underlie the beneficial effects of implementation intentions; namely, heightened accessibility of specified situational cues and strong cue-response linkages.
Responding with self-compassion to lapses in goal pursuit helps people to achieve their goals, ye... more Responding with self-compassion to lapses in goal pursuit helps people to achieve their goals, yet evidence suggests that some people struggle to respond with self-compassion. The current research proposes that social cognition models such the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Prototype Willingness Model could explain why some people, such as those high in perfectionistic concerns, struggle to respond with self-compassion. We therefore conducted a pre-registered prospective study that measured participants' beliefs about self-compassion, difficulties enacting self-compassionate responding, perfectionistic concerns, and then tested their ability to be self-compassionate in response to a recalled and future lapse. The results showed that participants were less likely to respond with self-compassion to lapses if they held negative beliefs about self-compassion and experienced difficulties enacting self-compassion. Participants high in perfectionistic concerns were more likely to have negative beliefs about self-compassion and experience difficulties enacting self-compassion. Together, these findings provide evidence that social cognition models can be used to understand self-compassionate responding and identify why some people struggle to respond with self-compassion to goal lapses.
Introduction Despite evidence that public pressure can promote sustainability in various domains ... more Introduction Despite evidence that public pressure can promote sustainability in various domains (for example, retail and travel), no research has considered the public's attitudes towards sustainability in dentistry.Methods A questionnaire was developed to measure attitudes towards sustainable dentistry among adults living in the UK and their willingness to make compromises to reduce the impact of their dental treatment on the environment. In total, 344 adults completed the questionnaire that also measured pro-environmental identity and concern, general willingness to make compromises for the environment, and the tendency to engage in ecological behaviours.Results Participants reported positive attitudes towards sustainable dentistry, and were willing to compromise their time, convenience and durability of their dental treatment, as well as pay more, to reduce the impact of their dental work on the environment. Participants were not willing to compromise their health or the aes...
Previous research has linked exposure to counter-stereotypical diversity (e.g., a female mechanic... more Previous research has linked exposure to counter-stereotypical diversity (e.g., a female mechanic, a Harvard-educated carpenter) to enhanced cognitive outcomes, such as cognitive flexibility and creativity. However, more recent findings suggest that the effects of exposure to counter-stereotypes (CSTs) on cognitive performance may depend on individual differences. In the present work, we explored a novel and theoretically important moderator of the effect of exposure to CSTs on cognitive flexibility: Need for Cognition (NFC), also known as epistemic / intellectual curiosity. Across three experiments (N = 887), we found support for the prediction that people low in NFC cognitively benefit from exposure to CSTs (d = .36), while people high in NFC showed decreased cognitive flexibility after being exposed to CSTs (d = -.21). This suggests that individuals’ motivation to engage in cognitive activity may be an important consideration for CST interventions. Implications for theory and future research are discussed.
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Papers by Thomas L Webb