Judgment Formation towards Health Risk Behaviors Concerning Obesity: An Integration Information Theory Approach

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.