Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Cognitive Biases in Preventive Health Decisions of Adolescents


Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Efhiraj College for Women, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


The number of cases of obesity, sleep and stress related disorders in adolescents are on the rise. These problems can be avoided if correct preventive measures are taken. There is limited research conducted in the area of cognitive biases in preventive health actions. Hence, the present study aimed to explore if cognitive biases operate when adolescents try to make decisions with respect to preventive health. Based on the review of literature, cognitive biases namely framing effect, optimism bias, anchoring bias and sunk-cost bias were examined to see if they operate when adolescent's were made to think of their decisions regarding five preventive health actions namely dietary behaviors, physical activity, stress management, sleep patterns and health screening. A questionnaire consisting of hypothetical questions was constructed by overlaying the biases with respect to each of these health behaviors to study if it did impact their decisions. A pilot study was conducted with 20 participants to see if the questionnaire tested what it was intended to test. After making changes based on the feedback received with reference to clarity, this self constructed questionnaire was finally administered to 80 adolescents and the results were analyzed using percentage analysis. Results showed that the biases tested by the questionnaire did impact the decisions made by the adolescents.

Keywords

Cognitive Biases, Preventive Health Decisions, Adolescents.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Adolescent development (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2018, from http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/adolescence/development/en/

  • Casey, B., Jones, R. M., Levita, L., Libby, V, Pattwell, S. S., Ruberry, E. J., & Somerville, L. H. (2010). The storm and stress of adolescence: Insights from human imaging and mouse genetics. Developmental Psychobiology, 52(3), 225-235. doi:10.1002/dev.20447

  • Demory-Luce, D., & Motil, K. J. (2015). Fast food for children and adolescent, http:/ www.uptodate.com/contents/fast-food-for-children-and-adolescent.

  • Ehrlinger, J., Readinger, W., & Kim, B. (2016). Decision-making and cognitive biases. Encyclopedia of Mental Health, [online] pp.5-12. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301662722_Decision-Making_and_Cognitive_Biases [Accessed 17 Nov. 2017].

  • Just, D.R., & Wansink, B. (2011). The flat-rate pricing paradox: Conflicting effects of "all-you-can-eat" buffet pricing. Review of Economics and Statistics, 93, 193-200. http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/REST_a_00057

  • Kahneman, D. (2015). Thinking, fast and slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

  • Marchiori, D., Papies, E. K., & Klein, O. (2014). The portion size effect on food intake. An anchoring and adjustment process? Appetite, 81, 108-115. doi:10.1016/j.appet. 2014.06.018 OptimisticBias.(n.d.).RetrievedMarchl8,2018,from

  • Reyna, V. R, & Farley, F. (2006). Risk and rationality in adolescent decision making. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 7(1), 1-44. doi:10.1111/j.l529- 1006.2006.00026.x

  • Rothman, A. J., Salovey, P., Antone, C, Keough, K., & Martin, C. D. (1993). The Influence of message framing on intentions to perform health behaviors. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 29(5), 408-433. doi:10.1006/jesp.l993.1019

  • Rothman, A. J., & Salovey, P. (1997). Shaping perceptions to motivate healthy behavior: The role of message framing. Psychological Bulletin, 727(1), 3-19.

  • Santrock, J. W. (2015). Life-span development. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

  • Strough, J., Karns, T. E., & Schlosnagle, L. (2011). Decision-making heuristics and biases across the life span. Annals of the New York Academy of'Sciences, 1235(1), 57- 74. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06208.x

  • Watanabe, S., & Shibutani, H. (2010). Aging and decision making: Differences in susceptibility to the risky-choice framing effect between older and younger adults in Japan. Japanese Psychological Research, 52(3), 163-174. doi: 10.1111 /j. 1468- 5884.2010.00432.x

  • Weinstein, N. D. (1982). Unrealistic optimism about susceptibility to health problems. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 5(4), 441-460. doi:10.1007/bf00845372


Abstract Views: 358

PDF Views: 1




  • Cognitive Biases in Preventive Health Decisions of Adolescents

Abstract Views: 358  |  PDF Views: 1

Authors

Samyukta Kumar
Department of Psychology, Efhiraj College for Women, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
M. Ramya Maheswari
Department of Psychology, Efhiraj College for Women, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract


The number of cases of obesity, sleep and stress related disorders in adolescents are on the rise. These problems can be avoided if correct preventive measures are taken. There is limited research conducted in the area of cognitive biases in preventive health actions. Hence, the present study aimed to explore if cognitive biases operate when adolescents try to make decisions with respect to preventive health. Based on the review of literature, cognitive biases namely framing effect, optimism bias, anchoring bias and sunk-cost bias were examined to see if they operate when adolescent's were made to think of their decisions regarding five preventive health actions namely dietary behaviors, physical activity, stress management, sleep patterns and health screening. A questionnaire consisting of hypothetical questions was constructed by overlaying the biases with respect to each of these health behaviors to study if it did impact their decisions. A pilot study was conducted with 20 participants to see if the questionnaire tested what it was intended to test. After making changes based on the feedback received with reference to clarity, this self constructed questionnaire was finally administered to 80 adolescents and the results were analyzed using percentage analysis. Results showed that the biases tested by the questionnaire did impact the decisions made by the adolescents.

Keywords


Cognitive Biases, Preventive Health Decisions, Adolescents.

References