The interplay between affect and theory of planned behavior variables.

OBJECTIVES To assess whether affective evaluations of health behaviors moderate or mediate the influence of theory of planned behavior (TPB) variables on intention. METHODS For each of 20 health behaviors, respondents (N=300) completed questionnaire measures of affective evaluation, attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention. RESULTS Analyses using path modeling revealed that affective evaluation of the behaviors did not moderate the influence of the TPB variables on intention, but it partially mediated the influence of attitude and perceived behavioral control on intention. CONCLUSIONS These results emphasize the importance of affective evaluation as a target for health communication.