Yasmina Okan|Eva Janssen|Mirta Galeši?|Erika A. Waters
Using the Short Graph Literacy Scale to Predict Precursors of Health Behavior Change
University of Leeds|Maastricht University|Santa Fe Institute|Max Planck Institute for Human Development|Washington University in St. Louis
background visual displays facilitate risk communication promote better health choices effectiveness improving risk comprehension influenced graph literacy however construct graph literacy still insufficiently understood partially existing objective measures graph literacy either difficult long objectives constructed new 4item short graph literacy sgl scale examined sgl scores relate key cognitive affective conative precursors health behavior change described common health behavior theories methods performed secondary analyses adapt sgl scale existing 13item scale initial construction based data collected laboratory setting germany n 51 scale validated using data nationally representative samples germany n 495 united states n 492 examine sgl scores relate precursors health behavior change performed secondary analyses third study involving nationwide us sample 47 participants belonging racialethnic minorities 46 limited formal education n 835 results graph literacy significantly associated cognitive precursors theoretically expected ways eg positive associations risk comprehension response efficacy negative association cognitive risk perception patterns affective precursors generally mirrored cognitive precursors although numeracy stronger predictor graph literacy affective factors eg feelings risk graph literacy predictive value cognitive affective precursors beyond numeracy addition graph literacy numeracy predicted key conative precursors defensive processing conclusions data suggest sgl scale fast psychometrically valid method measuring objective graph literacy findings also highlight theoretical practical relevance graph literacy