Advancing the extended parallel process model through the inclusion of response cost measures

This study advances the Extended Parallel Process Model through the inclusion of response cost measures, which are drawbacks associated with a proposed response to a health threat. A sample of 502 college students completed a questionnaire on perceptions regarding sexually transmitted infections and condom use after reading information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the health risks of sexually transmitted infections and the utility of latex condoms in preventing sexually transmitted infection transmission. The questionnaire included standard Extended Parallel Process Model assessments of perceived threat and efficacy, as well as questions pertaining to response costs associated with condom use. Results from hierarchical ordinary least squares regression demonstrated how the addition of response cost measures improved the predictive power of the Extended Parallel Process Model, supporting the inclusion of this variable in the model.