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Motivational Predictors of Change in Oral Health: An Experimental Test of Self-Determination Theory

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An Erratum to this article was published on 12 May 2007

An Erratum to this article was published on 12 May 2007

Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that a psychosocial dental intervention formulated in terms of self-determination theory would increase patients’ perceived competence and autonomous motivation for dental care and would decrease their plaque and gingivitis over a seven month period, compared to standard dental treatment. We also tested a process model in which the intervention was expected to increase perceived dental competence and autonomous motivation, that they would be positively associated with oral health behaviors (i.e., brushing and flossing), which was expected to decrease plaque and, in turn, decrease gingivitis. We also examined whether: changes in perceived competence and autonomous motivation would mediate the effect of the intervention on dental-health behaviors; dental-health behaviors would mediate the links from changes in perceived competence and autonomous motivation to change in plaque; and change in plaque would mediate the relation of dental health behaviors to change in gingivitis. Finally, we examined the fit of the overall model with structural equation modelling. Results supported all predictions.

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Notes

  1. A full 5-page version of the intervention is available from the authors on request.

  2. For all measures skewness and kurtosis values were between −2 and 2, and reliabilities above .60, and they were judged to be acceptable according to criteria normally set (Muthen & Kaplan, 1985).

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Acknowledgements

We express thanks to Edward L. Deci for reading this manuscript and providing helpful suggestions for revisions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Odontology, Department of Dental Hygienist Education, University of Oslo, Geitmyrsveien 69/71, 0455, Oslo, Norway

    Anne E. Münster Halvari

  2. Faculty of Education in Business Administration, Buskerud University College, Kongsberg, Norway

    Hallgeir Halvari

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  1. Anne E. Münster Halvari
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  2. Hallgeir Halvari
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Correspondence to Anne E. Münster Halvari.

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An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11031-007-9056-y

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Halvari, A.E.M., Halvari, H. Motivational Predictors of Change in Oral Health: An Experimental Test of Self-Determination Theory. Motiv Emot 30, 294–305 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-006-9035-8

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