Title
Self-Efficacy in Weight Management
Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
1-1-1991
Abstract
Self-efficacy is an important mediating mechanism in advancing understanding of the treatment of obesity. This study developed and validated the Weight Efficacy Life-Style Questionnaire (WEL), improving on previous studies by the use of clinical populations, cross-validation of the initial factor analysis, exploration of the best fitting theoretical model of self-efficacy, and examination of change in treatment. The resulting 20-item WEL consists of five situational factors: Negative Emotions, Availability, Social Pressure, Physical Discomfort, and Positive Activities. A hierarchical model was found to provide the best fit to the data. Results from two separate clinical treatment studies (total N = 382) show that the WEL is sensitive to changes in global scores as well as to a subset of the five situational factor scores. Treatment programs may be incomplete if they change only a subset of the situational dimensions of self-efficacy. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
Publication Title, e.g., Journal
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
Volume
59
Issue
5
Citation/Publisher Attribution
Clark, Matthew M., David B. Abrams, Raymond S. Niaura, Cheryl A. Eaton, and Joseph S. Rossi. "Self-Efficacy in Weight Management." Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 59, 5 (1991): 739-744. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.59.5.739.