Psychology keeps teeth clean

This is the finding of a study by researchers at Freie University, Berlin, which will be published in the British Journal of Health Psychology.

The study, led by Professor  Ralf Schwarzer, investigated the combined roles of self-efficacy (the belief in one’s own ability to complete tasks) and self-monitoring (an individual’s ability to monitor the completion of tasks, such as the use of a calendar) when predicting the frequency of dental flossing as part of a person’s dental routine.

A study of 287 university students, aged from 19 to 26 years, examined whether a self regulatory intervention would make a difference to flossing behaviours by comparing an intervention group, active control group and passive control group.  Each group was given a pre-test questionnaire requesting demographic information and social cognitive variables, as well as being asked how regularly they flossed their teeth.

Identical post-test questionnaires were filled out by each group three weeks later.  The questionnaires assessed the roles of self-efficacy and self-monitoring with standard statements, which participants rated on a scale ranging from (1) not at all true, (2) rather not true, (3) likely true, (4) exactly true.