| The goal of this dissertation was to investigate the ways in which social groups influence the individual's attitudes towards smoking and smoking cessation self-efficacy, in both offline and online contexts. Researchers have previously found that the injunctive and descriptive norms of one's reference groups toward smoking have a profound influence on one's own smoking behavior. Additionally, smokers who use online support groups for smoking cessation have also been found to increase their levels of smoking cessation self-efficacy. This dissertation builds on this work. I propose a Social Groups Approach to smoking cessation, which applies and extends traditional theories of peer influence, including Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1986), Social Norms Approach (Perkins & Berkowitz, 1986), Social Influence (Rogers, 2003; Valente, 1995), Social Capital (Putnam, 2000; Williams, 2006) and Social Support (Sarason & Sarason, 2006). The Social Groups Approach is explored here in two studies, one offline and one online.;Study I assessed participants' (N=208) identification with three offline reference groups, hypothesizing that identification would moderate the relationship between injunctive and descriptive norms and smoking cessation self-efficacy. Study II examined members (N=208) of online health social networking sites for smoking cessation, hypothesizing that four social variables: social identification, bridging and bonding social capital, social norms and social support, would impact the relationship between participation level and smoking cessation self-efficacy. Study II also hypothesized significant differences between active participants and lurkers for the four social variables, and four types of intimacy levels.;For Study One, injunctive and descriptive norms of reference groups significantly affected smoking cessation self-efficacy, and this relationship was moderated by identification. Injunctive norms were stronger in predicting higher smoking cessation self-efficacy than descriptive norms, with injunctive norms of family members and descriptive norms of best friends having the most significant effect. For Study II, participation significantly impacted the four social variables, which in turned influenced smoking cessation self-efficacy. Active participants and lurkers also differed significantly for intimacy levels on the site, social identification, social capital, social norms, social support, and smoking cessation self-efficacy.;The dissertation ultimately proposed a model for the application of online social media to smoking cessation, the "Social Groups Approach to Smoking Cessation," which was tested and supported. Implications for future research on theory-based interventions of smoking cessation using online and face to face influences are discussed. |
