The prototype willingness model: A review

Until recently, most researchers have viewed risk behavior as being the result of areasoned and rational process. As a result, most theoretical models of health risk as wellas the majority of research on health risk has been guided by approaches that focus ondeliberative and reasoned processes.However, in the last decade, there has been a burgeoning interest in theoreticalapproaches to risk behavior that acknowledge and incorporate the existence of lessdeliberative and reasoned modes of risk-behavior decision making. The primary goal ofthis chapter is to review available evidence for the Prototype Willingness [PW; Gibbonsand Gerrard, 1995] model of health risk behavior, a model that was designed to addressboth the reasoned and the less reasoned aspects of decision-making. Specifically, we willintroduce the reader to the model and review evidence supporting the model across avariety of health risk behaviors, including alcohol use, smoking, and risky sexualbehavior. In addition, the present chapter will also discuss the implications of the PWmodel for intervention research aiming to reduce high-risk behaviors.