Theories of attitude change and the "beyond family planning" debate: the case for the persuasion approach in population policy.

The proposed abandonment of the persuasion approach in the area of population policy may be premature; the application of recent developments in attitude theory to family planning programs might refute the current pessimism concerning the power of persuasion in population policy. Persuasion and positive incentives are realistic and viable alternative in terms of Berelson's 6 criteria - scientific readiness, political viability, administrative feasibility, economic capability, ethical acceptability, and presumed effectiveness. Communication and persuasion programs that attempt to change behavior should direct their attention to changing intentions to engage in specific family planning behaviors within a given period of time rather than at changing global evaluations of "birth control" or "large families." There needs to be 1) an emphasis upon changing intentions to perform specific behaviors within a fixed time period, 2) a functional analysis of the relative importance of the 3 general needs served by attitudes as they influence behavioral intentions, 3) focus on what appear to be situationally engaged and behavior-relevant beliefs and attitudes, and 4) a change in both anticipated and actual situational determinants to behavior.