Table 3

Measures of rationalisations and item reliability

Item–total correlations
W1W2W3
Functional beliefs1You enjoy smoking too much to give it up0.320.340.38
2Smoking calms you down when you are stressed or upset0.310.330.36
3Smoking helps you concentrate better0.440.440.43
4Smoking is an important part of your life0.380.440.45
5Smoking makes it easier for you to socialize0.240.260.21
Functional beliefs: Cronbach's α_ 0.580.610.61
Risk-minimising beliefs6You have the kind of genetic makeup that allows you to smoke without it giving you health problems0.420.420.45
7The medical evidence that smoking is harmful is exaggerated0.460.500.51
8You've got to die of something, so why not enjoy yourself and smoke0.520.560.55
9Smoking is no more risky than lots of other things that people do0.470.530.50
Risk-minimising beliefs: Cronbach α0.680.720.71
  • The new reliability coefficients for the functional beliefs scale (with item 5 removed) are 0.59, 0.62 and 0.62 for W1, W2 and W3, respectively.