Seeing things differently: Expert and consumer mental models evaluating combined oral contraceptives

Abstract

Communication regarding the benefits and risks of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) remains a challenge in view of persistent misconceptions about the 'pill'. The aim of this study was to investigate how women understand the benefits and risks of COCs, comparing their assessments with an expert model created from literature- and guideline-based research and reviewed by a sample of gynaecologists using the mental models approach. Two qualitative studies were conducted in Germany - a questionnaire-based study involving 30 gynaecologists with a mean of 218 COC prescriptions on average per month, and in-depth interviews (plus the use of a questionnaire) with 21 women aged 18-24 years. As expected, women reported only a few concepts of benefits and risks unprompted, but further prompting revealed beliefs of many other associations. The women stated an overall positive valence even if the number of negative concepts predominated indicating a latent cognitive dissonance. The major differences compared with the expert model included: (a) a negative association with weight gain, subfertility and teratogenicity, (b) only a partial association of COC intake with thromboembolic conditions, (c) a confusing, rather negative perception of a COC-related effect on cancer and (d) a partial lack of basic knowledge of the active ingredients, time to excretion and mode of action of COCs. Appropriate COC counselling should cover these discrepancies.

Public Health Messages about Perinatal Marijuana use in an Evolving Policy Context

“…The theoretical framework for this study is the mental models framework, which posits that risk communications can iteratively address the gaps between the public's mental model and the experts' mental model of a given issue. 16 The mental models approach has proven especially valuable in areas that are fraught with scientific uncertainty 17 or value judgments, [18][19][20] as is the case with perinatal marijuana use, because the approach can flexibly incorporate subjective determinants of health behavior decisions. The mental models approach to risk communication aims to ensure that the public can understand not only the basic information about a health risk but how well science understands the risk and its magnitude.…”

How I reduce fuel consumption: An experimental study on mental models of eco-driving

“…Researchers (e.g. (Morgan et al, 2002, Vogt andSchaefer, 2012) have explored and measured mental models in order about risks. Moreover, studying mental models is useful for exploring cognitive processes that people are unable to access with introspection (Rasmussen, 1983).…”

Effect of Perceived Weight Gain on Hormonal Contraception Choice for Women: A Review

“…Lack of knowledge resulted in overestimation of the risks and underestimation of the benefits associated with HC, and correlated with negative experiences in general. (37,43) Women's educational level, self-reported in surveys, interviews, and focus groups, was established as the reason why some women were not knowledgeable of HC methods. (6,8,14) However, da Silva-Filho found that higher education does not correlate with better contraceptive knowledge.…”