Women's cancer screening: individual differences, norms, and mechanisms in two cultures

Abstract

Which women engage in cancer screenings, and which women avoid such tests? Blending social psychology and public health, this talk attempts to answer these questions and to untangle the complex web of factors involved in health behaviors. We examine cancer screening in the United States, a country where screening is the norm, and Turkey, a nation where few women engage in these health protective behaviors. Going beyond demographics, we investigate individual differences, norms, and other mechanisms important in women's screening behaviors. Specifically, for American women, we focus on how personality may emerge as a new tool in nations with higher screening rates. In Turkey, we focus more on the norms and individual health beliefs associated with screening.