Theories of Behaviour Change

What are the two main types of behaviour change theories?

• Continuum theories: identify and combine variables to determine the likelihood of a behaviour.

• Stage theories: view behaviour change as gradual and focus on the process or stages of change.

What major health behaviour theories are listed in this lecture?

• Health Belief Model

• Theories of Reasoned Action/Planned Behaviour

• Learning Theories

• Cognitive Behavioural Techniques

• Transtheoretical Model
  The first four are presented under continuum, while the Transtheoretical Model is presented under stage.

What is the purpose of the Health Belief Model (HBM)?

It was developed to explain the likelihood that someone will perform preventive and health-promoting behaviours. Behaviour is determined by six factors.

What are the six components of the Health Belief Model?

• Perceived susceptibility

• Perceived severity

• Perceived benefits

• Perceived barriers

• Cues to action

• Self-efficacy

What is perceived susceptibility?

A person’s perceived risk of contracting an illness if no behaviour change occurs.
Think: “How likely is this to happen to me?”

What is perceived severity?

A person’s perception of how serious the illness is that they are at risk of contracting.
Think: “How serious would this be?”

What is the difference between perceived susceptibility and perceived severity?

• Susceptibility = likelihood/risk

• Severity = seriousness

Example: “I think I am likely to get the disease” = susceptibility.
“I think the disease would have serious consequences” = severity.

What are perceived benefits?

The perceived advantages of changing a behaviour, including how well the change could reduce the person’s risk or the severity of the health problem.

What are perceived barriers?

Perceived or real obstacles that make behaviour change difficult.

What are cues to action?

Reminders to take action. They help trigger the person to perform the health behaviour.

What is self-efficacy?

A person’s perceived ability to perform the action.
Think: “Do I believe I can actually do this?”

How can you quickly identify all six HBM components in a scenario?

• Susceptibility: Could it happen to me?

• Severity: How serious is it?

• Benefits: Will changing help?

• Barriers: What makes changing difficult?

• Cues to action: What reminds/prompts me?

• Self-efficacy: Can I actually do it?

Which HBM components were added to the model later?

The lecture says you should know which components were added later, but the slides do not identify which ones. This may have been discussed verbally in class.

According to the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), what is the most important predictor of behaviour?

Behavioural intention.

What two factors determine behavioural intention in the TRA?

• Attitudes

• Subjective norms

What is the basic pathway of the Theory of Reasoned Action?

Attitudes + Subjective Norms → Behavioural Intention → Behaviour

What is the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)?

It is an extension of the Theory of Reasoned Action, developed in 1991. Like TRA, it considers behavioural intention the most important predictor of behaviour.

What three factors determine behavioural intention in the TPB?

• Attitudes

• Subjective norms

• Behavioural control

What is the main difference between TRA and TPB?

TPB adds behavioural control

TRA:
Attitudes + Subjective Norms → Intention

TPB:
Attitudes + Subjective Norms + Behavioural Control → Intention

What is the most important similarity between TRA and TPB?

Both consider behavioural intention the most important predictor of behaviour.

How can you quickly tell TRA and TPB apart on an exam?

• Attitudes + subjective norms only → TRA

• Attitudes + subjective norms + behavioural control → TPB

What three learning theories are covered in this lecture?

1. Classical conditioning

2. Operant conditioning

3. Social/observational learning

What is classical conditioning?

Learning by creating an association between two stimuli. A neutral stimulus eventually comes to produce the same response as the stimulus with which it was paired.

What are the five components of classical conditioning?

1. Neutral Stimulus

2. Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

3. Unconditioned Response (UR)

4. Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

5. Conditioned Response (CR)

What happens in the classical-conditioning example shown on the slide?

The diagram on page 17 uses a bell, food, and salivation:

• Before conditioning: bell → no salivation

• Food → salivation

• During conditioning: bell + food → salivation

• After conditioning: bell → salivation

This demonstrates how a formerly neutral stimulus becomes associated with a response.

What is the key clue that a scenario is classical conditioning?

Look for an association between two stimuli.

Think: stimulus + stimulus.

What is operant conditioning?

Learning by associating behaviours with particular consequences. It includes positive and negative reinforcement and punishment.

What do reinforcement and punishment mean in operant conditioning?

• Reinforcement = increases the probability of behaviour

• Punishment = decreases the probability of behaviour

What do positive and negative mean in operant conditioning?

• Positive = adding something

• Negative = taking something away

They do not mean good and bad.

What is positive reinforcement?

A behaviour is followed by a reward, increasing the occurrence of the behaviour.

Positive = add
Reinforcement = increase

What is negative reinforcement?

A behaviour is followed by the removal of an aversive stimulus, increasing the occurrence of the behaviour.

Negative = remove
Reinforcement = increase

What is positive punishment?

A behaviour is followed by an aversive stimulus, decreasing the occurrence of the behaviour.

Positive = add
Punishment = decrease

What is negative punishment?

A behaviour is followed by the removal of a stimulus, decreasing the occurrence of the behaviour.

Negative = remove
Punishment = decrease

What is the fastest way to solve an operant-conditioning question?

First ask whether the behaviour increased or decreased.

• Increase → reinforcement

• Decrease → punishment

Then ask whether something was added or removed.

• Added → positive

• Removed → negative

So:

Add + Increase = Positive Reinforcement
Remove + Increase = Negative Reinforcement
Add + Decrease = Positive Punishment
Remove + Decrease = Negative Punishment

What is the main difference between classical and operant conditioning?

• Classical conditioning: association between two stimuli

• Operant conditioning: association between behaviour and consequences

Think:

Classical = stimulus → stimulus
Operant = behaviour → consequence

What is Social Learning Theory?

People learn attitudes about a behaviour by observing other people and witnessing the outcomes that others experience.

What is modeling in Social Learning Theory?

Modeling occurs when individuals serve as examples to others by performing behaviours.

What two types of modeling are mentioned in the lecture?

• Direct modeling

• Symbolic modeling

The slides say modeling can be direct or symbolic, but they do not provide separate definitions for the two. Since differentiating them is listed as a learning objective, your professor may have explained the distinction verbally.