Social and Behavioural Science Theories

Flashcards covering the foundational concepts, constructs, and stages of the Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behaviour, and the Transtheoretical Model.

Health Belief Model (HBM)

A model developed in the 1950s by public health departments in the USA to understand why people did or did not use preventive services; it focuses on perceptions of risk and benefits.

Perceived Susceptibility

An individual's opinion of their chances of getting a condition; involves defining populations at risk and personalizing risk based on features or behavior.

Perceived Severity

An individual's opinion of how serious a condition is and the specific consequences of the risk and the condition.

Perceived Benefits

One's opinion of the efficacy of an advised action to reduce risk or the seriousness of the impact; involves clarifying expected positive effects.

Perceived Barriers

An individual’s evaluation of obstacles (such as cost, inconvenience, or pain) and the tangible/psychological costs of an action; often the most significant factor in determining behavior change.

Cues to Action

Events, people, or things that move people to change their behavior or cause a force that makes a person feel the need to change behavior.

Self-efficacy

An individual's confidence or conviction in their ability to successfully execute the behavior required to produce desired outcomes.

Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)

Initially referred to as the theory of reasoned action, this theory by Ajzen & Fishbein (1970) assumes that intention to act is the key determinant of behavior.

Attitude toward the behaviour

Determined by the belief that a desired outcome will occur if a particular behavior is followed and that the outcome will be beneficial to health.

Subjective norms

Relate to a person’s beliefs about what others think they should do (normative beliefs) and the individual’s motivation to comply with those wishes.

Perceived behavioural control

The degree to which a person feels they have personal control over a behavior; a concept closely linked to self-efficacy.

Transtheoretical Model (TTM)

Developed by Prochaska & DiClemente (1980), this model proposes that behavior change is an ongoing process involving five different stages of readiness.

Pre-contemplation

The stage described as "ignorance is bliss," where individuals are not considering changing their behaviors or are consciously intending not to change.

Contemplation

The stage described as "sitting on the fence," where a person considers making a change to a specific behavior, usually within the next 6 months.

Preparation

The stage described as "testing the waters," where a person makes a serious commitment to change and begins necessary preparations to do so within the next month.

Action

The stage described as "go for it," where a change is initiated and the person has been implementing the change for up to 6 months.

Maintenance

The stage of sustaining a change over time, typically defined as practicing the new, healthier behavior for at least 6 months up to 5 years.

Termination/Adoption

The stage in the Transtheoretical Model where a change has been successfully maintained for more than 5 years.