Behavioural Change Flashcards
What is the purpose of a theory?
To provides an explanation for the phenomenon and to
generate predictions. If we can generate accurate
predictions then we can manipulate or control the
behaviour in question.
Give 5 qualities of a ‘good’ theory
- Explain a related set of observations.
- Generate testable predictions or hypotheses.
- Be parsimonious – i.e. involve no more concepts or elements than are necessary. Be the simplest explanation of the phenomenon at hand.
- Be comprehensible and coherent.
- Not be contradicted by observations.
What is a ‘Spurious Relationship’
Correlation without causation. e.g. Ice Cream/Drowning
Give an overview of the Health Belief Model, as well as its advantages and disadvantages.
NB
It is an expectancy-value model.
Important to realise factors such as my expectations that this will be protective and my assessment of my ability to take this precaution will also impact on whether I take precaution or not.
Advantages
- Allows comparison of different influences on health behaviours
- Identifies importance of barriers to behaviour change
Disadvantages
- Threat does not predict behaviour change for many health behaviours e.g. Smoking, drinking, drugs.
- Leaves out emotions, habit, social norms motivations for behaviour change.
- People consistently underestimate their likelihood of being involved in accidents, contracting disease and overestimate their potential (Taylor and Brown 1988)
- Does not define how to test relationships between different elements in the model
Give an outline of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, as well as its advantages and disadvantages:
NB
Again, it is an expectancy-value model.
Posits that intention is the result of a process that takes account of:
- Attitudes
- Subjective norms
- Perceived behavioural control
Advantages
- Intentions predict some behaviours
- Highlights social norms
- Perceived control often the most important factor
Disadvantages
- Does not adequately address:
- Most of the time intentions do not predict behaviour
- Past behaviour is often the best predictor of behaviour
- Environmental influences
- Social support
- Habits
Pascal Sheeran’s meta analysis of the relationship between intention and behaviour indicated intention as explicative of what percent of human behaviour?
28%
What are the 6 stages of the Transtheoretical Model, and what are its advantages and disadvantages?
- Pre-contemplation – no change contemplated
- Contemplation – desire to change within 6 months
- Preparation – intend to change in near future
- Action – behaviour is changed
- Maintenance
- Relapse
Advantages
- Intuitively appealing model which is popular in practice
- Predicts change in some behaviours
- Broad and has identified many useful processes involved in behaviour change
Disadvantages
- Stage definitions are arbitrary and vary widely between studies and lead one to assume this process occurs in all behaviour change which is clearly not the case.
- Assumes that change is planned – spontaneous change is omitted
- Pre Contemplation, Contemplation and preparation could be viewed as a continuum of ‘desire’ rather than discrete stages
- Doesn’t assess readiness to change.
- Doesn’t consider negative processes e.g. wishful thinking, avoidance, blame
- Suggests we have more insight into our own behaviour than perhaps we do
Give Festiger’s definitions of Cognitive -
- Dissonance
- Consonance
- Irrelevance
- Thoughts contradict each other = Cognitive Dissonance
- “I don’t want to smoke / I will go buy some cigarettes after work”*
- Thoughts are in agreement = Cognitive Consonance
- “I don’t want to smoke / I am refusing my friend’s offer of a cigarette”*
- Cognitions neither in agreement or disagreement are irrelevant
“I don’t want to smoke / I like cheese better than yoghurt”
Give an outline of the COM-B model, including its advangtages and disadvantages
NB
Capability = the individual’s psychological and physical capacity to engage in the activity. includes having the necessary knowledge and skills.
Motivation = all those brain processes that energize and direct behaviour, not just goals and conscious decision-making. includes habitual processes, emotional responding, as well as analytical decision-making.
Opportunity = all the factors that lie outside the individual that make the behaviour possible or prompt it.
Advantages
Interventions may change one or more components in the behaviour system.
- The causal links within the system then work to reduce or amplify the effect of interventions by causing changes elsewhere.
Provides a basis for designing interventions aimed at behaviour change.
- The task considers what the behavioural target would be, and what components of the behaviour system need to be changed to achieve that.
Disadvantages
As with all behavioural models…
- All are heavily biased towards us being rational beings making volitional decisions freely – this is contentious
- None have been instrumental in explaining a majority of statistical variance in behavior
What are the most common factors left our of behaviour models?
- Identity – Who I see myself as influences what I do
- Impulses/inhibitory forces/effort/inertia – thought suppression
- Momentary priorities – changing priorities
- Spontaneous/chaotic change - accidents
- Triggers – environmental stimuli
- Motives/desires – changing desires
- Evaluations – What leads to certain evaluations
- Plans - accidents
- Memory – state dependent memory
- Conditioning – past experience – learned helplessness
- Positive illusions – people underestimate risks and overestimate ability
