L6: Behavioural sciences Flashcards
what is behavioural science?
The applied study of human behaviour
Includes:
Neuroscience
Cognitive science
Psychobiology
Psychology (incl. health psychology)
Behavioural economics
Sociology
Anthropology
health psychology?
“The goal of health psychology is to study the psychological processes underlying health, illness and health care, and to apply these findings to the promotion and maintenance of health, the analysis and improvement of the health care system and health policy formation, the prevention of illness and disability, and the enhancement of outcomes for those who are ill or disabled.”
our health behaviours and lifestyles
behaviour and health outcomes?
health behaviour can be divided into two overarching domains: preventative and remedial rehabilitative mitigative
(engaging with a behvaiour before you have treatment)
aka before and after disease onset
PREVENTATIVE- individual lifestyles, health screening, vaccination, epidemic control, other structural dynamics in society affecting population health e.g: environmental issues
REMEDIAL: rehabilitation/pre-habilitation, lifestyle interventions, adheerence to medication or advice, healthcare delivery practice
individual lifestyles
Impact of health behaviours on life expectancy
Observational study of 487,209 participants in China
Examined the combined impact of 5 risk factors on life expectancy:
Smoking
Alcohol intake
Physical activity
Diet (fruit, veg, red meat, legumes, fish)
Body shape (BMI & waist circumference)
Forrest plot?
A forest plot is a visual way to display and compare multiple hazard ratios or odds ratios from different outcomes or subgroups.
Each line represents a different study outcome or category (e.g., cancer, CVD, etc.), with a point estimate (the HR or OR) and a horizontal line showing the 95% confidence interval (CI).
A vertical line, typically at 1.0 for ratios, represents the point of no effect.
If the confidence interval crosses this line, the result is not statistically significant.
This allows for quick visual comparison across groups.
Interpreting Their Results
The further left the point estimate and its confidence interval are on the plot (i.e., less than 1.0), the greater the survival benefit or lower the risk of the outcome.
This pattern was seen across diseases like cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs).
However, for CRDs, the confidence interval was wide, likely due to a smaller sample size, indicating lower statistical power and less certainty in the result.
levels of influence on health?
social-ecological framework
Levels of Influence on Health: The Social Ecological Framework
Health behaviours aren’t just shaped by individual choices — they’re the result of multiple, interacting levels of influence. The social ecological model breaks this down into several layers:
Individual Level
Knowledge, attitudes, skills, genetics
Personal motivation or ability to perform a health behaviour
Interpersonal Level
Family, friends, social networks
Social support or peer pressure can reinforce or discourage health behaviours
Community/Organisational Level
Schools, workplaces, religious institutions, healthcare settings
These organisations shape the environments where people live and work (e.g., availability of health resources, workplace wellness policies)
Policy/Institutional Level
Local, national, and international laws and policies
Includes health regulations, economic incentives, public health programs, and infrastructure (e.g., tobacco taxes, urban design)
Cultural/Societal Level
Cultural norms, societal values, ideologies
Shapes what behaviours are considered normal or acceptable
Key Points
People often focus on individual choices, but behavioural science increasingly recognises the strong role of the environment and social systems.
Each higher level influences all levels beneath it. For example, policies can shape community environments, which then affect social relationships and individual behaviours.
Health behaviour is a product of the system — not just the person.
🧠 Think of it like concentric circles: the person is at the centre, but every surrounding layer helps shape what that person does or can do.
why do we need models?
Six common (hopefully historical) errors according to Kelly and Barker:
The assumption that common sense can be used to design behavioural interventions
Thinking that ‘It’s just about getting the message across’
Acting as though knowledge and information alone drive behaviour
Expecting people to act rationally
Explaining away behaviour as irrational, instead of understanding it
Thinking it is possible to accurately predict behaviour
behavioural models?
🧠 Behavioural Models in Health Psychology
Purpose:
These models aim to explain why people engage in health-related behaviours and what factors influence their decisions.
They focus on discrete psychological constructs — mental frameworks or beliefs that are seen as the closest (proximal) determinants of behaviour.
🔗 Chain of Causality in Behavioural Models
The assumed sequence is: Intervention → Psychological Constructs → Behaviour → Health Outcome
These constructs (like beliefs, attitudes, or intentions) are more modifiable than traits like personality.
Interventions target these constructs to influence behaviour (e.g. boosting motivation, changing intentions).
This assumes psychological constructs mediate the effect of interventions.
🧩 The Health Belief Model (HBM)
One of the earliest and most influential models.
It was developed to explain how people respond to health-related information and why they do (or don’t) take preventive health action.
⚙️ Core Components of the HBM
Perceived Susceptibility
Do I believe I’m at risk?
Perceived Severity
How serious do I think the consequences would be?
Perceived Benefits
Will taking action reduce the risk or seriousness of the condition?
Perceived Barriers
What are the obstacles in my way (e.g., cost, time, fear)?
These factors are considered to add up (summative effect) to influence whether or not someone takes a health-related action.
➕ Additional Elements
Cues to Action
Reminders or triggers (like symptoms, health campaigns, or advice) that prompt people to act.
Sociodemographic Variables
Factors like age, gender, income, and education can influence the above beliefs but are not direct determinants in the model.
📉 Limitations and Strengths
Limitation:
Oversimplifies human behaviour — real-world actions are often influenced by complex emotional, social, and contextual factors.
Strength:
Its simplicity can be useful in public health messaging or interventions that need to be easy to communicate and understand.
theory of planned behaviour
Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)
The Theory of Planned Behaviour builds on the idea that behaviour is a result of intention, and intention is influenced by three main psychological constructs:
🔹 1. Attitudes
How a person feels about a behaviour.
Based on their beliefs about the outcomes of the behaviour and their evaluation of those outcomes.
Example: “If I exercise, I’ll feel healthier and look better” → Positive attitude.
🔹 2. Subjective Norms
Social pressure: what a person believes others think they should do.
Based on perceived social norms and the motivation to comply with others.
Example: “My friends and family think I should stop smoking” → Strong subjective norm.
Called “subjective” because it’s about the individual’s perception, not the actual views of others.
🔹 3. Perceived Behavioural Control
The degree to which a person feels they are capable of performing the behaviour.
Closely linked to self-efficacy — belief in one’s own ability to take action.
Example: “I know how to cook healthy meals and have time to do it” → High perceived control.
This construct also accounts for external barriers and enablers (e.g., money, time, skills).
🧭 The Pathway
All three components influence: → Intention → Which then influences: → Behaviour
⚠️ Criticisms of TPB
Too Simplistic in Real-World Settings
Doesn’t capture the complexity of human behaviour (e.g., emotional influences, habits, unconscious drives).
Perceived Behavioural Control
It’s not enough to just ask if people think they can do something — you need to explore why they feel that way (e.g., confidence, resources, social barriers).
Limited Predictive Power Without Context
It lacks depth unless paired with qualitative insights into what drives those beliefs and intentions.
❗️The Intention-Behaviour Gap
Problem: Just because someone intends to do something doesn’t mean they will.
Example: A person may plan to go to the gym 3x/week but not actually follow through.
Why?
Competing priorities
Habits
Lack of motivation
Environmental constraints
This gap is one of the major limitations of the TPB — intention does not always lead to action.
transtheoretical model
🔄 Transtheoretical Model (Stages of Change)
The model explains how people change health behaviours over time, acknowledging that change is not linear. People may relapse or move back and forth between stages.
🌀 Stages of Change:
Precontemplation
Not thinking about change.
May be unaware the behaviour is problematic.
“I’m not planning to quit smoking.”
Contemplation
Aware there’s a problem and thinking about change.
Not ready to act yet.
“I should probably stop smoking… maybe next month.”
Preparation
Intending to take action soon.
May have started small changes.
“I bought nicotine patches and picked a quit date.”
Action
Has recently changed behaviour.
Needs support to keep going.
“I haven’t smoked for 2 weeks.”
Maintenance
Sustaining behaviour change over time (e.g., 6+ months).
Still at risk of relapse.
“I’ve been smoke-free for 8 months.”
Relapse (Not a formal stage, but recognized)
Person returns to previous behaviour.
Can re-enter the cycle at any stage.
🔁 Key Concepts:
Relapse is normal — change is not a straight path.
Long-term behaviour change requires:
Habit restructuring
Support systems
Coping strategies
Tailored interventions are needed at each stage:
E.g., you wouldn’t give an action plan to someone in precontemplation.
