Lecture 15 - Challenges for the Future

Question 1

explain Future Health Psychology Priorities: Resilience Research

Answer 1

Need to target positive factors

Examples of possible research questions:
ì How can personal resources (optimism, sense of control) be taught?
ì How do people act to reduce their stress?
ì How do people seek out relaxation, renewal?

Question 2

What is an Ontology?

Answer 2

An ontology = systematic method for specifying concepts and the relationships between them using a “controlled vocabulary”
ì e.g. behaviour change techniques, theoretical constructs, behaviours ì An ontology of behaviour change interventions
ì Includes taxonomies of the key concepts e.g.
ì behaviour change techniques, mechanisms of action, behaviour

Question 3

Ontologies needed to …

Answer 3

Accumulate evidence efficiently
1. Replicate for incremental advance
Explicitly build on past work rather than start a new or present as
‘new’
2. Minimise waste in research; Improve reporting, fidelity of delivery and use of theory…for replication and evidence synthesis
3. Co-ordinate vs. fragment; To maximise effectiveness and efficiency of building evidence and advancing theory

Question 4

Taxonomy of BCTs: Describing Intervention Content Using a Shared Language
explain BCTs

Answer 4

Behaviour change techniques (BCTs)
ì The smallest components that on their own have the potential to
bring about change
ì The ‘active ingredients’ of an intervention
ì Observable and replicable
ì Can be used alone or in combination with other BCTs

Question 5

Ontology of BCTs Provides an Agreed, Standard Method to …

Answer 5

Describe interventions as accurately as possible ì Replicate interventions to generate evidence
ì Assess fidelity
ì Implement effective interventions

Evaluate e.g. in reviews or factorial designs ì Identify active ingredients (what)
ì Investigate mechanisms of action (how)

Design interventions
ì BCTs linked to broader intervention frameworks