Psychology C3 - maintenance of behavioural change

Question 1

reasons for non-adherence: rational non-adherence

Answer 1

-sometimes clients decide not to follow medical advice for logical and rational reasons

Question 2

cost-benefit analysis

Answer 2

-clients may make a deliberate decision to follow or not follow medical advice
-weigh up costs and benefits
-benefits = taking prescribed medication will reduce the symptoms of illness, disease or injury

Question 3

psychologists on cost-benefit analysis

Answer 3

-they have developed three main costs:
1. side effects
2. financial barriers
3. patient-practitioner
relationship

Question 4

1. side effects

Answer 4

-cost = unacceptable side effects of some medications, dizziness, stomach problems, sexual difficulties and memory problems (Bulpitt and Fletcher 1988)

Question 5

2. financial barriers

Answer 5

-some people don’t adhere to medical advice, cannot afford to do so
-less of an issue for countries with free healthcare (NHS)
-those with private medical insurance, more likely to adhere, money doesn’t matter (Laba et al. 2012)

Question 6

3. patient-practitioner relationship

Answer 6

-level of trust client has with medical practitioner affects non-adherence
-in a ‘practitioner-centred approach’, the practitioner had all the power in the relationship
-views treatment as non-negotiable – more likely to lead to non-adherence than a personal client-centred approach

Question 7

research support
(evaluation)
+

Answer 7

-research confirms the influence of rational factors
-example, Lopez-Valcarcel et al (2017) studied what happened in Spain when older clients had to start paying a share of medication costs.
-adherence declined for expensive drugs, but not for cheaper ones
-shows that non-adherence is increased by financial barriers, had a rational basis

Question 8

unjustified assumption
(evaluation)
-

Answer 8

-approach is based on an inaccurate view of clients
-rational non-adherence assumes that a client has weighed up costs and benefits of medical advice in a calm way before making a decision
-health decisions aren’t made like this – instead made without a plan and clients amount of stress
-suggests non-adherence as a rational process cannot explain health-related decision-making