1. Theories of Health & Illness Behaviour
Health Psychologists wish to understand health behaviours
Health Psychologists use general psychological models and theories which explain any behaviour
Why do we study health theories?
Ask students if they understand what is meant by health behaviours. Ask open question.
Answer = any behaviour which affects someone’s health. Eg what they eat, drink, smoke, their lifestyle choices, when they sleep, how much they sleep, whether they brush their teeth. Also, whether people seek help when they are ill, what sort of help they seek (medical/complimentary etc).
Can you think of any example where people explain behaviour: Could give them the Milgram Study which aimed to find out why people conform and are obedient. He was particularly interested in why German Nazi’s obeyed instructions. It was supposed they had a genetic fault which made them more likely to be cruel but Milgram showed through a very unethical experiment that most people comply with instructions (even to kill) if they are given instructions by someone in authority. This experiment explained behaviour.
In health psychology we wish to find out about health behaviours:
How they decide they are ill, their lifestyle choices, whether they seek medical help, whether they seek complimentary ehalth, whethe they follow medical advice, whether they comply with it, if not, why not.

2. Rosenstock: The Health Belief Model
Personal
Susceptibility
Seriousness of
threat
Benefits of
outcome
Costs of Action
Perceived threat
Cost-benefit analysis
Likelihood of behaviour
Cues to action
The health belief model predicts whether health behaviours will occur by looking at two main thought processes: perceived personal threat and a cost-benefit analysis.
Threat is determined by: Personal susceptibility, the seriousness of the negative outcomes and cues to action which are external or internal factors which start you thinking about the health issue.
The cost-benefit analysis takes into account the balance between: the expected advantages of the behaviour and the costs – the perceived barriers and disadvantages of the behaviour.
Have you ever made a list of the Pros and Cons of something? Had a boyfriend where you write down a list of the things he does which make you happy with him, and the things he does which make you sad. The health belief model is a bit like that: you are looking at the pros and cons of engaging in a health behaviour.

3. Rosenstock: Health Belief Model
Perceived threat is determined by:
Personal Susceptibility – how vulnerable you feel
Seriousness of threat – beliefs concerning how serious the negative outcomes of the behaviour would be
Cue to action – external & internal factors which start you thinking about the health behaviour
Personal
Susceptibility
Seriousness
Of threat
Benefits of
outcome
Costs of
Action
Perceived threat
Cost-benefit analysis
Likelihood of behaviour
Cues to action
When might people feel vulnerable: fear of needles, don’t want to face the consequences of the illness, don’t want to accept they have an unhealthy lifestyle etc.
Seriousness of threat (so if likelihood of behaviour is eating more healthily do they perceive their overweightness as a serious threat? Do they think it’s very important or not very important?
Cues to action: external and internal factors. So in the case of whether someone who is overweight, the cues to action might be feeling sluggish (internal), wanting to appear more attractive to someone who prefers slimmer people, media/magazines etc. (external)

4. Cost-benefit analysis Likelihood of behaviour
Rosenstock: Health Belief Model
Cost-benefit analysis takes into account the balance between:
Benefit of outcome – the expected advantages of the behaviour
Costs of action – the perceived barriers and disadvantages of the behaviour
Personal
Susceptibility
Seriousness
Of threat
Benefits of
outcome
Costs of
Action
Perceived threat
Cost-benefit analysis
Likelihood of behaviour
Cues to action
Benefits of outcome: the expected advantages of the behaviour, so if the likelihood of behaviour is to lose weight for health reasons, do you see this as a big benefit for your life.
Costs – so if losing weight… what is the cost? Will it actually cost you more money to buy speical foods? Will it be more time in prep in the supermarket and perparing food? Will you be hungry? Will you have to give up your favourite foods? Will it stop you being socialbe?
Pros and cons.

5. Cost-benefit analysis Likelihood of behaviour
Rosenstock: Health Belief Model
Likelihood of Behaviour:
The LIKELIHOOD of a person engaging in a behaviour is the combination of these two thought processes – the perceived threat verses the cost-benefit analysis.
Personal
Susceptibility
Seriousness
Of threat
Benefits of
outcome
Costs of
Action
Perceived threat
Cost-benefit analysis
Likelihood of behaviour
Cues to action
The likelihood of behaviour happening a weighing up of the perceived threat in balance with the cost-benefit analysis.
If the perceived threat is much greater than the cost-benefit analysis then the likelihood of behaviour is that they won’t do it.