Theories and Models of wellbeing
Background and basic principles
- Main determinant of behaviour is ones intention to engage in that behaviour
- A person is likely to do what they ‘intend’ to do, leads to behaviour
- The intention-behaviour gap is the gap between the two, hard to understand this area
TRA/TPB: Theory of Planned Behaviour (Previously theory of reasoned action)
- Smoking, alcohol, sun protection, exercise, breastfeeding, seatbelts, contraceptives, drugs
Theory of reasoned action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975)
- Humans make systematic and logical use of available information to form attitudes
- Humans have free choice over their behaviour, unrestrained by political or economic factors
Attitudes:
- Function of behaviour beliefs (e.g exercise will make me healthy)
- Attitude is determined by the individual’s beliefs about outcomes or attributes of performing
the behaviour (behavioural beliefs), weighed by evaluations of those outcomes or attributes
- Assumed a person may have lots of behavioural beliefs about one behaviour but that only a
limited number are likely to be salient, and it’s the salient beliefs that determine attitude
Subjective norms:
- A persons subjective norm is determined by his/her own beliefs
o Whether important referent individuals approve or disapprove of performing
behaviour
o Weighted by his/her motivation to comply with those beliefs
o E.g. if housemates smoke, you see smoking as a norm
- A person who believes that certain referents think she should perform a behaviour and is
motivated to meet expectations of those referents will hold a positive subjective form
Development from the TRA: The Theory of Planned Behaviour (Azjen, 1988; 1991)
- TPB developed in order to broaden applicability of theory of reasoned action beyond
volitional behaviours by including explicit considerations of perceptions of control
- Introduction of perceived behaviour control
, Perceived behavioural control
- PBC influenced by control beliefs, such as access to necessary resources and opportunities to
perform the behaviour successfully
- Include both internal (skill, ability, emotions e.g. confidence) and external control beliefs
(opportunity, time, location etc.)
- Each control belief can carry a different weighting on how it affects PBC
TPB & Physical activity: (Symons Downs & Hausenblas, 2005 meta analysis)
- Attitude = LARGE effect on intention
- Subjective Norm = WEAK effect on intention (May be due to overlapping attitudes and
subjective norms, and large conceptual basis of SN that are hard to measure in quant terms)
- PBC = LARGE effect on intention
- Intention = LARGE effect on behaviour
- PBC = MODERATE effect on behaviour
- Greater association when time between INTENTION and BEHAVIOUR is less than 1 month
- TPB variables explain ~30% of variance in PA behaviour
Transtheoretical model of behaviour change
Stages of change
- Precontemplation (No thought of change in foreseeable future ~6 months)
o Resistance to recognising/modifying lifestyle
o Lack of awareness of any problem relating to self
o May believe self is unable to change
- Contemplation (Thinking of change within next 6 months)
o Aware of benefits of change and costs
o Ambivalent
o Stage can lasts for minutes, months or years
- Preparation (Intending to becoming active in immediate future, next month)
o Performing tasks to get ready for exercise
o Often associated with small behaviour changes
o Perceived benefits of change appear to outweigh costs
- Action (Making change happen, active for less than 6 months)
o Unstable stage
o Relapse likely
o May benefit from strategies such as goal setting or contracting
- Maintenance (Continuing change for at least 6 months)
o Habit is less difficult to maintain
o Confident of ability to continue activity
Originally developed from viewing the behaviours of smokers when trying to ‘give up’
- Smokers showed characteristics of passing through several stages
Background and basic principles
- Main determinant of behaviour is ones intention to engage in that behaviour
- A person is likely to do what they ‘intend’ to do, leads to behaviour
- The intention-behaviour gap is the gap between the two, hard to understand this area
TRA/TPB: Theory of Planned Behaviour (Previously theory of reasoned action)
- Smoking, alcohol, sun protection, exercise, breastfeeding, seatbelts, contraceptives, drugs
Theory of reasoned action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975)
- Humans make systematic and logical use of available information to form attitudes
- Humans have free choice over their behaviour, unrestrained by political or economic factors
Attitudes:
- Function of behaviour beliefs (e.g exercise will make me healthy)
- Attitude is determined by the individual’s beliefs about outcomes or attributes of performing
the behaviour (behavioural beliefs), weighed by evaluations of those outcomes or attributes
- Assumed a person may have lots of behavioural beliefs about one behaviour but that only a
limited number are likely to be salient, and it’s the salient beliefs that determine attitude
Subjective norms:
- A persons subjective norm is determined by his/her own beliefs
o Whether important referent individuals approve or disapprove of performing
behaviour
o Weighted by his/her motivation to comply with those beliefs
o E.g. if housemates smoke, you see smoking as a norm
- A person who believes that certain referents think she should perform a behaviour and is
motivated to meet expectations of those referents will hold a positive subjective form
Development from the TRA: The Theory of Planned Behaviour (Azjen, 1988; 1991)
- TPB developed in order to broaden applicability of theory of reasoned action beyond
volitional behaviours by including explicit considerations of perceptions of control
- Introduction of perceived behaviour control
, Perceived behavioural control
- PBC influenced by control beliefs, such as access to necessary resources and opportunities to
perform the behaviour successfully
- Include both internal (skill, ability, emotions e.g. confidence) and external control beliefs
(opportunity, time, location etc.)
- Each control belief can carry a different weighting on how it affects PBC
TPB & Physical activity: (Symons Downs & Hausenblas, 2005 meta analysis)
- Attitude = LARGE effect on intention
- Subjective Norm = WEAK effect on intention (May be due to overlapping attitudes and
subjective norms, and large conceptual basis of SN that are hard to measure in quant terms)
- PBC = LARGE effect on intention
- Intention = LARGE effect on behaviour
- PBC = MODERATE effect on behaviour
- Greater association when time between INTENTION and BEHAVIOUR is less than 1 month
- TPB variables explain ~30% of variance in PA behaviour
Transtheoretical model of behaviour change
Stages of change
- Precontemplation (No thought of change in foreseeable future ~6 months)
o Resistance to recognising/modifying lifestyle
o Lack of awareness of any problem relating to self
o May believe self is unable to change
- Contemplation (Thinking of change within next 6 months)
o Aware of benefits of change and costs
o Ambivalent
o Stage can lasts for minutes, months or years
- Preparation (Intending to becoming active in immediate future, next month)
o Performing tasks to get ready for exercise
o Often associated with small behaviour changes
o Perceived benefits of change appear to outweigh costs
- Action (Making change happen, active for less than 6 months)
o Unstable stage
o Relapse likely
o May benefit from strategies such as goal setting or contracting
- Maintenance (Continuing change for at least 6 months)
o Habit is less difficult to maintain
o Confident of ability to continue activity
Originally developed from viewing the behaviours of smokers when trying to ‘give up’
- Smokers showed characteristics of passing through several stages
