The Health Belief Model: Origins and Correlates in Psychological Theory

Abstract

The Health Belief Model relates psychological theories of decision making (which attempt to explain action in a choice situation) to an individual's decision about alternative health behaviors. Rosenstock 1 has attributed the origins of that tradition of behavior motivation theory underlying the Health Belief Model to Lewinian 2 theory of goal setting in the level-of-aspiration situation (a special case of the latter's general field theory). Lewin and associates hypothesized that behavior depends mainly upon two variables: (1) the value placed by an individual on a particular outcome and (2) the individual's estimate of the likelihood that a given action will result in that outcome. POST-LEWINIAN MODELSSince the seminal work of Lewin and his colleagues, five other predictive and parallel models have been advanced to describe action in situations involving risk taking or decision making under uncertainty: (1 ) Tolman's analysis of performance behavior, (2) Rotter's 5 concept of reinforcement or "social learning," (3) Edwards' 8.7 decision theory model of Subjective Expected Utility (SEU) ( 4 ) Atkinson's 8 view of risk-taking behavior as a theory of achievement motivation, and (5) Feather's @,10 analysis of decision making under uncertainty.This approach to predicting behavior is often termed "valueexpectancy." These models of motivation focus primarily on general attainments and changes of the whole organism in relation to its environment ("molar" behavior) rather than on an isolated reaction

Interventions in Organizational and Community Context: A Framework for Building Evidence on Dissemination and Implementation in Health Services Research

“…Principles of social cognitive, motivation expectancy, and other social learning theories (Bandura 2001(Bandura , 1977Vroom 1964;Maiman and Becker 1974;Ajzen and Fishbein 1980) suggest that such attitudes, knowledge, and priorities affect the value placed on a problem (such as a particular health condition in the community), the perception that taking action will make a difference (i.e., self-efficacy in addressing a problem), and that taking a specific action (such as a QI initiative) will result in a desired outcome (e.g., improving community access to quality healthcare services), all of which influences motivation and success in adopting a new practice or program (Lin et al 2005). Our efforts to build lasting networks of relationships among academic and community stakeholders through individual projects as well as our wider Community Health Improvement Collaborative are specifically aimed at enhancing this type of efficacy at the community level, which depends on both mutual trust and a willingness to intervene for the common good (Sampson 2003;Sampson, Raudenbush, and Earls 1997).…”

Variables affecting the reporting of pain following an acute myocardial infarction

“…Social learning theory and the HBM both have their origins in Lewin's (1935) field theory, specifically in the level-of-aspiration situation (Maiman & Becker, 1974;Rosenstock, 1974a;Rosenstock, Strecher, & Becker, 1988). Lewin (1975) defined level-ofaspiration as the degree of difficulty of attaining the goal toward which one is striving.…”

“…The Health Belief Model, developed by 4ochbaum, Leventhal, Kegeles, and Rosenstock, in the early 1950s (Mikhail, 1981), built upon Lewin's theory and is also characterized as a value-expectancy model (Kirscht, 1974;Maiman & Becker, 1974). The HBM assumes that actions are contingent upon motivation, and that motives determine the way in which an individual perceives his environment (Maiman & Becker, 1974).…”

“…The HBM assumes that actions are contingent upon motivation, and that motives determine the way in which an individual perceives his environment (Maiman & Becker, 1974). The subjective perceptions of the individual are emphasized because people 5 act upon what they believe to exist (Mikhail, 1981).…”

¿Existen diferencias en riesgo sexual entre adolescentes heterosexuales y no heterosexuales? [Are there differences in sexual risk between heterosexual and non-heterosexual adolescents?]

“…Diversos modelos de conducta de salud han tratado de predecir el riesgo sexual a partir de factores actitudinales y cognitivos (Ajzen, 1991;Bandura, 1977;Maiman y Becker, 1974). Los conocimientos sobre VIH, la actitud hacia la infección y la norma percibida se consideran precursores del uso del preservativo de acuerdo con la teoría de la acción planificada (Ajzen, 1991).…”