Predicting Health Behaviour: Research Practice with Social Cognition Models

There is currently great interest in how social cognitions are related to health behaviour but - often - little practical understanding of the area. Predicting Health Behaviour brings together current research and practical details of how models of social cognition can be applied in health research.

Predicting Health Behaviour provides the theoretical background and examples of how to apply the most common social cognition models to the explanation of health behaviours. Each chapter has been written by key researchers in the area, and they follow a common structure which enables this book to be read as a 'user-manual'. Each chapter provides a general review of relevant research, applying the model to a variety of health behaviours (such as dietary choice, screening behaviour and sex) and discussing the strengths and weaknesses of models including the health belief model, protection motivation theory, the theory of planned behaviour, health locus of control and self-efficacy. The final chapter includes a critique of the general approach, and signposts future directions for research.

Predicting Health Behaviour examines how to:

* assess the advantages and disadvantages of using each of these models
* appropriately apply each model to their work
* adequately analyse and report the results

It will be important reading for health professionals, and researchers and students of health and health psychology.

"The explosion of interest in health psychology means thatmany students and researchers will find it helpful to have a single source for a scholarly review." - British Journal of Developmental Psychology "...will prove helpful for health promoters and others working in the field of health behaviour." - Health Matters "...this book achieves exactly what it set out to do." - British Journal of Educational Psychology "...a really excellent volume which should be owned by all serious health psychologists and should be highly recommended for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in health psychology." - Psychology Teaching Review "For readers who do not know already- and many do- this is an excellent book...the chapters are all of a very high standard- a testament to the valueof edited books by experienced and active research academics...Ask yourself how many other books have left you knowing more about what theory has contributed to your understanding of health behaviour and wherethe literature is going, and you will appreciate the book's distinctive contribution." - British Journal of Health Psychology"This book would be an excellent place for professionals from fields like nursing, public health, clinical health psychology, and medicine to begin their study of social-cognitive perspectives on health behaviour. The book is also highly recommended for experienced health behaviour researchers, because of its valuable reviews of the theories and research findings and its suggestions for the future." - Journal of Health Psychology