Lesson 3:

HEALTH BEHAVIOR
 WHAT IS HEALTH
BEHAVIOR?
 HEALTH BEHAVIOR REFERS TO A PERSON’S BELIEFS
AND ACTIONS REGARDING THEIR HEALTH AND WELL-
BEING.
 IT IS AN ACTION TAKEN BY A PERSON TO MAINTAIN,
ATTAIN, OR REGAIN GOOD HEALTH AND TO PREVENT
ILLNESS.
 HEALTH BEHAVIOR REFLECTS A PERSON’S HEALTH
BELIEFS.
 INFLUENCED BY THE SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH WE LIVE AND
WORK.
 THEY ARE SHAPED BY INDIVIDUAL CHOICES AND
EXTERNAL CONSTRAINTS.
 POSITIVE
BEHAVIORS PROMOTE HEALTH WHILE THE
OPPOSITE INCREASES THE RISK OF DISEASES.
 BY
MONITORING HEALTH BEHAVIORS OVER TIME, IT IS
POSSIBLE TO ANTICIPATE THREATS TO POPULATION
HEALTH.
 HEALTH BEHAVIORS
 EXERCISING REGULARLY  SMOKING

 EATING A BALANCED  DRINKING

ALCOHOLIC
MEAL BEVERAGES
 CONSUMPTIONOF FRUITS  OVERUSING PAINKILLERS
AND VEGETABLES  SKIPPING BREAKFAST
 ENGAGING IN PHYSICAL
ACTIVITIES
STAGES OF BEHAVIORAL
CHANGE
 BEHAVIORALCHANGE IS NOT AS STRAIGHFORWARD
AS MANY PEOPLE MIGHT IMAGINE
 BEHAVIORALCHANGE CAN HELP ACHIEVE A POSITIVE,
LASTING CHANG IN OUR LIFE
 ACCORDING TO THE TRANSTHORETICAL MODEL,
THERE ARE FIVE DISTINCT STEPS TO CHANGING OUR
BEHAVIOR
TRANSTHEORETICAL MODEL
OF BEHAVIOR CHANGE
 AN INTEGRATIVE THEORY OF THERAPY THAT
ASSESSES AN INDIVIDUAL’S READINESS TO ACT ON A
HEALTHIER BEHAVIOR
 PROVIDESSTRATEGIES, OR PROCESSES OF CHANGE
TO GUIDE AN INDIVIDUAL
 PRECONTEMPLATION
 NOT READY
 PEOPLE IN THIS STAGE DO NOT INTEND TO TAKE
ACTION
 BEING UNINFORMED ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF
ONE’S BEHAVIOR MAY CAUSE A PERSON TO BE IN
THIS STAGE
 PRECONTEMPLATORS ARE OFTEN CHARACTERIZED AS
RESISTANT, UNMOTIVATED AND UNREADY FOR HELP
 CONTEMPLATION
 GETTING READY
 STAGE IN WHICH PEOPLE INTEND TO CHANGE IN THE
NEXT SIX MONTHS
 THERE IS A DESIRE FOR BEHAVIORAL CHANGES IN
THEIR LIFESTYLE
 PEOPLE ON THIS STAGE DECLARE THEIR INTENTION
TO CHANGE BUT DON’T TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTIONS
 PREPARATION
 READY
 STAGE IN WHICH PEOPLE INTEND TO TAKE ACTION IN
THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE, USUALLY MEASURED AS
THE NEXT MONTH
 PEOPLE IN THIS STAGE HAVE PLAN OF ACTION, SUCH
AS JOINING A GYM, CONSULTING A COUNSELOR AND
TALKING TO THEIR PHYSICIAN.
 ACTION
 STAGE IN WHICH PEOPLE HAVE MADE SPECIFIC
MODIFICATIONS IN THEIR LIFESTYLES WITHIN THE
PAST SIX MONTHS
 THE OVERALL PROCESS OF BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
OFTEN HAS BEEN EQUATED WITH ACTION
 EXAMPLE ARE REDUCTION OF NUMBER OF
CIGARTTES, LESS CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGES, ETC.
 MAINTAINANCE
 STAGE IN WHICH PEOPLE MADE MODIFICATION IN
THEIR LIFESTYLES AND ARE WORKING TO PREVENT
RELAPSE
 PEOPLE ARE LESS TEMPTED TO RELAPSE AND GROW
INCREASINGLY MORE CONFIDENT THAT THEY CAN
CONTINUE THEIR CHANGES
 RESEARCHERS ESTIMATED THAT THIS STAGE LASTS
FROM SIX MONTHS TO ABOUT FIVE YEARS
FIVE STAGES OF BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
 BEHAVIOR
MODIFICATION
PRINCIPLES
 TO DEVELOP A NEW BEHAVIOR

 SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATION PRINCIPLE

TO TEACH A CHILD TO ACT IN A MANNER IN WHICH HE HAS
SELDOM OR NEVER BEFORE BEHAVED, REWARD SUCCESSIVE
STEPS TO THE FINAL BEHAVIOR.
 CONTINUOUS REINFORCEMENT PRINCIPLE
TO DEVELOP A NEW BEHAVIOR THAT THE CHILD HAS NOT
PREVIOUSLY EXHIBITED, ARRANGE FOR AN IMMEDIATE
REWARD AFTER EACH CORRECT PERFORMANCE.
 NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT PRINCIPLE
TO INCREASE A CHILD'S PERFORMANCE IN A PARTICULAR
WAY, YOU MAY ARRANGE FOR HIM TO AVOID OR ESCAPE A
MILD AVERSIVE SITUATION BY IMPROVING HIS BEHAVIOR OR BY
ALLOWING HIM TO AVOID THE AVERSIVE SITUATION BY
BEHAVING APPROPRIATELY.
 MODELING PRINCIPLE
TO TEACH A CHILD NEW WAYS OF BEHAVING, ALLOW HIM
TO OBSERVE A PRESTIGEFUL PERSON PERFORMING THE
DESIRED BEHAVIOR.
 CUEING PRINCIPLE
TO TEACH A CHILD TO REMEMBER TO ACT AT A SPECIFIC
TIME, ARRANGE FOR HIM TO RECEIVE A CUE FOR THE
CORRECT PERFORMANCE JUST BEFORE THE ACTION IS
EXPECTED RATHER THAN AFTER HE HAS PERFORMED IT
INCORRECTLY.
 DISCRIMINATION PRINCIPLE
TO TEACH A CHILD TO ACT IN A PARTICULAR WAY UNDER
ONE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES BUT NOT IN ANOTHER, HELP
HIM TO IDENTIFY THE CUES THAT DIFFERENTIATE THE
CIRCUMSTANCES AND REWARD HIM ONLY WHEN HIS ACTION
IS APPROPRIATE TO THE CUE.
 TO STRENGTHEN A NEW BEHAVIOR

 DECREASING REINFORCEMENT PRINCIPLE

TO ENCOURAGE A CHILD TO CONTINUE PERFORMING AN
ESTABLISHED BEHAVIOR WITH FEW OR NO REWARDS,
GRADUALLY REQUIRE A LONGER TIME PERIOD OR MORE
CORRECT RESPONSES BEFORE A CORRECT BEHAVIOR IS
REWARDED.

 VARIABLE REINFORCEMENT PRINCIPLE

TO IMPROVE OR INCREASE A CHILD'S PERFORMANCE OF
A CERTAIN ACTIVITY, PROVIDE THE CHILD WITH AN
INTERMITTENTREWARD.
 TO MAINTAIN AN ESTABLISHED BEHAVIOR

 SUBSTITUTION PRINCIPLE
TO CHANGE REINFORCERS WHEN A PREVIOUSLY EFFECTIVE
REWARD IS NO LONGER CONTROLLING BEHAVIOR, PRESENT IT
JUST BEFORE (OR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO) THE TIME YOU
PRESENT THE NEW, HOPEFULLY MORE EFFECTIVE REWARD.

TO STOP INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR

 SATIATION PRINCIPLE
TO STOP A CHILD FROM ACTING IN A PARTICULAR WAY,
YOU MAY ALLOW HIM TO CONTINUE (OR INSIST THAT HE
CONTINUE) PERFORMING THE UNDESIRED ACT UNTIL HE
TIRES OF IT.
 EXTINCTION PRINCIPLE
TO STOP A CHILD FROM ACTING IN A PARTICULAR WAY, YOU
MAY ARRANGE CONDITIONS SO THAT HE RECEIVES NO REWARDS
FOLLOWING THE UNDESIRED ACT.
 INCOMPATIBLE ALTERNATIVE PRINCIPLE
TO STOP A CHILD FROM ACTING IN A PARTICULAR WAY, YOU
MAY REWARD AN ALTERNATIVE ACTION THAT IS INCONSISTENT
WITH OR CANNOT BE PERFORMED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE
UNDESIRED ACT.
 PUNISHMENT PRINCIPLE
TO STOP A CHILD FROM ACTING IN A CERTAIN WAY,
DELIVER AN AVERSIVE STIMULI IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE
ACTION OCCURS. SINCE PUNISHMENT RESULTS IN INCREASED
HOSTILITY AND AGGRESSION, IT SHOULD ONLY BE USED
INFREQUENTLY AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH REINFORCEMENT.
 TO MODIFY EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOR

 AVOIDANCE PRINCIPLE
TO TEACH A CHILD TO AVOID A CERTAIN TYPE OF
SITUATION, SIMULTANEOUSLY PRESENT TO THE CHILD THE
SITUATION TO BE AVOIDED (OR SOME REPRESENTATION OF IT)
AND SOME AVERSIVE CONDITON (OR ITS REPRESENTATION).
 FEAR REDUCTION PRINCIPLE
TO HELP A CHILD OVERCOME HIS FEAR OF A PARTICULAR
SITUATION, GRADUALLY INCREASE HIS EXPOSURE TO THE
FEARED SITUATION WHILE HE IS OTHERWISE COMFORTABLE,
RELAXED, SECURE OR REWARDED.