Attribution Theory on human health behaviors

Attribution Theory on human health behaviors The analysation of health behavior is grounded on two premises, like in nations where industrialization is more particular, ratio of fatality from main reason of decease is a certain behavior pattern which is changeable (Stroebe and Stroebe 1995). It is now clearly known that people play active part in their health by adapting certain health behaviors like doing exercise and stay away from some others things like smoking, alcohol, drugs etc. For e.g. There is a study conducted in Alameda given 7 features in style of living: no smoking, moderate consumption of alcohol,7-8 hrs sleep every night, doing routine exercise, keeping preferable body weight, restrict snacks and regular breakfast- these altogether link with low morbidity and high long term survival (Belloc and Breslow1972; Belloc1973;Breslow andEnstrom1980) Abstract: Psychologists are interested in beliefs. The essay defines the health related behaviours and shows how behaviours give contributions in different risks to individ uals. It also helps to understand and Improve the health behaviours. It also describe few theoretical models which are helpful in making useful interventions in health behaviours for high risk population. Attribution theory deals with person’s own attributions for the causes of different behaviours. Self efficacy is a person’s confidence to follow up a specific behaviour. Attribution Theory: Firstly Heider (1944, 1958) worked on this theory. Then it is developed by Kelley (1967, 1971) and given a clear theory that attribution is form of given criteria’s: Distinctiveness, Consensus, Consistency over time, Consistency over modality. Kelly present that attributions are formed with these criteria’s. The dimensions of attribution are given below that changes the person’s behaviour : Internal Vs External: Example is that I am not selected for job because I had not given good performance Vs the person took interviewed didn’t like my gender. Stable Vs Unstable: Example is that my failure always follows me Vs I was just fail for that job only. Global Vs Specific: Example is that this failure affects other things in my life Vs not affected other things. Controllable Vs Uncontrollable: Example is that reason for my failure was controllable by myself Vs was not controllable by me. The four factors of attribution theory that act upon motivation in study: Ability: It is internal and stable component on which student have not great direct control. Task difficulty: It is external and stable component which is away from student control. Effort: It is internal and unstable component on which a student can have great control. Luck: It is external and unstable component on which a student has a very less control. Herzlich (1973) talked to 80 people regarding basic cause of health and illness. He found that health seems to be internal and illness found to be thing that received from the outer world. Brickman et al. (1982) recognized betwee n the reason of problem and its workable solution. As an example they verify that an alcoholic person accept the responsibility for becoming an alcoholic because of low willpower (cause), he also trust that with the help of medical treatment he will be recovered (solution).