Psychological interventions for health behavior change: opportunities and limitations

Abstract

The paper considers possibilities and limitations of psychological methods of health behavior change based on the analysis of psychological approaches to behavior change from perspective of continuum models (health beliefs theory, motivation protection theory, social cognitive theory, subjective expected utility theory), stage models (transtheoretical model, precaution adoption process model), as well as self-regulation models in health psychology — both general ("Rubicon" model, strength model of self-control, self-regulation theory by M. Carver and C. Scheier, self-determination theory) and specific to health psychology (temporal self-regulation theory).

Keywords

• health psychology
• health behavior change
• psychological interventions
• social programs in health psychology
• continuum models
• stage models
• self-regulation models