PSYC2008 : Introduction to Health Psychology

Assignment 1 (A1) Written Assessment

The following learning objectives will be assessed:

• Ability to apply theories of health behaviour to understanding health risk and protective behaviours
• Ability to identify and compare relevant strategies for changing risk behaviours.

Objectives - By completing this assignment you will:

• Recognise what it is like to be a participant in a health behaviour change program
• Become aware of potential challenges/barriers involved in the behaviour change process
• Obtain an understanding of how to apply health behaviour theories and behaviour change strategies
• Understand psychological processes underlying health behaviour change. Learn how to reflect on the
• factors and motivations that may be important for changing
• health behaviour.

Questions

Part 1 - Introduction

1. What Behaviour? Explain what is meant by the term health risk behaviour, then briefly describe your chosen health risk behaviour and explain why it is a health risk behaviour.

• Please cite at least two peer-reviewed journal articles to support your answer – you will need to cite throughout the assignment, but these two citations are required to support your health risk behaviour.

2. What Change? Describe the intended change that you want to make. Ensure that you specify a realistic, specific, and measurable goal (e.g., I want to cut back the number of cigarettes to 3 or less per day, or complete 30 minutes of aerobic exercise every second day). Avoid vague goals (e.g., I want to eat healthier).

• You do not need to detail how this change will happen yet, just describe what it is. You may decide to adjust to this as you write later parts of your assignment and that is okay.

3. Why? Briefly discuss your history with this healthy change (e.g., how long have you been considering it, have you tried making this change previously, etc.) and reflect on why you would like to make this healthy change and how it will impact your life.

• For example, you may want to consider what the current consequences of this behaviour are in your life and how may your life be improved when/if you change this behaviour?

Part 2 – Applying theory to discover determinants of healthy change and evaluating the usefulness of the theory

1. Describe the ONE theory you have chosen – the theory of planned behaviour OR the health belief model OR self-determination theory.

• You will likely provide an overview of the components of the theory and how these are proposed to interact and result in behaviours.

2. Apply the chosen theory to identify the potential pathway(s) of change and any barriers and enablers. 

• Try not to overthink “pathway to change,” this does not have to be complicated; you are just explaining how the change will happen from the perspective of your chosen theory (e.g., X theory would suggest that the first step in changing Y behaviour would be the changing of Z attitude/condition). Consider what the theory suggests are the determinants of health behaviour change.
• When considering change barriers and enablers, it may be helpful to reflect on why you have not made the change yet or what may have stopped you from being successful in the past. You could also reflect on what needs to be in place for you to make this change.

3. Evaluate the usefulness of the chosen theory for understanding the determinants of the planned healthy change.

• You should link your answer to your own experience, doing so will help you consider how useful the theory is as an explanatory framework for understanding the anticipated determinants of your healthy change AND your experience. You could also think about whether the theory raises factors that you had not considered previously, or barriers and enablers that the theory does not seem to cover
• You will need to link your answer to your own experience and the literature (hint: cite article[s] that relate to the application of the theory).

Part 3 – Developing a detailed, evidence-based behaviour change plan

1. Identify and describe three specific behaviour change strategies/techniques that you plan to use to help you make and maintain the planned change, with support from peer-reviewed evidence and/or relevant theory to justify and explain the relevance of the chosen strategies.

• Please justify the use of each strategy with peer-reviewed evidence. An excellent answer will use relevant theory/findings to explain how the strategies are expected to lead to behaviour change/maintenance. You can link this back to the theory you chose in Part 2 or mention other theories you deem relevant.
• It will be easier to start by reading peer-reviewed articles about changing your health risk behaviour (or similar behaviours) to find behaviourspecific evidence-based strategies/techniques
• An excellent response will require multiple (3+) peer-reviewed journal articles across this entire section (think 1-2 per strategy/technique).
• Be sure to detail how each strategy will help you make the change. How will you overcome barriers/challenges? How will you enable yourself to make change? An excellent answer will provide brief examples and briefly explain how you plan to maintain the change.
• Examples of strategies include but are not restricted to goal-setting, action planning, coping planning, reinforcement reward, stimulus control, reminders, self-monitoring, social reinforcement, shaping (e.g., changing behaviour in steps), contract (e.g., if I change this behaviour then I will…).
• Are there any rewards or incentives that might help you make and maintain this change and how would they help? For example, would you be using rewards or incentives to stay motivated and once you completed the change? If yes, what type of reward and provided by whom? (e.g., social rewards, financial rewards, treating yourself to a new movie when successful?).
• You can describe one strategy/technique at a time but could also describe multiple strategies/techniques together if it makes sense to do so.

2. Describe two resources and/or preparations that might help you implement this change, and detail how would they help.

• For example, a supportive partner? How could they be a resource or help in preparations? Or would you make use of self-help groups or seek professional help? Would it help to prepare in specific ways? Any preparations that you could see yourself making?
• While it would be great if you can cite peer-reviewed evidence to support these suggestions, it is okay to pull them from your experience – just be sure to justify it by describing the why/how of your suggestion.

3. Describe how will you measure the success of the behaviour change

• Please be specific and ensure you are focused on behaviour here. A vague answer or one that does not focus on behaviour will miss out on marks.
  • An example of a specific measure may be keeping track of the number of alcoholic drinks consumed per day when trying to reduce the risks associated with alcohol consumption.
  • An example of a non-specific measure would be keeping track of the number of alcoholic drinks purchased as these may not be consumed or could have been purchased for someone else.
  • An example of a measure that is not focused on behaviour would be a measure of general wellbeing when trying to change drinking behaviour – general wellbeing may increase as a result of drinking less alcohol, but that measure does not tell us about the behaviour change.

Summary of Assessment Requirements

This written assessment (Assignment 1) requires students to demonstrate their ability to apply health behaviour theories and develop an evidence-based plan for changing a health risk behaviour. The assessment is divided into three main parts:

• Part 1 – Introduction

  • Define and describe a chosen health risk behaviour, supported by at least two peer-reviewed sources.
  • Specify a realistic, specific, and measurable change goal.
  • Reflect on the motivation for change, including past attempts and expected impact.

• Part 2 – Applying Theory

  • Select one health behaviour theory (Theory of Planned Behaviour, Health Belief Model, or Self-Determination Theory).
  • Apply the theory to explain determinants of change, barriers, and enablers.
  • Evaluate the usefulness of the theory in explaining personal change and compare with literature.

• Part 3 – Behaviour Change Plan

  • Propose three evidence-based strategies for implementing change, justified with peer-reviewed literature.
  • Identify two resources or preparations to support the change.
  • Define a specific measure to evaluate success of the behaviour change.

The assignment tests knowledge of theoretical application, evidence-based planning, reflection, and critical analysis.

Step-by-Step Approach by the Academic Mentor

1. Clarifying the Task

   The mentor first guided the student to carefully unpack the assignment brief, highlighting that the work must be both theoretical and reflective, integrating personal experiences with scholarly research.

2. Part 1 – Introduction

   • The mentor advised the student to begin by defining health risk behaviour using academic references.
   • Together, they shortlisted behaviours (e.g., smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise) and selected one that the student could personally reflect on.
   • The mentor emphasized the importance of setting a SMART goal (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
   • Reflection was structured to include past attempts, motivation for change, and anticipated benefits.

3. Part 2 – Applying Theory

   • The mentor helped the student choose the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) for its clear structure.
   • Each element of the theory (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, intentions, and behaviour) was mapped onto the student’s chosen health behaviour.
   • Barriers (e.g., social pressures, lack of time) and enablers (e.g., support networks, self-discipline) were identified.
   • The usefulness of TPB was evaluated by comparing theoretical pathways with the student’s real-life experiences, integrating journal evidence.

4. Part 3 – Behaviour Change Plan

   • The mentor guided the student in selecting three strategies: goal-setting, self-monitoring, and reinforcement reward. Each was supported with peer-reviewed literature linking strategy to sustained behaviour change.
   • Two resources were identified (a supportive peer and use of digital self-tracking tools). Preparations such as setting reminders and planning coping strategies were detailed. For measurement, the mentor emphasized behavioural tracking (e.g., logging activity or counting cigarettes reduced) instead of vague wellbeing indicators.

5. Drafting and Refinement

   • The mentor encouraged the student to maintain clear academic tone, integrate references throughout, and ensure logical flow between theory and application.
   • Attention was given to linking personal reflection with scholarly evidence, as this alignment was crucial for higher marks.

Final Outcome and Learning Objectives Achieved

The completed assessment successfully:

• Demonstrated the application of health behaviour theories to real-life behavioural change.
• Showed the ability to identify strategies and evaluate barriers/enablers of change.
• Reflected on personal motivations and challenges, showing awareness of psychological processes.
• Developed a practical, evidence-based change plan supported by scholarly references.
• Highlighted clear, measurable ways to evaluate success.

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