The majority of references should come from primary sources (e.g., journal articles,
conference papers, reports, etc.) although you can also utilise area specific textbooks.
You must ensure that you use the APA style of referencing. Please indicate the word
count length at the end of your assignment.
Marking and assessment
Should be able to:
1. Delineate the major features of current theories and approaches in health
psychology with reference to related disciplines.
4
2. Critically discuss the role of biological, psychological, social and economic factors
in the enhancement of health and/or the development and maintenance of illness.
3. Critically evaluate a variety of research methodologies utilized in the field of health
psychology
4. Critically evaluate the literature in the area of applied health psychology
Essay title: Health Psychology challenges the assumptions underlying the
biomedical model.
Discuss
Additional guidelines:
Introduction
• Try to set the aim of your essay-early in the beginning
• Provide a brief introduction around the area e.g. biomedical and
biopsychosocial model. Briefly describe both models.
Sample Answer
Health Psychology Challenges the Assumptions Underlying the Biomedical Model
The field of Health Psychology was born largely out of the recognition that the dominant model of disease—the Biomedical Model—was fundamentally incomplete in explaining health, illness, and healthcare outcomes (Ogden, 2023). This essay will delineate the major features of Health Psychology's theoretical approaches, critically discuss how they integrate biological, psychological, social, and economic factors, and demonstrate how this comprehensive perspective directly challenges the core assumptions of the reductionist Biomedical Model.
1. Delineating the Major Features of Current Health Psychology Theories
Health psychology, an interdisciplinary field that draws heavily from clinical, social, and cognitive psychology, delineates the psychological and behavioral processes in health, illness, and healthcare (Sarafino & Smith, 2022). Its core theoretical features center around four main approaches:
Cognitive-Behavioral Theories
These theories focus on the interplay between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in managing health and illness. The key idea is that health behaviors are learned and can be modified. Related disciplines include learning theory and cognitive therapy. A primary example is Self-Efficacy Theory (Bandura, 1997), which posits that an individual's confidence in their ability to successfully execute a behavior is the strongest predictor of engaging in that behavior (e.g., quitting smoking or adhering to a diet).
Social-Cognitive Theories
Expanding on individual factors, these theories incorporate the influence of the social environment. The Health Belief Model (HBM), a classic approach originating from social psychology, suggests that a person’s likelihood of taking a health action depends on their perception of the severity of a threat, their susceptibility to it, and the benefits and barriers of the action (Becker, 1974). A more comprehensive model is the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which adds perceived behavioral control and subjective norms (social pressure) to the prediction of intention and behavior (Ajzen, 1991).
Stress and Coping Models
Drawing heavily from psychophysiology and behavioral medicine, these models focus on the psychological and biological mechanisms that link stress to illness. Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress (1984) views stress not as a stimulus or a response, but as a transaction between the person and the environment. Health outcomes depend on the individual’s appraisal of the stressor and their subsequent coping mechanisms (problem-focused or emotion-focused).
Behavioral Economics and Ecological Models
More recent approaches, such as the Ecological Model, borrow from public health and sociology to emphasize that health is influenced by multiple levels of systems, from individual to policy (McLeroy et al., 1914). Behavioral economics (related to economics and decision science) introduces concepts like "nudge" theory, suggesting that small, non-coercive changes to the choice environment can dramatically alter health behaviors (Thaler & Sunstein, 2008).