This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Rosenstock, I. M. Articles by Becker, M. H. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Rosenstock, I. M. Articles by Becker, M. H. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Social Learning Theory and the Health Belief Model

Center for Health and Behavior Studies, California State University, Long Beach

Victor J. Strecher, PhD, MPH

Department of Health Education, University of North Carolina

Marshall H. Becker, PhD, MPH

Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, The University of Michigan

The Health Belief Model, social learning theory (recently relabelled social cognitive theory), self-efficacy, and locus of control have all been applied with varying success to problems of explaining, predicting, and influencing behavior. Yet, there is con ceptual confusion among researchers and practitioners about the interrelationships of these theories and variables. This article attempts to show how these explanatory fac tors may be related, and in so doing, posits a revised explanatory model which incor porates self-efficacy into the Health Belief Model. Specifically, self-efficacy is pro posed as a separate independent variable along with the traditional health belief var iables of perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, and barriers. Incentive to behave (health motivation) is also a component of the model. Locus of control is not included explicitly because it is believed to be incorporated within other elements of the model. It is predicted that the new formulation will more fully account for health-related behavior than did earlier formulations, and will suggest more effective behavioral interventions than have hitherto been available to health educators.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. A. Walker, L. Chim, and E. Chen The Role of Asthma Management Beliefs and Behaviors in Childhood Asthma Immune and Clinical Outcomes J. Pediatr. Psychol., August 9, 2008; (2008) jsn084v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]