Behavior Modification

An important starting point for the understanding and promotion of health-related behavior is the study of its theory. A theory is a set of interrelated constructs (concepts), definitions, and propositions that present a systematic view of phenomena by specifying relations among variables with the purpose of explaining and predicting phenomena. In this way, health behavior researchers have adopted theories and models from general, social, educational, and health domains and have largely applied individual psychological approaches to understanding health behaviors.

To assist in the organization of diverse theories, key theoretical frameworks are placed into a classification system. Such a system is a heuristic with overlap between categories. Moreover, part of the classification may reflect different types of theories, such as continuous approaches as in the theory of ...