Theories Of Bandura And Social Cognitive Theory

Health behaviour is defined as ‘behaviour patterns, actions, and habits that relate to health maintenance to health restoration and to health improvement’ (Gochman, 1997). An individual’s behaviour towards their health is influenced by their social, cultural and physical environments. Behaviours are categorised as being health-enhancing or health-impairing. Engaging in health- enhancing behaviours, for instance, taking regular exercise and eating a balanced diet, can lead to increased health benefits and reductions in illness. Alternatively, health-impairing behaviours, such as excessive alcohol consumption, smoking and high dietary fat consumption, can have detrimental consequences on health and increase an individual’s susceptibility to disease.

One approach would be to introduce individual health care interventions that aim to change an individual’s behaviour. There is a substantial body of research that suggests that altering an individual’s health-related behaviour can have a considerable impact on impeding the acceleration of NCD related deaths. Glanz, Lewis, and Rimers (1990) believe that designing and implementing interventions that alter an individual 's behaviour should be empirically grounded within the theories of behaviour change. Theorists have focused their attention on models of behaviour that address the cognitive and social factors that influence behaviour. Bandura’s social cognitive theory (SCT) was the foundation for models of behaviour. Bandura (1977, 1986) proposed that behaviour is determined by incentives, expectations and social cognitions. He asserts that behaviour is determined by the expectancy that a behaviour may be hazardous (Situation outcome expectancies), that a behaviour can decrease the associated health-risk (Outcome expectancies) and that the individual is competent enough to undertake the behaviour (Self-efficacy expectancies). SCT also proposes that a behaviour is controlled by its

These variables can then help to understand why an individual fails to sustain a behaviour. The five models that have been commonly implemented by health behaviour researchers are the health belief model, protection motivation theory, self-efficacy theory, the theory of reasoned action, and the theory of planned behaviour (Sutton, 2002). It has been argued that SCM fail to meet the criteria set for a good theory (Ogden, 2003). Furthermore, Sniehotta (2014) has suggested that one of the most influential theories of SCM, the theory of planned behaviour (TPB); is no longer a plausible theory of behaviour or behaviour change and should be retired. This literature critique will cast a critical eye on the TPB and the surrounding literature. Firstly, it will begin with a discussion of the conceptual basis of the TPB and its determinants of behaviour and behaviour change. Secondly, it will critically examine the empirical evidence and outline the limitations and criticisms of the model. Furthermore, it will address the current research and applications of behaviour change within a socio-political context. Finally, it will propose ways that research within the area of predicting and