Behavioural determinants of health and disease

This chapter reviews ways in which behaviour relates to the spectrum of health and disease determinants, from environmental to genetic, in shaping health outcomes. It builds on the previous chapters in recognizing the powerful influence of socioeconomic and cultural factors, especially poverty and discrimination, in influencing both behaviour and health. Many commentaries in the past four decades have attempted to correct the overemphasis on individual behavioural determinants of health by discounting and sometimes disparaging any focus on individual behaviour or personal responsibility in disease prevention and health promotion. This chapter seeks a middle ground, building on the growing understanding of the ecological and cultural context of the behaviour–health relationship. It seeks to integrate that knowledge in an approach to public health that acknowledges the reciprocal determinism of behavioural, environmental, and biological determinants rather than minimizing the importance of behaviour in these complex interactions.

A moderated mediation analysis of the relationship between a high-stakes English test and test takers’ extracurricular English learning activities

This study investigated the relationship between a large-scale and high-stakes English test and test takers’ learning behavior. Specifically, it explored whether and how the National Matriculation English Test (NMET) influenced test takers’ extracurricular English learning activities under the Chinese Mainland educational context. Based on Bandura’s triadic reciprocal determinism theory, this study proposed a distal mediation model and employed covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling to test the model. The data were collected via a cross-sectional survey with 470 test takers. The results showed that test takers’ perceptions of the examination exerted direct and indirect effects on their extracurricular English learning activities, and that test takers’ perceived self-efficacy for self-regulated learning and academic achievement were two important factors mediating the relationship between their perceptions of the test and extracurricular learning. Furthermore, test takers’ perceptions of the exam-approaching have diverse moderating effects on different mediation effects. This study suggests that introducing the triadic reciprocal determinism theory helps understand how an examination influences learning. It also highlights the role of test takers’ perceptions of an examination and their perceived self-efficacy in predicting a test’s impact on learning.

Exploring the antecedents, drivers, and outcome of Behaviour-based safety: A literature review

Organisations good at managing safety tend to manage operations well. Safety culture is a subset of organisational culture and is the observable degree of effort with which all the organisation members exert their attention and action towards safety. People neither deterministically controlled by their environments nor entirely self-determining. They are in a state of reciprocal determinism with their settings, where they and their environments influence one another. Safety leadership can positively impact an individual’s safety-related behaviour by up to 86% and reduce accidents by around 35%. Evidence directs us towards safety culture and safety leadership as prominent precursors to workers' safety behaviour (WSB). This study conducts a rigorous review of approximately 20-25 published papers from 2000 to 2019, related articles in books and articles published in the corresponding field journals. The research evidence shows that Cooper's reciprocal model of safety culture encompassing psychological, behavioural and situational factors is well supported by most studies. They offer non- existent to a weak relationship between psychological factors and strong and steady situational and behavioural factors with the safety outcomes. Organisations should concentrate 80% of their safety culture improvement efforts on situational and behavioural factors to prevent process safety and SIF’(Significant incidents and fatalities). Behavioural-based safety (BBS) process serves as a comprehensive tool in altering at-risk behaviour positively. BBS will help the practitioners design enhanced BBS intervention for a more sustainable and persistent impact on workers' safety behaviour (WSB). Further research should be undertaken to establish the empirical links of safety culture and safety leadership constructs with safe outcomes.

Behavior Changes in Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides to Die: A Psychological Approach

This research entitled “Behavior Changes in Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die: A Psychological Approach”. The purpose of this study is to analyze the personality of the main character presented in the novel. In addition, the aim of this research is to reveal the main character’s environments contribute to the character’s motivation to life. This novel conducted the struggle from Veronika as the main character for finding her motivation to life.This study used qualitative research; descriptive qualitative methods are used to analyze data. This study used three main concepts of social cognitive theory by Albert Bandura (1986), there are reciprocal determinism, therapy, and dysfunction behavior/depression. This study also applied the theory of social cognitive theory in the book entitled The Theory of Personality by Jess Feist as a tool to analyze the personality of the main character also the main character’s environments contribute to the character’s motivation to life in the novel Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho.In this study, the researcher found two main results. First, this study indicated personality of Veronika as the main character in the novel Veronika Decides to Die based on the social cognitive theory concept that is dysfunction behavior. Based on concept of dysfunction behavior, it shows that Veronika is an introvert person, fainthearted, and suffering from depression. Second, this study discovered the main character’s environments contribute to the character’s motivation to life based on the social cognitive concepts, they are reciprocal determinism and therapy. Based on that theoretical concept, it shows that Veronika’s environment really helps her to find her motivation to life. They are Mari, Zedka, and Edward.Keyword: Motivation to life, Dysfunction Behavior, Reciprocal Determinism and Therapy

The Application of Social Cognitive Theory to Diabetes Health Education Practice for Hispanic American women

Hispanic American women face high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Cultural influences, language barriers, and lifestyle habits are major influences on health outcomes for this demographic. The peer education model has been proven to decrease health disparities for Hispanic communities overall, and increase effectiveness of health programs. As prevention education becomes more mainstream however, it is important to develop programs grounded in theory. The Social Cognitive Theory offers a theoretical framework for diabetes peer education programs geared to Hispanic American women, with its core constructs of personal cognitive, socioenvironmental, and behavior factors interacting in a way known as reciprocal determinism.

Employee innovative performance in science and technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises: A triadic reciprocal determinism perspective

We formulated a conceptual model based on triadic reciprocal determinism theory, to explain the relationships among organizational innovative climate, employee work involvement, creativity, and innovative performance. We used data from 5,242 employees at science and technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Tianjin, China. Results of the structural equation modeling show that (a) employee innovative performance is a function of three determinants, namely, employee work involvement and creativity, and organizational innovative climate; (b) employee work involvement and creativity mediated between organizational innovative climate and employee innovative performance; and (c) employee creativity was the strongest predictor of innovative performance. The results of importance-performance map analysis indicate that team building was a specific weakness. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the factors affecting employee innovative performance, and the internal mechanism underlying the above relationships. Our results identify weaknesses in the enterprises' organizational climate, and we recommend how to improve performance.