Impact of Behavior Change Interventions in Real World Settings - Open Lecture

Using the theory of scientific revolutions (Kuhn, 1962), which argues that the evolution of scientific theory emerges from a changing intellectual environment and technological possibilities, rather than straightforward accumulation of knowledge, this talk introduces the achievements and current burning issues in the area of health psychology: our ‘normal science’, emerging anomalies, crisis in research and a call for a new paradigm, as well as scientific revolutions required.

Health psychology is very good in accumulating evidence for interventions that change health outcomes, clarifying new constructs and mechanisms through which they operate and influence health, and identifying techniques of behavior change. However, recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses raise many doubts. In particular, the effects obtained in the psychosocial health promotion interventions may be of low significance. So low, that they do not translate into an increased life expectancy and a better quality of life. Furthermore, when long-term follow-ups are carefully investigated, it turns out that the results of interventions show non-significant effects. Increasing the number of the intervention components does not translate into larger effects (and sometimes translates into smaller effects). As anomalies accumulate, researchers try to tackle them with refocusing their studies using implicit processes-based techniques in health promotion interventions or they redefine health as the results of dyadic (rather than individual) processes. The revolution, however, requires a paradigm shift.

This lecture proposes that such a shift could occur if, apart from the traditional focus on psychosocial theories to develop health promoting intervention, we used implementation theories and identified crucial implementation conditions, which may be responsible for the effect of these interventions. For example, strategies used to reach the target population, secure the choice of most effective implementation strategies, adopt the intervention by target staff and organization, secure low costs, high consistency, and long-term maintenance of interventions may be as relevant as psychosocial theory-based mechanisms and intervention components.

Director, Center for Applied Behavioral Health Research at Wrocław Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University in Wrocław, where she teaches health psychology, at SWPS University in Wrocław.

Her research interests focus on the social-cognitive predictors of health behavior change, the development of theory-based interventions, and improving quality of life among people with chronic illness (e.g. the role of social support and benefit finding).

Fellow of the European Health Psychology Society, President of the Health Psychology Division, International Association of Applied Psychology. Editor in Chief of Anxiety, Stress & Coping, and Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. Member of Council of the Foundation for Polish Science. Member of AcademiaNet, an international database of profiles of outstanding female researchers from all disciplines.

Her publications include Psychologia sportu i aktywności fizycznej. Zagadnienia kliniczne [Psychology of Sport and Exercise. Clinical Issues] (2016), Nadwaga i otyłość. Interwencje psychologiczne [Overweight and Obesity. Psychological Interventions] (2007), Zmiana zachowań zdrowotnych. Dlaczego dobre chęci nie wystarczają [Change of Health Behaviors. Why Good Intentions are Not Enough] (2004).

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