ABSTRACT
The paradigm for a behavioral approach to health is the same for a behavioral approach to virtually all topics. This paradigm is the three-term contingency which consists of antecedents, behaviors, and consequences. There are two basic behavioral principles concerning the consequences of behavior, both reinforcers and punishers that are critical in our consideration of health psychology. A major problem in health psychology is that the immediate reinforcement of many unhealthy behaviors overrides the delayed negative consequences of those behaviors. From a behavioral point of view, interventions intended to strengthen health-promoting behaviors will “emphasize the positive.” This means that such programs will focus on the development of health-promoting behaviors to replace health-threatening behaviors. Many interventions may require that control be initially exercised primarily by others. Mention of a T-shirt and tone leads naturally to a consideration of another important characteristic of interventions.
