Overview of Psychology and Health Models

Key Insight: The Transtheoretical Model shows that addiction recovery happens in stages - from pre-contemplation (denial) through contemplation, preparation, action, to maintenance - and therapy needs to adapt to whichever stage someone's at.

Real-World Application: Cognitive dissonance occurs when your attitudes don't match your behaviour, creating uncomfortable tension. For example, a smoker who knows smoking is harmful experiences dissonance, which they might resolve by either quitting or finding ways to justify their habit.

Important Note: Having too much internal control can backfire - when faced with genuinely uncontrollable situations like unexpected illness, highly internal people may experience significant depression or anxiety because they can't accept their lack of control.

Practical Tip: TPB shows why good intentions aren't enough - you need positive attitudes, social support, and genuine belief that you can successfully perform the behaviour to create lasting change.

Key Takeaway: Self-efficacy is incredibly powerful because it's both a predictor and a driver of behaviour change - believe you can do something, and you're far more likely to actually succeed at it.