PSY265: (Health Psychology) Examine the health belief model to explain why, despite the legal and alarming health implications, there is a growing number of youths who are vaping in Singapore.

Module / Subject / School:

PSY265: Health Psychology

Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)

Requirements: 

Question 1 (30 marks)

Examine the health belief model to explain why, despite the legal and alarming health implications, there is a growing number of youths who are vaping in Singapore.

Question 2 (30 marks)

Develop an intervention for 16- to19 year-old students with the aim of changing their behaviour of vaping. Apply appropriate behaviour change theories and models to support and guide your intervention. In line with the age range, your target audience consists of post-secondary school students, i.e. polytechnic, junior college, ITE.

Your answer should include specifics such as the duration of the intervention, location, mode of intervention etc.

Additional notes:

• Students are encouraged to read widely and aim to implement an intervention that is well supported by the chosen theory/ model.

• Students are encouraged to give examples that are localised to the Singapore context.

Question 3 (30 marks)

Put together a 15-slide pitch presentation to explain how you will operationalise the intervention developed in Question 2. You are also required to appraise the effectiveness of your proposed intervention in this pitch presentation. Your target audience is made up of officers from Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education who are looking to tackle the rising vaping rates in the country, especially among students. Assume that the committee evaluating your pitch is made up of both experts and non-experts in this area.

In your deck of slides, clearly explain the need to use your intervention method across tertiary institutions.

The pitch should include:

• How you plan to recruit participants to participate in your intervention

• Any evaluation methods to determine the success of the program

• Based on the way the program has been developed, how effective or ineffective you think the program will be

• Possible limitations of the program. If it will be effective, why is that so?

• Other points you deem relevant to strengthen your pitch

References (5 marks)

Note on use of referencing software:

Reference lists created by referencing software have formatting restrictions and your instructor will not be able to insert comments within the list. If you wish to receive feedback on errors in your reference list, prepare this without using any referencing software.

The References lists the full reference of all sources cited or referred to in your assignment. In-text citations also need to be presented accurately in APA format.

What we score:

79%

Our Writer’s Comment 

This assignment is designed to assess students’ understanding of business practices.

To secure an A+ grade, adhere to these guidelines and make sure your work aligns with the grading criteria:

Question 1: Health Belief Model and Vaping (30 marks)

Here, you need to explain why youths in Singapore are vaping despite the health risks, using the Health Belief Model (HBM). This model includes several components: perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy.

1. Perceived Susceptibility and Severity:
   • Explain that youths might not perceive themselves as susceptible to the health risks of vaping because of their age and general belief in their invulnerability.
   • They may not believe that vaping has severe consequences, especially compared to smoking cigarettes, which is often seen as more harmful.
2. Perceived Benefits:
   • Discuss how youths might see vaping as having social or psychological benefits. For example, vaping can be perceived as cool or trendy, offering social approval.
3. Perceived Barriers:
   • Legal consequences or health risks may be perceived as barriers, but these barriers could be downplayedby the availability of vapes online or through peers.
   • Peer pressure can also reduce the perceived barriers, as young people might prioritize fitting in with their social group over potential legal consequences.
4. Cues to Action:
   • Explore cues to action such as social media influencers promoting vaping, advertisements, or peers who vape.
5. Self-Efficacy:
   • Some youths may feel that they have the ability to stop vaping at any time, which lowers their perceived need to stop immediately.

Tip: Use local examples to support your points. For example, you could discuss how vaping devices are easily accessible despite being illegal in Singapore.

Question 2: Developing a Behavioural Intervention (30 marks)

You need to design an intervention targeted at 16-19-year-old students to change their vaping behavior. Here’s how to structure your answer:

1. Choose a Behaviour Change Theory:
   • Use models like the Transtheoretical Model (Stages of Change) or the Theory of Planned Behavior to support your intervention.
   • Explain why the model is appropriate for this age group. For example, the Transtheoretical Model can guide students through stages from precontemplation (unaware of the problem) to maintenance(continuing to avoid vaping).
2. Specifics of the Intervention:
   • Duration: A 6-month program with weekly workshops and peer support groups.
   • Location: Conduct the intervention in schools (e.g., polytechnics, junior colleges) to ensure it’s easily accessible for the students.
   • Mode of Intervention: Use a combination of in-person workshops and digital tools (like apps that track their progress) to make it engaging.
   • Content: Include education on the dangers of vaping, peer pressure resistance skills, and coping strategies for stress without vaping.
3. Interactive Elements:
   • Implement interactive methods like role-playing or peer-led discussions to keep students engaged and allow them to express concerns in a supportive environment.

Tip: Use local examples or statistics to show why this intervention is important for Singaporean youths. Consider how Singapore’s strict vaping laws could be integrated into the program to emphasize the consequences of vaping.

Question 3: Pitch Presentation (30 marks)

For the pitch presentation, you need to explain how to operationalize your intervention. Here’s what to focus on:

1. Recruitment of Participants:
   • You could work with schools and offer incentives for students to participate, such as co-curricular activity (CCA) points or small rewards like vouchers.
2. Evaluation Methods:
   • Explain how you will measure the success of the intervention. This could include pre- and post-program surveys on vaping habits, as well as focus group discussions to evaluate students’ attitudes towards vaping.
   • Include quantitative data (e.g., reduction in vaping rates) and qualitative feedback (e.g., students’ reflections on the workshops).
3. Effectiveness:
   • Explain why your intervention is likely to be effective. For example, the use of peer-led groups can increase engagement and make students feel more comfortable discussing their experiences.
   • Highlight how integrating digital tools like an app will help students track their progress and feel more in control of their behavior change.
4. Possible Limitations:
   • Be honest about potential limitations, such as students’ reluctance to participate or resistance to changedue to peer influence.
   • Propose solutions, like adding more incentives or integrating parental involvement to increase accountability.

Tip: Use clear, non-technical language for the non-experts in your audience. Make your pitch as engaging as possible by focusing on why the intervention is relevant and effective for Singaporean youths.

References (5 marks)

Ensure you have properly formatted APA citations for all the sources you’ve used.

• Tip: Double-check your APA formatting for both in-text citations and the reference list. Common mistakes include incorrect use of capitalization, italics, and dates in APA style.

General Tips to Improve Your Score:

1. Link Theory to Practice: Make sure to clearly link behavior change theories or models to your intervention strategies in both questions 2 and 3. This shows that you’re applying psychological concepts to real-world problems.
2. Use Local Examples: For higher relevance, use examples from Singapore’s context, such as specific laws around vaping or local studies on youth behavior. This makes your intervention more tailored and realistic.
3. Be Specific: In all sections, be as specific as possible about the duration, location, mode, and structure of your intervention. The more detailed your plan, the stronger your answer will be.
4. Engage the Audience: In your pitch, make sure to engage both experts and non-experts. Use clear, persuasive language and emphasize why the intervention is essential for tackling vaping in Singapore.

By improving the clarity of your arguments, integrating theory with practice, and tailoring your intervention to the Singaporean context, you’ll be able to increase your score in future assignments!

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