PSY111 Foundations of Psychology - Health, Stress, and Coping Exercise

This assignment addresses health, stress, and coping mechanisms, drawing on the theory of reasoned action and its application to health behaviors. It explores why good intentions don't always lead to action, and the factors influencing this, including attitudes and subjective norms. The assignment then shifts focus to psychological distress in university students, examining contributing factors and protective measures. It discusses the implications of mental health issues, including potential government cautions, and summarizes the importance of addressing stress and mental health in academic settings. The assignment references various studies and articles to support its claims, offering a comprehensive overview of the topic.

HEALTH, STRESS AND COPING
Name
Professor
Institution
Date

Task 1
Head, K. J., & Noar, S. M. (2014). Facilitating progress in health behaviour theory development
and modification: The reasoned action approach as a case study. Health Psychology
Review, 8(1), 34-52.
Mullan, B., & Westwood, J. (2010). The application of the theory of reasoned action to school
nurses’ behaviour. Journal of Research in Nursing, 15(3), 261-271.
Task 2
The relationship between the Theory of Reasoned Action and health behaviour
The theory of the reasoned action focuses on the links and the relationship contained in human
attitudes.This kind of theory is majorly being used to determine the behavior of the individuals’
based on their pre-existing attitudes and general intentions. Some of the behavior which
sometimes individuals do commit normally results from their performing general behavior. This
therefore based on some of the things which individually do normally thinks about at a particular
time. This is also outlined by Head and Noar (2014) on the facilitating progress in health
behavior theory development and modification: The reasoned action approach as a case
study. Health Psychology Review. This touches on the personal and the general attitude of the
individuals at a particular time. Head and Noah clarified some of the relationships between the
attitude and the behavior. Similarly, some of the critics have it that attitude theories were not
showing any good behavior of human. In addition, the theory reason action has a primary
purpose on the evaluation of the individuals' behavior which relies on some of the fundamental
performed action. Moreover, the normative components also add to whether the person will
actually perform the action. Based on the principles of the theory, it is more evident that the

intention to perform a particular behavior precedes the actual behavior (Torres, 2010). One of the
examples which have the same outcomes as explain above is intended behavior. Behavior
intention is significant being they are determined by the attitudes and are subjective to the norms.
Task 3
Reasons why good behavior does not result in action
It is very difficult for good behavior to result in the actions, these are presumably explained in
the theory of the behavioral intentions (Barriball, Fitzpatrick, & Roberts, 2011). This kind of
theory assumes that behavior results from the intention to perform the action. As it stands,
normally, people decide on their intention in advance depending on choice of behavior.
Therefore, intentions are the best pick envisage what people will do or carry out at a particular
time. It characterized and determined by the two factors, that is the individual's attitude behavior
and subjective norms. In precise, an individual attitude-behavior normally makes some of the
clear judgment is the certain behavior is right or wrong thus makes individuals make some of the
quick action after the decision. Moreover, subjective norms are characterized by personal beliefs
and social world (Frankenhaeuser, Lundberg & Chesney, 2012). They are generally the
perceptions and commitment. It is also founded on beliefs about the other and the opinion about
one's behavior. This, therefore, explains some of the anomalies deceptions which lie on the pre-
judgment before someone done something such as what will someone say about my action of the
particular events or the situation (Mullan & Westwood, 2010). Therefore, the theory supported
that the characteristic outlined above normally joined to yields the intention which directs an
individual to do particular activities thus action performed. Therefore based on these factors,

that’s the individual and the subjective norms, the situation attitudes may be weightier than the
personal attitudes.

Part 2: PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Task 1 what the articles are all about
The articles are all about some of the fundamental behavior which leads to the distress in the
university student. It outlines some of the factors which leads constitute to the psychological
distress among the university students. Based on the review of the literal articles, it is evident
that in the last three decades it has been notified that distress is both longstanding and the current
problems (Head, & Noar, 2014). This is because students are getting stressed due to the poverty
or the failure to meet the required standard of the university .similarly, the lifestyles are some of
the factors which can stress a student's some of the circumstances. This is more in the sense that
some may feel outdated in some of the circumstances which may compel them to drop their
unique appearances. Thus they can envied their colleague's behavior which may result to the
failure or decrease in the general performance in the class.
Task 2: protective factors against mental health problems
To protect individuals from some of the natural psychological matters sometimes is very
difficult. Most of the students especially the university students display numerous factors
attributed to mental thinking problems. Majority of the students tends to dispersed due to some
of the social factors which are characterized by the loneliness, failing in the exams, lack of
enough money to take care of them in the mid of the semesters as well as company. These
factors tend to make the learners have health problems in general. Therefore, some of the
protective measures should be adopted to help university students (Mark, & Smith, 2012).
Task 3 some of the cautions which should be realized by the Australian government

Some of the limitations of the depression have to do with the students drop out from school,
which may affect the Australians nation as a whole. Similarly, drop out of the school due lack of
the money something which can have negative impacts to the learners as well as the government
since it evokes the failure in the supportive of the free sponsorship of the university (Folkman &
Nathan, 2011). Therefore the caution should be taken to all the varsities students on some of the
possible problem which they have in the institution (Zablotsky, Bradshaw & Stuart, 2013).
Task4: stress and mental health summary
With reference to Mark & Smith (2012) on the Effects of occupational stress, job characteristics,
coping, and attributional style on the mental health and job satisfaction of university
employees. Issues related to Anxiety, Stress & Coping should be addressed with a serious note.
Factors which can contribute to the stress are social issues which are constitutes and impacts a lot
to the lives of the students in the school and off from school. Due to stress thus result in the
constant decrease of the body thus mental health. Based on the research of the Mark and the
smith, they made it clear that stress is one of the factors which can make students drop out
drastically or failed to continue with education due to some of the unrelated pre-occupied
thoughts. Therefore, health in generals is a core factor in helping the students to perform bit from
the school and in their social interaction.

Task 5
References
Folkman, S., & Nathan, P. E. (Eds.). (2011). The Oxford handbook of stress, health, and coping.
Oxford University Press.
Frankenhaeuser, M., Lundberg, U., & Chesney, M. (Eds.). (2012). Women, work, and health:
Stress and opportunities 6th edition. Springer Science & Business Media.
Head, K. J., & Noar, S. M. (2014). Facilitating progress in health behaviour theory development
and modification: The reasoned action approach as a case study. Health Psychology
Review, 8(1), 34-52.
Mark, G., & Smith, A. P. (2012). Effects of occupational stress, job characteristics, coping, and
attributional style on the mental health and job satisfaction of university
employees. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 25(1), 63-78.
Mullan, B., & Westwood, J. (2010). The application of the theory of reasoned action to school
nurses’ behaviour. Journal of Research in Nursing, 15(3), 261-271
Por, J., Barriball, L., Fitzpatrick, J., & Roberts, J. (2011). Emotional intelligence: Its relationship
to stress, coping, well-being and professional performance in nursing students. Nurse
education today, 31(8), 855-860.
Torres, L. (2010). Predicting levels of Latino depression: Acculturation, acculturative stress, and
coping. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 16(2), 256.

Zablotsky, B., Bradshaw, C. P., & Stuart, E. A. (2013). The association between mental health,
stress, and coping supports mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal
of autism and developmental disorders, 43(6), 1380-1393.