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Developing Psychosocial Theory in Health Psychology

Problems and Prospects

Massey University, New Zealand

Kerry Chamberlain

Massey University, New Zealand

Health psychology theories remain strongly individualistic, despite a stated commitment to the biopsychosocial paradigm. We examine some general impediments to, and strategies for, establishing health- psychology theories which have a true social dimension. These impediments stem from two sources: a style of theorizing prevalent in health psychology which we label flowcharting; and the influence of root metaphors and concepts from adjacent health sciences. Two broad strategies for combining the psychological and social in health-psychology theories are identified: integrative and transcendent. In the integrative strategy psychological constructs, such as personality and emotions, are reconstructed in a more psychosocial form. The transcendent approach involves the creation of constructs which transcend the psychosocial distinction.

Key Words: biopsychosocial paradigm, health psychology, individualism • psychosocial theory

Journal of Health Psychology, Vol. 1, No. 2, 161-171 (1996)
DOI: 10.1177/135910539600100202


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