Public Health

Public health is a challenging topic. On one hand, in individualistic societies such as ours, we value independence and freedom to make whatever choices we wish, even if those choices may not be in our or other people’s best interests. On the other hand, we live in a society in which our behaviors have direct consequences on others and maintaining the health of society in general sometimes necessitates restricting individual choices. I realize this topic, although timely, may also evoke some strong opinions. I encourage everyone to remain respectful of others in the discussion.

In this discussion, you are to integrate the points you learned in Module 7 (Motivation) material (text readings, video content, and other material) with Module 13 (Social Psychology) material (text readings, video content, and other material). I would like you to think about how the material from the modules is relevant to the public health issues we currently face.

Rather than ignore a current controversy, I thought it would be beneficial to apply some of your newfound knowledge to the controversy. Write a discussion that addresses how motivational forces, that sometimes conflict, impact behaviors that are relevant to others. During the current pandemic, government officials and others have asked us to change our behaviors to help curtail and change the nature of the spread of the coronavirus. What do you think motivates most people to adhere to these restrictions? Do you think cultivating intrinsic or extrinsic motivation would better increase compliance with rules such as wearing facemasks and engaging in social distancing? How do you think cultural factors such as individualism and collectivism impact compliance with these health recommendations? If you were a public health official, what steps would you take to increase compliance? Why do you think some people feel so strongly about not complying with these regulations? Are phenomena such as the Bystander Effect and the Fundamental Attribution Error or findings related to research on compliance and obedience relevant to this discussion? How?

Module 7

  • Intro to motivation
    https://bcove.video/2LuLEU
  • Important human motivations the drive to succeed
    https://bcove.video/2TMMO6w

  • Important human motivations love
    https://bcove.video/2JqtEKr

  • Important human motivations eating
    https://bcove.video/2JpeftG


Module 13

  • Attribution Theory
    https://bcove.video/2NkM6Xr

  • Attitudes and Actions
    https://bcove.video/2Ni25pa

  • Conformity
    https://bcove.video/2GFQf7O

  • Obedience
    https://bcove.video/2OUqke7

  • Deindividuation
    https://bcove.video/2KlLCTl