New Directions for Health Psychology

The Health Psychology field has been historically drawn from a wide number of psychological perspectives. Health Psychology owes its multidisciplinary feature to the diverse and cross-related influences from medicine, sociology, social, cognitive, developmental psychology and neuroscience. Despite its historical multidisciplinary background, to date, the academic field of Health Psychology is arguably dominated by a limited number of theoretical perspectives such as the Theory of Planned Behavior, Self-Regulation Theory and the Behavior Change Wheel (and COM-B / BCTs). Despite current literature documenting these models’ theoretical flaws in their conceptual tautology, their moderate efficacy in predicting behavior and intervention effectiveness, we see little theoretical innovation. Part of the challenge to disseminate theoretical innovations is finding a suitable publication platform. This results in numerous innovations first being presented in book chapters, limiting their dissemination and exploration. Thus, as Frontiers in Psychology acknowledges the importance of Health Psychology through their dedicated section, we wish to encourage and promote new theoretical perspectives as a mean to broaden this field’s theoretical framework. These may be entirely new theoretical approaches, those from other disciplines or other branches of psychology not usually utilized within health psychology or newly synthesized theories.

We aim to stimulate and encourage the development of this field by providing a range of new theoretical ideas and prompting novel approaches and studies. We wish to provide a theory platform, in which the intellectual eureka moment is highlighted and given the opportunity to flourish.

We are seeking articles that present new hypotheses, concepts, theories or models; illustrate how theories adapted from other disciplines may be relevant to health psychology or provide recommendations to improve current models or theories to enhance their utility. Papers do not need to provide new empirical data, rather we are looking for papers that may combine critical analysis of current models, synthesis of early empirical work, or take work from another area, and explore the potential for their utility as it can be applied to the context of health. The idea is that your manuscript should stimulate researchers in the field to test your hypotheses and concepts within their own work and study subject.
We are predominantly looking for theoretical articles that fit the new hypothesis and theoretical manuscript guidelines. If you wish to submit an article, it should focus on testing a new model, hypothesis or concept. Similarly, systematic reviews and meta-analysis need to discuss and promote a methodological approach to revise and change concepts, hypothesis, theories with a broad future perspective.

NOTE: Frontiers in Psychology would like to acknowledge the contributions concerning the original curation and theory behind this Research Topic from Professor Jane Ogden and Professor Timothy Skinner.