Which of the following is NOT a core construct of the Health Belief Model?

• A. Attitude toward the behavior
• B. Perceived susceptibility
• C. Perceived severity
• D. Cues to action

Answer: (A)

What this item tests is whether you can identify which belief construct does not belong to the Health Belief Model. In the Health Belief Model, people decide to take health action based on beliefs about a health threat and about the benefits and barriers of the action, plus cues that trigger action and self-efficacy in performing the action. Perceived susceptibility and perceived severity are about how at risk and how serious the condition would be, shaping the perceived threat. Cues to action are the reminders or prompts that nudge someone to act. Attitude toward the behavior, however, is not listed as a core construct of this model—it’s more typical of other theories like the Theory of Planned Behavior. So the option describing attitude toward the behavior is the one that doesn’t fit with the Health Belief Model’s constructs.