抄録
In a 2002 issue of the European Psychologist, a psychologist was defined as “an academically educated professional who helps clients to understand and solve problems by applying the theories and methods of psychology” (Roe, 2002, p. 193). The major areas of specialization including health, traffic, organizational, educational, clinical and sport psychology differ with respect to several dimensions including the role of the clients or subjects of study, the institutional setting in which they are placed, the type of problem addressed, and client behaviour being identified as normal or abnormal (Roe, 2002).
Health psychology has been defined succinctly as the “field within psychology devoted to understanding psychological influences on how people stay healthy, why they become ill, and how they respond when they do get ill” (Taylor, 1995, p. 3). The field is therefore devoted to the study of cognitive processes, behavioral styles, and decisions and choices that are made, that impact directly or indirectly on health, well-being, and illness.
