Understanding behaviour in context: putting individuals and their worlds back together again

Alcohol misuse remains a public health concern. Research focusing on preventing harmful consumption often suggests drinkers act rationally in choosing to consume alcohol. As behaviour is believed to be mediated by cognitive attributes (e.g. beliefs, attitudes, intentions), a focus is often on changing drinker attitudes or intentions to consume alcohol. However, these approaches are limited when explaining why individuals continue to engage in risky behaviours despite being aware of risks.

An alternative position is that alcohol misuse is often unplanned, irrational and largely influenced by context. My research therefore focuses not just on cognitive mediators of behaviour, but how behaviour might be determined by individuals who are complexly embodied and intricately embedded in rich physical and social contexts. Using a range of mixed methods, my work suggests there is theoretical and practical value in understanding behaviour in context, not only because it puts individuals and their worlds back together again.