Title: Psychological factors
Course: Health Education, Advocacy and Community Mobilisation Part 1 - Ethiopia (Full)

Psychological factors

You will know from your own study that if you are anxious or worried you will not be able to learn very efficiently. Psychological factors such as mental ill-health or mental tension and conflict all hamper learning. A related psychological factor is motivation — no learning can take place in the absence of motivation. Purposeless learning is not learning at all. Motivation can energise, select and direct positive behaviour.

Can you think of a time when you had a lot of motivation to study?

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Most people have times in their life when they are particularly motivated to study. Perhaps this was while you were at school and really wanted to get good grades? Or now, as you are developing your role as a Health Extension Practitioner?

In general, for motivation to take place in health education sessions, learning should be purposeful and meaningful, and the audience should be interested in the health issue being discussed during the session. Encouragement and praise stimulate learning of health-related skills (Figure 6.7). You will need to encourage the people to whom you are giving your health education messages.

Figure 6.7 Children — and people of all ages — need encouragement to learn most effectively. (Photo: SOS Children's Villages)