This book, a collection of key papers for students of health psychology, follows the structure of the same author's Health Psychology: A Textbook, which has made a major contribution to the teaching and study of this rapidly expanding discipline. This text has additional chapters on methodology; the social context; behaviour and health; and health across the lifespan. Each chapter is introduced by a brief overview and contains papers which have been chosen either for their theoretical importance or as good empirical indicators of a model. The examples use a range of methodologies from qualitative to quantitative, with the latter including experimental and cross-sectional studies and systematic reviews. The book draws mainly from psychological theories, but also includes those from related disciplines.