Which concept is about obstacles that hinder action and the belief about benefits vs costs?

• A. Perceived Severity
• B. Perceived Susceptibility
• C. Perceived Benefits
• D. Perceived Barriers

Answer: (D)

Obstacles to taking action and weighing them against the expected gains are captured by the perceived barriers construct. In the Health Belief Model, perceived barriers describe how a person views the hurdles to performing a health action and how these hurdles compare to the anticipated benefits. When barriers are seen as high—cost, time, access, discomfort, fear, or inconvenience—the likelihood of acting decreases, even if the person acknowledges risk or believes the action would help. Reducing these barriers, such as making the action cheaper, easier, or less intimidating, tends to increase action. Perceived benefits focus on the positive outcomes of the action, while perceived severity and susceptibility relate to risk—so barriers specifically explain what might stop someone from acting.