The stages of change model
The stages of change model (also known as the transtheoretical model of behaviour) was originally developed by Prochaska and DiClemente (1982) as a synthesis of 18 therapies describing the processes involved in behavioural change. These researchers suggested a new model of change which has been applied to several health-related behaviours, such as smoking, alcohol use, exercise and personal screening behaviour such as going for a ervical smear or attending for a mammograph (e.g. DiClemente et al., 1991; Marcus, Rakowski & Rossi, 1992). If applied to giving up cigarettes, the model would suggest the following stages:
1. Precontemplation: I am happy being a smoker and intend to continue smoking.
2. Contemplation: I have been coughing a lot recently; perhaps I should think about stopping smoking.
3. Preparation: I will stop going to the pub and will buy lower tar cigarettes.
4. Action: I have stopped smoking.
5. Maintenance: I have stopped smoking for four months now.
The model describes behaviour change as dynamic, rather than being ‘all or nothing’, so the five stages do not always occur in a linear fashion. For example, an individual may move to the preparation stage and then back to the contemplation stage several times before progressing to the action stage. Even when an individual has reached the maintenance stage, they may slip back to the contemplation stage over time. The model also examines how we weigh up the costs and benefits of a particular behaviour. In particular, individuals at different stages of change will differentially focus on either the costs of a behaviour (‘Giving up smoking will make me anxious in company’) or the benefits (‘Giving up smoking will improve my health’).
The stages of change model (also known as the transtheoretical model of behaviour) was originally developed by Prochaska and DiClemente (1982) as a synthesis of 18 therapies describing the processes involved in behavioural change. These researchers suggested a new model of change which has been applied to several health-related behaviours, such as smoking, alcohol use, exercise and personal screening behaviour such as going for a ervical smear or attending for a mammograph (e.g. DiClemente et al., 1991; Marcus, Rakowski & Rossi, 1992). If applied to giving up cigarettes, the model would suggest the following stages:
1. Precontemplation: I am happy being a smoker and intend to continue smoking.
2. Contemplation: I have been coughing a lot recently; perhaps I should think about stopping smoking.
3. Preparation: I will stop going to the pub and will buy lower tar cigarettes.
4. Action: I have stopped smoking.
5. Maintenance: I have stopped smoking for four months now.
The model describes behaviour change as dynamic, rather than being ‘all or nothing’, so the five stages do not always occur in a linear fashion. For example, an individual may move to the preparation stage and then back to the contemplation stage several times before progressing to the action stage. Even when an individual has reached the maintenance stage, they may slip back to the contemplation stage over time. The model also examines how we weigh up the costs and benefits of a particular behaviour. In particular, individuals at different stages of change will differentially focus on either the costs of a behaviour (‘Giving up smoking will make me anxious in company’) or the benefits (‘Giving up smoking will improve my health’).
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